Are the "Jewish" High Holy days for ALL believers?

[Jacob Ben Avraham]

                                              Are the Jewish High Holy days for all believers? 

 

 

     The reason that I have begun this writing with “Jewish” High holy days is because this is what most of Christendom believe when the holy days of Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur, and Sukkot are mentioned.  But in reality, they are “God’s” Holy days for ALL believers.  Why do I say this? Let’s keep on reading. 

     In Genesis 1:14 Elohim says; “and God said, let there be lights in the firmament of the heavens to divide the day from the night; and let them be for signs and for seasons”

     This is not talking about the 4 seasons of Winter, Spring, Summer, and Fall.  The Hebrew word “seasons” here is “Moedim” which means “appointed times when God instructs man to come to worship” these are special times with special meanings.

     Elohim originally called his people Israel to celebrate these appointed times, yet when they came out of Egypt, not only did members of the 12 tribes come out but also many Egyptians and probably Nubians as well followed the Israelites out.  They became part of Israel by their own choice.  God made a covenant with his people, and He also had in mind these peoples who followed the true God, YHVH.

     In Deuteronomy 29:10-15, Adonai speaks through Moshe stating that everyone that was standing that day, from the most important person down to the lowliest common laborer, standing before Adonai were being made HIS PEOPLE, and he mentions in verse 11;  “your little ones, your wives, and thy stranger that is in thy camp” the mention of the word “stranger” usually means one who is not of the 12 tribes,  “that thou should enter into covenant with YHVH thy Elohim.  He included ALL into his covenant to be HIS people. 

     From that time up til now, the people of the 12 tribes have been spread out over all the earth and from the original 12 tribes, the Ashkenazim, Sephardim, and the Falashim groups have been formed whose roots are in Israel, yet they are from the nations of East Europe, Spain and Middle East, and Africa.

     Christendom may be divided up into denominations, but we are all still part of the Commonwealth/community of Israel, extended outward into the world.  So, we can well say that all the appointed days of Adonai are for ALL believers and followers in Yeshua/Jesus.  So, these are not “Jewish” appointed days, but “God’s” appointed days.

     From September 9^th to the end of this month we are celebrating Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur, and Sukkot.  How do these appointed days point to Yeshua?  To be very brief, we could say the following;

     The sound of the trumpet or shofar which is heard on Rosh Hashanah, or Yom Teruah marks the time of repentance

and inner reflection. It reminds us that the “King is coming” and for us to ready our hearts and minds.  It is time for us to “Shoov” or “return” to HIM who redeemed us from the curse of sin.  If we have fallen short of the mark, we should take better aim and point ourselves back to our relationship with Yeshua. 

     Yes, we all sin and come short, yet God invites all repentant sinners to come home.  The father welcomed his wayward son who had gone astray.  He was returning home.  He was “part” of the family already, he had just gone astray and realized the error of his ways, and returned into the arms of his beloved father.

     Repentance in the Hebrew is “Teshuvah” which means “a return” or “change of mind and heart.” As we think and ponder upon our relationship with our Savior.  We come to “Yom Kippur” or the “Day of Atonement”

     Under the old covenant, the high priest could come only once a year into the “Holy of Holies” in the Tabernacle and later in the temple.  That was where the “Aron HaKodesh” was kept, the “Holy of Holies” in this box were the tablets of the commandments.  The high priest sprinkled blood on the mercy seat and when the “Shekinah” or the “Holy Spirit” looked down upon the mercy seat, he saw the blood of innocent animals and not the broken commandments. 

     Yet this was only temporary, as the blood of animals could not really atone for sin, only “cover” sin.  The animal blood points us to the blood that really counts, to the blood of Yeshua, whose one time only sacrifice on the cross not only covered our sins but paid the entire price of sin, eternal separation from God.  His blood for our salvation.  We are now rejoined with God and not separated from God. 

     During Yom Kippur, two goats were brought to the priest.  One was sacrificed and the other sent away.  A priest placed his hands on the goat’s head, symbolically placing all of our sins onto the goat.  The other goat was sacrificed

What does this ceremony mean?  It means that just as our sins were dealt with on the cross, they are also “driven away from us” never to be remembered, never to return upon our heads. 

