Leasing the Land
25: 14-17

Leasing the land DIG: How is the price for the land calculated? Why was it only leased, and not actually bought? How did this mitzvah tend to balance out the rich and the poor in Israelite society? Why was it important to treat each other with honesty and civility?

REFLECT: Would you prefer to lease or buy land? Why? If you were selling land that had been in your family for centuries, how would you feel about the opportunity to get it back again? Or at least your children or grandchildren being able to keep it in the family?

You are not to take advantage of each other, but you are to fear your God.

The Torah returns to one of the unique features of the Jubilee (to see link click Em – The Year of Jubilee) – the restoration of land to the original owners or their descendants. While selling their land was not ideal, it was sometimes necessary. Then, it had to be done fairly and sold only to Israelites. The way it worked was that the sale of the land had to be adjusted, based on the number of years since the last Jubilee in order to determine the amount of produce that would have been collected. You are to take into account the number of years after the Year of Jubilee when you buy land from your neighbor, and he is to sell to you according to the number of years crops will be raised (25:15). In other words, the land was actually just being leased for a certain number of years depending on the number of crops that could be harvested before the next Jubilee. If the number of years remaining is large, you will raise the price; if few years remain, you will lower it; because what he is really selling you is the number of crops to be produced (25:16). The greater number of years that remained until the Jubilee warranted a higher price, while the purchase closer to the time of the Jubilee would proportionately lower the price.

Thus, you are not to take advantage of each other, but you are to fear your God; for I am ADONAI your God (25:17). The people were not to take advantage of one another; their dealings had to be fair (19:18). Likewise, believers are commanded to be fair in their dealings with those dependent on them, remembering that we too have a Master in heaven (Colossians 4:1). Only those who realize that Ha’Shem sees all and will punish even secret transgressions of His mitzvot (see Cy – The Holiness Code) will resist the temptation to try to get away with their sins and their crimes. This mitzvah also reminded the rich buyers not to become too attached to the land.⁴⁹⁷ They guaranteed each family land, and a fresh start every fifty years. Freedom from crushing debt and possession of land, the basic source of wealth, provide a form of social justice built into the economic system that would guarantee most a fair opportunity in life.⁴⁹⁸

The command to effect justice between buyer and seller is taken very seriously in Jewish legal material. The Talmud (see the commentary on The Life of Christ Ei – The Oral Law) is replete with exacting standards of how to establish fair trade. Specific criteria are established whereby a dispute between buyer and seller can be scrutinized to determine whether or not the transaction is legally binding. When confronted with a matter where either the buyer or seller is dissatisfied, they are to carefully consider their claim and weigh the evidence to determine if the transaction occurred in good faith. Did the customer get what he paid for? Was the seller reimbursed? Was the price fair? As much as it is in our power to do so, the Talmud sets standards of fair commerce that are to be upheld.

Typically, we do not bring our religion into the mundane matters of retail exchanges and business transactions, but the Torah is just as relevant in this arena as it is in the mod sublime matter of faith and spirituality, it continues to be our blueprint for living (see the commentary on Deuteronomy Bk – The Ten Words). Consider, for example, the constant concern with righteous weights and measures. In fact, one might even argue that true godliness is far more readily apparent in the way one conducts his everyday business affairs than it is in the way one carries on in a religious context. Therefore, it is a commandment of the Torah not to wrong anyone in buying or selling. Before jumping on a “great deal,” a buyer must be certain the seller knows the full value of the product he is selling. So too, before taking a customer for all he is worth, a seller must conscientiously explain the value of the product he is selling. He must resist the temptation to inflate the price for purposes of taking advantage of an unwary buyer. Regardless of whether we cheated a person deliberately or accidentally overcharging him, we are duty bound to compensate them. By conducting business under this scrupulous mitzvah of the Torah, believers should be known world-wide as the most honest people in the world. If this mitzvah were kept, people would travel great distances specifically to do business with people of the Torah.⁴⁹⁹

Dear Heavenly Father, What a wise Heavenly Father You are! You evaluate the love for me, not by how many times I go to worship services (though You definitely desire that) nor is it how beautiful I sing in worship (though You are so worthy of beautiful singing); but what is most important to You is the heart I bring to worship. It is hard to think that someone could do miracles in Your name and not really love You, but that is what You say. Not everyone who says to Me, “Lord, Lord!” will enter the kingdom of Heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven.  Many will say to Me on that day, “Lord, Lord, didn’t we prophesy in Your name, and drive out demons in Your name, and perform many miracles in Your name?” Then I will declare to them, “I never knew you. Get away from Me, you workers of lawlessness” (Matthew 7:21-23)!