     The words “Yom Kippur” mean “day” (Yom) “Kippur” comes from “Kafar” meaning “covering” or also “Yom Hakipurim” (Day of the coverings) because more than one animal was sacrificed at this time.  So, it wasn’t a singular “blood” (dam) but “Bloods” (damei) therefore “coverings.”  Yet Yeshua’s blood was unique and ONE (one of a kind)

Sinless and perfect.  Just like Adam had when he was originally made in the image of Elohim.

     It is also a day of prayer and fasting, when the Word of God says; “afflicting one’s soul” it is a time of taking note of our sinful state, and spend the day in fasting.  This year, Yom Kippur starts the evening of Sept 18 and ends the evening of Sept 19^th.  In mainline Jewish belief, the books that God has concerning people are closed.  The state of the soul in written in those books and it will be so for one year.  However, we know that the books are “always open” since the line from man to God is open 24-7 for repentance.  Yeshua’s death on the cross is for all time. 

     The final appointed day is “Sukkot” or the “Feast of Tabernacles”.  This is a time of joy, gladness, rejoicing that the “King is here”.  We can look at Rosh Hashanah as saying; the king is coming, get ready, Yom Kippur we could say “the King is at the door, really get ready, if you need to repent, do it now! then Sukkot would mean; “The King is here, he has come, so rejoice!”

     This festival of “Tabernacles” symbolizes the coming of God to this earth.  A “tabernacle” is a dwelling place, usually a temporary dwelling place like a tent.  YHVH came down first to his people on Sinai, in a cloud of fire and smoke on top of Mt. Sinai.  There he invited Moshe up to commune with him, he gave him the commandments for HIS people.  Then he came down all the way to rest on the “Mishkan” (The Tabernacle) in a cloud by day and a column of fire by night.  He led his people through the desert for 40 years.  Eventually, the tabernacle was replaced by the Temple. 

     Then YHVH came to earth in the form of flesh and blood, as a man, as God-man, as Yeshua.  He came around this time towards the end of September or early October.  This can be proved mathematically.  I am not going into “Christmas bashing” at this time, but December 25^th was set aside in ancient times by Rome to commemorate the festival of Saturnalia.  It celebrates the birthdate of all the pagan gods of Rome. 

     Sukkot is a seven-day celebration, culminating on the 7^th day as “Hoshana Raba” the great day of the feast.  This was when Yeshua was in the temple and said; “whoever comes to me from him will flow rivers of living water” The priests at that time poured out near the altar water and wine, as Yeshua poured out his blood mixed with water on the cross, when the Roman soldier stuck a spear in his side.  During this festival was when Solomon dedicated the temple.

On the 8^th day, it is a time to rejoice in the Torah, that we have God’s Word in our midst. 

     The Hanukkah lights are lit for 8 days to remind us of the dedication of the first temple, and also to remind us that today we are the temple of YHVH.  Our bodies contain the Holy Spirit as the Spirit of God at one time inhabited the Tabernacle and the temple.  

    The entire chapter of Leviticus 23 speaks of the “appointed days” set aside to worship and to get right with Him.

Of course, it is the choice of every believer to either celebrate or not to celebrate these days.  Life is all about choices. We can either ignore these days or celebrate these days.  We should not judge our brother or sister if he or she chooses not to.  We are saved by grace through Yeshua, not through observance of the commandments.  However, if we love the LORD we will want to do as He commands in scripture. 

     If you want some detailed info on these Holy Days, you can go to   www.hebrew4christians.com.  When you go to that site, look to the left and under “home” look for and click on “Holidays” and you can get detailed info under the

“Days of Awe” .  

 

Shalom   Rabbi Ben Avraham

 

 

[JoeCanada]

Hi Jacob....

Good post.

Jesus fulfilled the spring feasts exactly to the day.

He will also fulfill the fall feasts exactly to the day.

I believe we should ALL pay more attention to these feasts, God's appointed times.

Once again, good post.

[James Wilbur]

On 9/14/2018 at 8:57 AM, JoeCanada said:

Hi Jacob....

Good post.

Jesus fulfilled the spring feasts exactly to the day.

He will also fulfill the fall feasts exactly to the day.

I believe we should ALL pay more attention to these feasts, God's appointed times.

Once again, good post.

From Jim Wilbur: Jacob, I am not in any way saying this about your question, it is a good and proper question, without questions and answers we do not learn.