What a comfort it is that You do not gauge success by physical appearance; but it is the attitude of the heart that You look at, and from which You desire to see true and faithful love. ADONAI does not see a man as man sees, for man looks at the outward appearance, but Adonai looks into the heart (First Samuel 16:7). It is good to please and serve You joyfully, even in hard times, for we know the difficult trials will be over soon. For I consider the sufferings of this present time not worthy to be compared with the coming glory to be revealed to us (Romans 8:18). Heaven will be forever! Praise You for making a home in heaven for all who love You (John 14:1-3). In Jesus’ holy Name and power of His resurrection. Amen

The Freedom of the Year of Jubilee
25: 8-13

The freedom of the Year of Jubilee DIG: When did the Year of Jubilee occur? Why did YHVH have the Year of Jubilee begin on Yom Kippur? What is the Yovel Year? How did this year tend to balance out the poor and the rich? How does Isaiah 61:1 relate to this?

REFLECT: What kind of freedom does Messiah give? Explain more fully. What kind of debt does all the people owe to ADONAI? How is this debt paid? What is the “Isaiah Avenue,” and why is it different from the “Romans Road?” Who can you pray for this week?

The Year of Jubilee is a marvelous climax to the sacred calendar of the Israelites.

Freedom (25:8-9): You are to count seven Shabbats of years, seven times seven years, that is, forty-nine years. Then, on the tenth day of the seventh month, on Yom-Kippur, you are to sound a blast on the shofar; you are to sound the shofar all through your land (25:8-9). Why did YHVH have the Year of Jubilee begin on Yom Kippur? It seems that to understand what is going on here, we need to remember that one of the primary themes for the Year of Jubilee is the theme of freedom. There is freedom in who we are in Messiah, and freedom to follow the Torah as our blueprint for living. But in order to walk in either one of these freedoms, there is a primary, more fundamental freedom everyone must experience first. This is the freedom from sin itself.

The B’rit Chadashah teaches us that we are all born sinners (Romans 3:23). Because we are born in such a state, we are, therefore, in bondage to that sin. Neither following the Torah, nor any other religious teaching can free us from that bondage. But Yeshua said that He came to set us free (see the commentary on Romans, to see link click Bu – The New Freedom in Messiah). The B’rit Chadashah teaches us that if we put our faith/trust/belief in the finished, perfect atonement accomplished by Yeshua, several things happen all at once (see the commentary on The Life of Christ Bw – What God Does for Us at the Moment of Faith). One thing He does is to instantly change us from the kingdom of sin and death to the Kingdom of life and righteousness (see Bv – The Test of Tsara’at). Another thing He does for us is to break the bonds of our slavery to sin. We are now free because of His atonement.

What an interesting connection we can now see between the Year of Jubilee and the Day of Atonement. The message of both is a new birth. The Day of Atonement freed man from slavery to sin and enabled him to start his life anew, at one with God and his fellow man. Here, with the Year of Jubilee, ADONAI was painting another spiritual picture. He was teaching that there is no real freedom unless sinful man had his sins atoned for. But once this happened, he entered into a new realm of existence – real freedom to serve his God.

Jubilee (25:10-13): The Year of Jubilee forms a marvelous climax to the sacred calendar of the Israelites. And you are to dedicate the fiftieth year, proclaiming freedom (Hebrew: d’ror) throughout the land to all its inhabitants. It will be a yovel for you (25:10a). There are several Hebrew words translated freedom. Here, d’ror is commonly called the Year of Jubilee. But the English word “jubilee” is just a poorly transliterated form of the Hebrew word yovel. English translators change the “y” sound in Hebrew to a “j” and Hebrew “v” sound to a “b.” Hence, yovel becomes “jubel.” D’ror is a very rare word, used only a handful of times in the whole TaNaKh. In Exodus 30:23 we have a hint at why the Ruach Ha’Kodesh chose this word to speak of the freedom in the Yovel Year. ADONAI instructed Moshe to make the oil to anoint the High Priest. Among the elements in this oil was flowing d’ror, or myrrh. In another place in the TaNaKh, d’ror also carries the connotation of free-flowing, unhindered, or free-running.⁴⁹¹

That fiftieth year will be a yovel for you. Because there would be two fallow years in succession, the Israelites were not to sow, harvest what grows by itself or gather the grapes of untended vines. That is, the spontaneous growth of this year was not to be made into a regular harvest and stored up. Because it is the Year of Jubilee, it will be holy for you; whatever the fields produce will be food for all of you (25:11-12). Some would no doubt ask, “But how would we eat?” The answer is “Fear not! I will order my blessing on you during the sixth year, so that the Land brings forth enough produce for all [four] years (25:21). The Word of God declares that He would abundantly bless them in the sixth year so that the Land would produce enough for the four years to follow: the sixth, seventh, the Yovel Year, the first year of the next seven-year cycle, and when they began to plant again.⁴⁹² Until the produce of year two came in, they would eat the old, stored food (25:21-22). Harvested grain could last quite well for at least seven years (Genesis 41:1-19). Just as the weekly Sabbath rest (see El – The Sabbath Year) was an act of faith in God, so too the Sabbath Year was an act of faith (see Ep – Trusting God). However, the fruit and grain which grew spontaneously without reaping or sowing (which is common in Isra’el) during the Sabbath rest could be picked and eaten, but not stored.

Spring                                                                                    Fall

Year six: God’s blessing: reap the barley.       Year six: God’s blessing: reap the wheat

Year seven: Shabbat rest for the Land             Year seven: Shabbat rest for the Land

Yovel Year: Shabbat rest for the Land              Yovel Year: Shabbat rest for the Land

Year one: God’s blessing: sow the barley        Year one: God’s blessing: sow the wheat

Year two: Eat the newly harvested crops       Year two: Eat the newly harvested crops

In this year of yovel, every one of you is to return to the land he owns and everyone is to return to his family (25:10b and 13). The Torah returns to one of the unique features of the Jubilee – the return of property that had been sold. The sale of the property had to be adjusted, based on the number of years since the last Jubilee in order to determine the amount of produce that would have been collected (25:15-16). The greater number of years that remained until the Jubilee warranted a higher price, while the purchase closer to the time of the Jubilee would proportionately lower the price. The people were not to take advantage of one another; their dealings had to be fair. And the motivation for this was their fear of God (25:17). These mitzvot also reminded the rich not to become too attached to the land.⁴⁹³ And to guarantee each family land, and a fresh start every fifty years. Freedom from crushing debt and possession of land, the basic source of wealth, provide a form of social justice built into the economic system that would guarantee most a fair opportunity in life.⁴⁹⁴

Messiah: The word freedom (Hebrew: d’ror) is used several times in the TaNaKh. But, perhaps, its most significance usage outside the Parashah b’Har is in Isaiah 61:1, which reads: The Spirit of ADONAI Elohim is upon me, because ADONAI has anointed Me to announce Good News to the poor. He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted; to proclaim freedom (d’ror) to the captives, to let out into light those bound in the dark. The word translated freedom is d’ror, the same word we have been speaking which characterizes the Yovel Year. This fact provides for us a clear-cut connection between the Year of Jubilee and the freedom proclaimed in Isaiah 61:1.

The Isaiah passage (see the commentary on Isaiah Jy – The Year of the LORD’s Favor and the Day of Vengeance) is definitely Messianic. Alfred Edersheim (the famous Messianic Jew: 1825-1889), attests to the fact that the ancient rabbis considered it as such. The work described in these verses in Isaiah is solely the work of the Messiah. What is even more important for our discussion is that this is the verse which Yeshua quoted when He began His public ministry in the Nazarene synagogue (see The Life of Christ Ch – The Spirit of the LORD is On Me). The fact that Isaiah 61:1 mentions that the Person doing the speaking is anointed [a Messiah] by the Spirit of ADONAI Elohim only adds to the force which Yeshua was giving to this passage which He was quoting.

In essence, Yeshua was claiming to be the One by whom all the messianic works of Isaiah 61:1 would be performed. One of these tasks was to grant the captives of Isra’el something which they had waited for centuries – a yovel, freedom from their bondage. Therefore, when Yeshua applied this messianic promise to Himself, He was making a grand proclamation to all of the House of Isra’el – in Him, the Messianic era of freedom (d’ror) would be found. Not only that, but He Himself would be the One making it happen. He would set all those held captive by the bondage of their sin, free forever from that deadly enslavement.⁴⁹⁵

The God of Isra’el desires to provide people with His rest and peace through an eternal relationship with Himself. The following five principles, taken from the prophet Isaiah, help us to recognize how we can have that relationship. Just as Gentile believers have often used a series of verses from Romans called “the Romans Road,” messianic believers, witnessing to Jews, can use a different series of verses from Isaiah called “the Isaiah Avenue.”

Sinners Before God: For all of us have become like one who is unclean, and all our righteousness is like a filthy garment, and all of us wither like a leaf, and our iniquities carry us away, like the wind (Isaiah 64:5). We may judge ourselves by relative standards, thinking, “I’m as good as the next person,” or, “I’m no worse than the next guy.” Yet, God judges each of us by His absolute standards of Himself and His Torah: You shall be holy, for I, ADONAI your God, am holy (Leviticus 19:2). By His standards, we are all moral failures. Granted, you may be a nice person, and you may remember to call your mom on Mother’s Day; it’s just that you and “the next person” still fall short of God’s high holy standards. By the way, every Messianic rabbi or pastor has the same problem. Psalm 14:3 declares: There is none that does good, no not one. We are all born with the fatal disease of sin passed down through Adam. So, no one can point fingers or throw stones at anyone else; we all have the same great problem of original sin.