Colossians 2: 8-22 'See to it that no one takes you captive through philosophy and empty deception, according to the tradition of men, according to the elementary principles of the world, rather than according to Christ. For in Christ all the fullness of Deity lives in bodily form, and in Christ, a person has been made complete, and He is the head over all rule and authority, and in Christ your were (spiritually) circumcised with a circumcision made without hands, in the removal of the body of the (sinful fleshly mind) by the circumcision of Christ; having been buried with Christ in baptism, in which you were also raised up with Him through faith in the working of God, who raised Him from the dead. Ephesians 2: 6 present tense  When you were dead in your transgressions, sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made you alive with Christ, having forgiven us all our sin, having canceled out the certificate of debt consisting of decrees against us, which was hostile to us, (which is why Jesus the perfect One, who was sinless, had to come, and would pay the penalty we deserved and owed to God for sin, we could not do this ourselves because we are not without spot or blemish as long as we endure this sinful fleshly mind and body, thus believing in  Him, the spotless Lamb of God we are saved into Him.)

God has taken the certificate of debt owed to Him, having nailed it to the cross of Christ. When Christ had disarmed the rulers and authorities, He made a public display of them, having triumphed over them through Christ.

Therefore, no one is to act as your judge in regard to food or drink or in respect to a festival a new moon or a Sabbath day, things which are a mere shadow of what is to come, but the substance belongs to Christ. Let no one keep defrauding you of  your prize by delighting self-abasement and the worship of angels, taking their stand on visions they have seen, inflated without cause by their (sinful) fleshly mind, and not holding to the head, from whom the entire body, being supplied and held together by joints and ligaments, grows with a grown which is from God, (and not by mans sinful fleshly works, which will not be accepted by God.' Only belief and faith in God the Father and His Son, Messiah, the Lord Jesus Christ will we be saved.)

Edited September 20, 2018 by James Wilbur

[James Wilbur]

Jacob, I am not in any way saying this about your question, it is a good and proper question, without questions and answers we do not learn.

Colossians 2: 8-22 'See to it that no one takes you captive through philosophy and empty deception, according to the tradition of men, according to the elementary principles of the world, rather than according to Christ. For in Christ all the fullness of Deity lives in bodily form, and in Christ, a person has been made complete, and He is the head over all rule and authority, and in Christ your were (spiritually) circumcised with a circumcision made without hands, in the removal of the body of the (sinful fleshly mind) by the circumcision of Christ; having been buried with Christ in baptism, in which you were also raised up with Him through faith in the working of God, who raised Him from the dead. Ephesians 2: 6 present tense  When you were dead in your transgressions, sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made you alive with Christ, having forgiven us all our sin, having canceled out the certificate of debt consisting of decrees against us, which was hostile to us, (which is why Jesus the perfect One, who was sinless, had to come, and would pay the penalty we deserved and owed to God for sin, we could not do this ourselves because we are not without spot or blemish as long as we endure this sinful fleshly mind and body, thus believing in  Him, the spotless Lamb of God we are saved into Him.)

God has taken the certificate of debt owed to Him, having nailed it to the cross of Christ. When Christ had disarmed the rulers and authorities, He made a public display of them, having triumphed over them through Christ.

Therefore, no one is to act as your judge in regard to food or drink or in respect to a festival a new moon or a Sabbath day, things which are a mere shadow of what is to come, but the substance belongs to Christ. Let no one keep defrauding you of  your prize by delighting self-abasement and the worship of angels, taking their stand on visions they have seen, inflated without cause by their (sinful) fleshly mind, and not holding to the head, from whom the entire body, being supplied and held together by joints and ligaments, grows with a grown which is from God, (and not by mans sinful fleshly works, which will not be accepted by God.' Only belief and faith in God the Father and His Son, Messiah, the Lord Jesus Christ will we be saved.)

[turtletwo]

@Jacob Ben Avraham Thank you for this  excellent, thorough teaching. I very much enjoyed it. It was balanced and thoughtful. You packed a lot into it. It is one of my favorites I have read by you.

 You contribute a lot to this website and this is appreciated. Praise God!

P.S. Thanks for adding the photo. Could you please comment on it a bit?

Edited September 22, 2018 by turtletwo
added the P.S.

[Guest 1sheep]

ll just answer the question because the small font you used I cannot read without straining my already tired eyes! LOL

 

NO! The church practicing Jewish traditions is going backwards .. 