Separation From God: Surely the arm of ADONAI is not too short to save, nor His ear too dull to hear. Rather, your iniquities have made a separation between you and your God. Your sins have hidden His face from you, so that He does not hear (Isaiah 59:1-2). The result of our sin nature is a broken relationship with God. Now you may pray and even fast, but the Bible is clear: He will not hear. It’s as if I stole money from you, and then had the nerve to come to you and ask for a gift! Your response should be, “first let’s deal with the past offense, then I can consider your present or future needs.” God wants to bless you, but your sin nature separates you from Him, and must be dealt with first before He can bless you. Since this separation continues to our death, it becomes a judgment of everlasting separation from God. This breaks God’s heart. He truly loves you and desires you to have everlasting life with Him. That’s why the story doesn’t end here, but continues on with the Good News for your life.

Salvation In God: We all like sheep have gone astray. Each of us turned to our own way. So, ADONAI has laid on Him [Messiah] the iniquity of us all (Isaiah 53:6). God has provided the way of salvation and forgiveness, since we can do nothing, no good deed, to save ourselves. The best fifteen minutes of our lives cannot save us; the greatest accomplishment of our lives cannot save us either. Because of His great love, God has promised to send Messiah to die as the atonement or payment for our sins. In the New Covenant, Messiah Yeshua states as well: I give My life as a ransom for many (Matthew 20:28). This is the salvation and right relationship that God offers freely.

The Savior Is God: For to us a child is born, a son will be given to us, and the government will be upon His shoulder. His Name will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the increase of His government and shalom there will be no end – on the throne of David and over His Kingdom – to establish it and uphold it through justice and righteousness from now until forevermore. The zeal of ADONAI-Tzva’ot will accomplish this (Isaiah 9:5-6). Only God Himself could provide the perfect sacrifice for sins, as He alone is perfect. What amazing love and humility that the Mighty God of Isra’el would be born, live as a man, and die as the perfect payment for our sins. Messiah Yeshua is Adonai, the Lord.

Eternal Security With God: You keep in perfect peace one whose mind is steadfast on You, because he trusts in You (Isaiah 26:3). Perfect peace (shalom shalom) is found only in God and is accessible only through faith/trust/belief in Messiah. Simple acknowledgement of our sins and faith in Messiah Yeshua as our substitute, our sacrifice, our saving atonement, is the necessary action to a right relationship with God. The Bible says: Abraham believed God, and He credited it to him as righteousness (Genesis 15:6). Like Abraham, you can have a right relationship with God by faith in what He alone has provided. Here’s a simple prayer that help you:

Lord, please forgive me for all my sins through Messiah’s sacrifice on the cross for me.
Help me to follow Yeshua and honor You. Thank You for loving me. Amen.⁴⁹⁶

If you have prayed this prayer,
see my commentary on The Life of Christ Bw – What God Does for Us at the Moment of Faith.

The Year of Jubilee
25:8 to 26:2

We are not finished studying the concept of seven. There is a weekly seven, the weekly Shabbat is on the seventh day. There is another seven: the Sabbath Year (the Shemittah) every seventh year. Then, the Year of Jubilee comes at the end of every seven times seven years, or every fifty years. It forms a marvelous climax to the sacred calendar of the Israelites. Although this unusual event is called in English the Year of Jubilee, its Hebrew name is called Shanat ha’Yovel. There are generally three events that stand out as important events in the Year of Jubilee: the release of all slaves, the return of all land to its original ancestral owner within the descendants of Isra’el, and the forgiveness of all debts.⁴⁹⁰ The ultimate fulfillment of the concepts taught by the Year of Jubilee will be realized when the entire Church, made up of Jewish and Gentile believers (Ephesians 2:14) are intimately connected by faith with the One who will fulfill it all – Yeshua Messiah.

The Sabbath Year
25: 1-7

The Sabbath year DIG: Who owns the Land of Isra’el? What would be the direct costs of this year-long Sabbath? What effects might such land management have on Isra’el’s economy? On their relationship with ADONAI? Why did that take faith for three years?

REFLECT: What most excites you about the Sabbath Land principle? If implemented today, would your life change? What would it mean for the poor and the needy? Can you imagine spending a whole year studying the Scriptures and teaching God’s Word to your children?

Parashah 32: b’Har (On Mount Sinai) 25:1 to 26:2
(See my commentary on Deuteronomy, to see link click Af – Parashah)

The Key Person is Moshe.

The Scene is the Tabernacle in the wilderness of Sinai.

The Main Events include instruction upon entering the Land, to take Shabbat, leave fields fallow the seventh year, and observe Jubilee the fiftieth year by returning all property to the original owners; special guidelines for a relative or the poor person himself to redeem what was sold; houses in walled cities redeemable only the first year; houses redeemable by Levites at any time; no charging interest from any of God’s people; no harsh treatment for hired servants; Israelites selling themselves to strangers redeemable or set free at Jubilee; children of Isra’el as God’s own servants; no idols; and commands to keep Shabbat and revere the Sanctuary.

The mitzvot of parashah b’Har grants us a glimpse of a different kind of economy. It is not Western capitalism. Neither is it socialism or communism or any other type of economic theory currently practiced in the world. God’s economy is one in which faith takes precedence over profit; Sabbaths are placed before harvests; the individual is more important than the bottom line; family heritage is prized above expansion and growth; and ADONAI is the owner of both land and human resources. In the economy of Torah, loans are made without interest, and debts are forgiven every seven years. The poor and the needy are continually at the center of concern (see Deuteronomy Cy – The Year of Release). It is a completely different kind of approach, and one that requires a generous portion of faith and trust.

Several of the mitzvot of Leviticus 25 belong to an ideal Torah economy that does not exist in our world, but all of these mitzvot find some practical application in our lives even today. Furthermore, these mitzvot of Torah economics are undergirded by deep spiritual fundamentals. Here we learn the mitzvot of remission and release, the institution of the kinsman redeemer, the sovereign proprietary rights of YHVH, His claim upon our lives, and every present concern He has for every individual. Here we learn that though redemption may be delayed, God sets a deadline for the final Day of Jubilee.⁴⁸⁴

Thus far in the Torah, the word Shabbat or other derivatives from its Hebrew root, frequently translated as rest (noun or verb), has been used over twenty-five times, and its usage is not over yet! It is, perhaps, one of the most frequent and primary teachings of Torah. Our present parashah opens with, still, another usage of this word. Only this time it does not refer to a specific day, as in previous passages. Instead, the present verses teach us about a seven-year cycle which the text calls a Shabbat. Moreover, this Shabbat is not primarily designated for people like the seventh-day Shabbat. This unique Shabbat is for the Land which YHVH gave to the people of Isra’el. They were instructed to let the Land rest every seventh year as a Shabbat for ADONAI.⁴⁸⁵

ADONAI spoke to Moses at Mount Sinai, “Speak to the Israelites and say to them: ‘When you enter the Land I am going to give you, the Land itself must observe a Sabbath to ADONAI. For six years sow your fields, and for six years prune your vineyards and gather their crops. But in the seventh year the Land is to have a year of Sabbath rest (a Sh’mittah, meaning the final year in the seven-year cycle, or the Year of Release), a Sabbath to ADONAI. Do not sow your fields or prune your vineyards. Do not reap what grows of itself or harvest the grapes of your untended vines. The Land is to have a year of rest. Whatever the Land yields during the Sabbath year will be food for you – for yourself, your male and female servants, and the hired worker and temporary resident who lives among you, as well as for your livestock and the wild animals in your Land. Whatever the Land produces may be eaten. (25:1-7). Just as the weekly Sabbath rest is an act of faith in God, so too the Sabbath Year is an act of faith (see Ep – Trusting God).

Rest! Rest! Rest! The Sabbath Year and the weekly Shabbat both share several things in common. First of all, they share a common Hebrew root between them translated rest. The main idea behind this root is that of rest, although other possible translations are to cease and to desist. Since this seven-year cycle is also called a Shabbat, it would, therefore, follow that whatever can be said about the weekly rest would also be said concerning the seven-year rest. Hence, by designating a rest every seven years as well as every seven days, the Holy One is continuing to emphasize that the primary nature of our relationship to Him is that of complete and absolute rest.

Of course, this concept sounds rather simple, but, in fact, most people fail to see it. In both Jewish and Gentile circles, many people are locked into a mindset which tells them that they must be continually doing mitzvot (or good works) in order to begin, maintain, or earn a proper and eternal relationship with ADONAI. However, beginning with the Torah’s teaching about offerings (see Ah – The Offerings from the People’s Perspective) and covenant (see Df – Covenant Loyalty to ADONAI), and continuing to the teaching about the once-for-all sacrificial atonement accomplished by Yeshua (see the commentary on Hebrews Cd – Messiah’s Sacrifice Was Once for All Time), the message which God has been trying to communicate to sinful mankind is that all we need to do is simply rest our souls, our lot, our life into His hands by faith. This is why the writer to the Hebrews tells us: Now we who have believed [in Yeshua] enter that rest . . . There remains, therefore, a Sabbath rest for the people of God; for anyone who enters God’s rest from his own work, just as God did from His (Hebrews 4:3 and 9-10). In other words, our relationship with the Eternal One can be summed up in one phrase: a Shabbat rest! And that rest can only be entered into by faith/trust/belief in Messiah.⁴⁸⁶

ADONAI’s Shabbat: But the similarity between the two kinds of Shabbat rests goes beyond that of merely rest. A careful reading of Chapter 23 reveals the fact that there is at least one Shabbat included in each of the feasts (mo’adim). But none of these Shabbat days are called a Shabbat to ADONAI. Only the seventh-day Shabbat and the Sabbath Year share this designation. In the case of the weekly Shabbat, it is called ADONAI’s because it was He who first ceased from His work and rested (see the commentary on Genesis Aq – By the Seventh Day God Had Finished His Work). Thus, Shabbat was God’s ideal from the beginning. He set the precedent. He established the pattern. He laid down the principle.