. The church should REJECT   the ceremonial traditions of the unredeemed judaism. 

"To put it bluntly, Christianity originates in the rejection of Jewish cultic tradition. For Paul, the Rubicon was circumcision. By clearly rejecting the necessity of circumcision, the new faith declared its difference. What if evangelicals decided to get back in touch with their Jewish roots by using circumcision as a badge of belonging?

The root complication is that Christianity has a necessarily ambiguous relationship with Judaism. Judaism is the parent-tradition that must be both affirmed and rejected. Philosemitic evangelicals attempt to evade this tension, by exaggerating Christianity's affinity with Judaism."

https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/belief/2011/feb/17/evangelical-christians-jewish-customs-judaism

[NickyLouse]

On 9/13/2018 at 8:33 PM, Jacob Ben Avraham said:

Of course, it is the choice of every believer to either celebrate or not to celebrate these days.  Life is all about choices. We can either ignore these days or celebrate these days.  We should not judge our brother or sister if he or she chooses not to.  We are saved by grace through Yeshua, not through observance of the commandments.  However, if we love the LORD we will want to do as He commands in scripture. 

 

On 9/14/2018 at 8:57 AM, JoeCanada said:

Jesus fulfilled the spring feasts exactly to the day.

He will also fulfill the fall feasts exactly to the day.

I believe we should ALL pay more attention to these feasts, God's appointed times.

Please know that I do not want to put a yoke upon anyone. For trying to place commands for salvation on anyone is a burden that they cannot bear. However please consider this as a matter not of salvation but of being made holy by God, being set apart and sanctified for His use.

 

If the Spring feasts (Passover, Unleavened Bread, Firstfruits and Pentecost) have been fulfilled in the first coming of Christ and the Fall feasts (Trumpets, Atonement and Tabernacles) point to His return AND if the feasts were to be abandoned after His first coming... why did God appoint the Fall feasts at all? If it was good to observe the Spring feasts up until the coming of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost, then it would seem good to observe the Fall feasts up until His return.

 

I think of the moedim as dress rehearsals as though they were for some magnificent once in a lifetime set of performances that were to take place. At least the first 2 or 3 moedim have taken place. We observe their occurrence by looking back at the great performance of Yeshua on that certain Passover and Firstfruits when He died and was resurrected. But do we now simply forget what happened and abandon the rest of the appointments as well? If Passover were a musical recital, we might continue year after year reminding ourselves of that perfect performance by singing the songs we heard there. However, there are more recitals to come. Do we stop the dress rehearsals for those future events now that the first one has passed?

 

I personally believe we will observe them all throughout the Millennial Reign as well.

 

Blessings to all.

[Justin Adams]

Perhaps Paul’s commitment toward the Holy Days could best be summed up in a quote from Acts 18:21: “I must by all means keep this coming feast in Jerusalem.”

Some question whether this verse is valid because it is not found in some texts. (Could the omission be because it offers such strong support for the validity of Holy Days?)

However, no one questions the validity of Acts 20:16, which mentions Paul’s determination to be in Jerusalem for Pentecost. He had intended to be there for Passover and the Days of Unleavened Bread, but circumstances required him to keep them locally (Acts 20:1-6). That made him even more determined to be in Jerusalem for the next Holy Day—the Day of Pentecost.

The Expositor’s Bible Commentary candidly admits, “Having been unable to get to Jerusalem for Passover, Paul remained at Philippi to celebrate it and the week-long Feast of Unleavened Bread” (Vol. 9, p. 507).

https://www.ucg.org/beyond-today/why-would-the-apostle-to-the-gentiles-keep-the-jewish-holy-days

[Susan Hayes]

The Feasts of the Lord which He has given us all are a treasure trove of learning by doing, a hands on approach if you will of what He desires to teach us. Why would I speak in derogatory tones concerning something instituted by God all the while extolling the traditions of man. Jesus warned us of such religious surrogates.

[Justin Adams]

Please do not quote Collosians or other such against false divine worship passages and the against false feast days passages and the against false sabbath passages of the pagans.

The apostles NEVER would have put down God's Feast Days.

The famous 'food law - sabbath'  passage has worn thin. This post is about the Feast Days of Yahweh, not some mystic pagan nonsense that some tried to mingle with Christianity...

Read scriptures in context, and with careful humility quote them.