However, here, in Parashah 32, ADONAI’s Shabbat carries with it one additional feature: it is not first and foremost people that were the object of the Shabbat, but the Land. This raises an interesting question. To whom does the real estate called the Land of Isra’el actually belong? If the politicians could answer that question, it would solve a vast majority of the contemporary world problems! All the politicians would have to do is read the Torah. The answer is clear – the Land of Isra’el belongs not to the Jewish or Arab people primarily. It belongs to Ha’Shem Himself! It is God’s Land! He owns this treasured Land, YHVH has the right to decide who may or may not live in it.

As we know, the Torah indicates that the LORD gave the Land of Promise to the children of Isra’el to live in as an inheritance (Genesis 12:7). With this in mind, the idea implied by the institution of Shamittah can easily be seen. It is a tribute from the Jewish people who, every seven years, give back their homeland to the One from whom they received it. This expresses the conviction that the country can become the complete property of the Israelites only insofar as God grants it to them. Moreover, since ADONAI is the owner of this Land, He is the One who decides what should be done with the Land. It is not the absolute possession of man; it belongs to God, and is to be held in trust for His purposes.

Dear Heavenly Father, Praise You that You are the best caregiver to watch over all that we count as ours, whether people, property, or time. You know how to best care for each one. When we relinquish our right to control our own lives and instead trust and follow You, then we can have peace. We need to plan for our future and yet when things seem to go a different way than what we had hoped for, we can rest in You and follow Your ways in all we do.

You who planned how to place the stars in their perfect orbits are the Master Planner! You tell of the future kingdoms in Daniel 2 and 7 and each detail has come to pass exactly as You have said. Revelation 19 foretells how You will return from heaven with Your bride , and with the sword coming out of your mouth you will destroy all opposition. You are the King of kings and what a joy it is to give our hearts and our possessions for the King’s use. You are so gracious. When I give to You, You are pleased and will have an eternal reward for me. More important than having a beautiful home and many possessions here on earth, is to love You dearly now and to one day have a beautiful heavenly home with You. It is a joy for me to place all my possessions in Your care and to give generously to You – my loving and wonderful Heavenly Father! In Yeshua’s holy name and power of His resurrection. Amen

May we add one additional application to this idea? Since the Land belongs , in reality, to the Holy One, then those who are granted permission to live in it, must live in it according to the conditions which He has laid out. Thus, Torah must be the rule of life for its residents. Furthermore, those who rule this Land may not give it to others whom ADONAI does not designate as legal residents. This hold true no matter which generation is present here, but especially the current one whose inclination so far has been to let others rule sections of the sacred Land which the Holy One has stipulated only for the children of Isra’el and those who are Torarh-legal sojourners with Isra’el.⁴⁸⁷

Made for mankind: Before we leave our discussion of the Sabbath Year, there is another important point to make. Yeshua Messiah tells us that the Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath (see the commentary on The Life of Christ Cv – The Son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath). Among other things, this would teach us that Shabbat has certain benefits for mankind, if we observe it unto the LORD. So, the same would also hold true for the Sabbath Year. We ask then, what benefits can the Sabbath Year have for us?

One obvious benefit is that the text indicates that the farmers get a whole year vacation. Leviticus 25:4 indicates that every seventh year the farmers were not to sow, reap, nor prune for one year. In fact, verse four says that the seventh year the Land is to have a year of Sabbath rest, a Sabbath to ADONAI. The same phraseology is also used to describe the rest on Yom Kippur.

Another benefit is that the Sabbath Year affords the Israelites an opportunity to see how much God can increase our faith. Some would no doubt ask, “But how would we eat?” The answer is “Fear not! YHVH has this one covered! In Leviticus 25:21 He tells us: I will order my blessing on you during the sixth year, so that the Land brings forth enough produce for all three years. The Word of God says that He would abundantly bless them in the sixth year so that the Land would produce enough for the three years to follow: the sixth, seventh, and the first year of the next cycle of seven, when they began to plant again.⁴⁸⁸ Until the produce of year two came in, they would eat the old, stored food (25:21-22). Harvested grain could last quite well for at least seven years (Gen 41:1-19 and 47:13-26). Just as the weekly Sabbath rest is an act of faith in God, so too the Sabbath Year is an act of faith (see Ep – Trusting God). However, the fruit and grain which grew by itself without plowing or sowing (common in Isra’el) in the Sabbath Year could be picked and eaten, but not stored.

Spring                                                                                    Fall

Year six: God’s blessing: reap the barley        Year six: God’s blessing: reap the wheat

Year seven: Shabbat rest for the Land             Year seven: Shabbat rest for the Land

Year one: God’s blessing: sow the barley       Year one: God’s blessing: sow the wheat

Year two: Eat the newly harvested crops      Year two: Eat the newly harvested crops

Another benefit is that by letting the land rest for a year, it might tend to increase its health and ability to produce by replenishing it. Many have criticized the Jewish people for letting their land rest for a year. But in doing so, they do not understand the meaning of this unique mitzah, which, among other things, saves the soil from the danger of exhaustion.

A final benefit of the Sabbath Year is that because people would be resting that Year, there would be lots of time to study the Scriptures. Deuteronomy 31:10-11 tells us that at the end of every seven years, during the festival of Sukkot in the year of Sh’mittah, when all Isra’el have come to appear in the presence of ADONAI at the place He will choose, you are to read this Torah before all Isra’el, so that they can hear it. Can you imagine spending a whole year just studying the Scriptures and teaching God’s Word to your children?⁴⁸⁹

The Sabbath Year and the Year of Jubilee
25:1 to 26:2

The teaching in this parashah (see the commentary on Deuteronomy, to see link click Af – Parashah) is, perhaps, one of the many proofs that the words which we are reading are the words of God Himself, and not the product of man’s invention. For, surely, no human being who, being born with a sin nature which he inherited from his father Adam (see the commentary on Romans Bm – The Consequences of Adam), could think of making part of the national constitution of a nation, a teaching which defies all normal standards of economy and flows against the tide of human societies throughout the world.

The parashah before us, although brief (basically one chapter) contains some of the most inspiring principles of human dignity, equality, and justice found anywhere. In this parashah, we learn of the Sabbath Year (see El – The Sabbath Year), giving the land a rest while trusting ADONAI for a three-year provision of food. We are taught about the Year of Jubilee (see Em – The Year of Jubilee) where debts were forgiven, slaves set free, and property returned to the original owner. As if this wasn’t enough to severely damage most economies, the parashah finishes by encouraging and legislating the children of Isra’el to help their fellow Israelites when they are found in poverty.⁴⁸

The Blasphemer
24: 10-23

The blasphemer DIG: Define blasphemy. Why is this such a serious offense? What lesson do you think the people learned from this event? In what sense do the mitzvot for collecting damages and disputes limit vengeance? Maintain a correct relationship with ADONAI?

REFLECT: When are you tempted to use curses that invoke God’s Name? How can you let the LORD be your avenger? How has the sin of blasphemy changed for B’rit Chadashah believers today? What is the “unforgivable sin” today? How does this relate to your eternal security?

Whoever curses his God will bear the consequences of his sin.

The Torah leaves the long chapters of mitzvot for a brief return to the narrative. Shortly after the commandments to sanctify God’s Name (to see link click Du – Sanctifying the Name of God), we are given an example of just the opposite. Providing a contrast to the theme of holiness, the narrative formed a solemn warning to Isra’el that the Name of the LORD was their sacred trust. This warning came in the context of the calendar of sacred festivals.⁴⁷⁷

The blasphemer (24:10): The Torah describes how the son of an Egyptian father and Israelite woman got into a fight with another man (apparently the child of Israelite parents). There was a man who was the son of a woman of Isra’el (His mother’s name was Shlomit the daughter of Dibri, of the tribe of Dan) and an Egyptian father. He went out among the people of Isra’el, and this son of a woman of Isra’el had a fight in the camp with a man of Isra’el (24:10). In the midst of the struggle the half-Egyptian man blasphemed the Name of God with a curse, uttering the Name [Yud-Heh-Vav-Heh] in a curse. Of course, we are not told what the exact curse was. The Torah will not dirty our minds with it. But, we can be certain it was heinous and unspeakable, originating from the father of lies (John 8:44).

The background (24:11-12): They would have known blaspheme was wrong (Exodus 22:28) and would have been able to reason that, if an Israelite who cursed his parents was to be put to death (Exodus 21:17), the same would apply to an Israelite who cursed ADONAI. But in this case, the offender was of mixed ethnic heritage. Since decent was usually traced through the father (Deuteronomy 25:5-6), and since this man’s mother was an Israelite but his father was an Egyptian, it seems he was not considered a native-born Israelite (verse 16, however, makes it clear that this mitzvah applied to the resident alien). In the story, all those who heard the man blaspheme were to lay hands upon on his head, either as a witness against him or to rid themselves of any guilt incurred in merely hearing the blasphemy.⁴⁷⁸ At any rate, they brought him to Moshe. The Israelites put him under guard until YHVH would tell them what to do (24:11-12). 

The verdict: ADONAI begins His response to Moses with the verdict. First, He said to Moshe, “Take the man who cursed outside the camp. This is where executions were carried out (Numbers 15:35), undoubtedly because dead bodies were ritually defiling (Numbers 19:11) and the Israelite camp was to be pure (Leviticus 13:46; Numbers 5:2-4). Second, everyone who heard him were to lay their hands on his head, either as a witness against him (Deuteronomy 17:6) or to rid themselves of any guilt incurred in merely hearing the blasphemy. Third, then the entire community stoned him. Then tell the people of Isra’el, ‘Whoever curses his God will bear the consequences of his sin; and whoever blasphemes the name of ADONAI must be put to death; the entire community must stone him. The foreigner as well as the citizen is to be put to death if he blasphemes the Name” (24:13-16).

The principles (24:17-22): These verses make it clear that justice applies equally to all. Three principles are identified. First, crimes against humans are far more serious than crimes against property. Anyone who strikes another person and kills him must be put to death. He who kills an animal is to make restitution, but he who kills another person is to be put to death. Second, penalties must be appropriate to the crimes. If someone injures his neighbor, what he did is to be done to him — break for break, eye for eye, tooth for tooth — whatever injury he has caused the other person is to be rendered to him in return (see the commentary on Deuteronomy Do – Life for Life, Eye for Eye). Third, the penalty must not only fit the crime, it must also be applied equally to all, whether resident alien or native citizen, and by implication, whether rich or poor, slave or free. You are to apply the same standard of judgment to the foreigner as to the citizen, because I am ADONAI your God.⁴⁷⁹

Dear Heavenly Father, Praise You that You are always a righteous and fair God! Your judgment and love extend to all – both Isra’el and foreigners, and You discipline all in fairness (Romans 2:3, 9-11). You judge with wise discernment so that those who have heard Your Torah and are knowledgeable about Your mitzvot, are judged by what they have heard and know (Romans 2:11-16 and James 1:22). In Your fair judgment You look beyond what is done. You see and judge by the heart’s attitude as to why the deed was done. Our actions are important to show that we have moved beyond mere mental knowledge of who You are, into loving and desiring to follow You, as in the example of both Abraham and Rahab, (James 2:21-25). I praise You that You always are fair and accurate as You look at the heart. For man looks at the outward appearance, but ADONAI looks into the heart (First Samuel 16:7c).

Deeds may be many and great that are done in your name, but the reward is based on the heart attitude. Now if anyone builds on the foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw, each one’s work will become clear. For the Day will show it, because it is to be revealed by fire; and the fire itself will test each one’s work – what sort it is.  If anyone’s work built on the foundation survives, he will receive a reward.  (First Corinthians 3:12-14). If the heart is full of pride, then the reward for deeds will be burned up, even if the miracles themselves were great. It is the heart of love that You are looking for. How sad it will be for those who have done miracles in Your name to be told by You that You have never known them. Not everyone who says to Me, “Lord, Lord!” will enter the Kingdom of Heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven.  Many will say to Me on that day, “Lord, Lord, didn’t we prophesy in Your name, and drive out demons in Your name, and perform many miracles in Your name?”  Then I will declare to them, “I never knew you. Get away from Me, you workers of lawlessness” (Matthew 7:21-23)!

How wonderful it will be for all whose hearts are full of love for You and they showed it by their kind and gracious deeds to others. You will welcome them into Your Kingdom. Then the King will say to those on His right, “Come, you who are blessed by My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.  For I was hungry and you gave Me something to eat; I was thirsty and you gave Me something to drink; I was a stranger and you invited Me in; I was naked and you clothed Me; I was sick and you visited Me; I was in prison and you came to Me. Then the righteous will answer Him, “Lord, when did we see You hungry and feed You? Or thirsty and give You something to drink?  And when did we see You a stranger and invite You in? Or naked and clothe You?  When did we see You sick, or in prison, and come to You?” And answering, the King will say to them, “Amen, I tell you, whatever you did to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me” (Matthew 22:34-40). Thank you for being such a wise, loving and discerning Heavenly Father who sees and judges by the heart attitude. In the power of the One who sits at Your right hand. Amen

The punishment (24:23): This verse ties the whole story together: the Israelites sought the LORD’s direction (24:12), Moshe passed it on to them (24:13-22) and they obeyed Ha’Shem’s command: So, Moshe spoke to the people of Isra’el, and they took the man who had cursed outside the camp and stoned him to death. Thus, the people of Isra’el did as ADONAI had ordered Moshe (24:23). He was stoned to death not only for his own offense, but also on behalf of all those who heard the blasphemy. By such a severe punishment YHVH declared for all time the gravity of this offense.

There are some that would say that Ha’Shem was too strict for demanding the life of someone who blasphemed His Name. But the Holy One Himself stated His case quite clearly: He who kills an animal is to make restitution, but he who kills another person is to be put to death (24:21). Consequently, a person who blasphemed God was like a person who committed human murder. YHVH cannot be murdered, obviously. But, according to Yeshua’s standard – which is the same standard reflected here in 24:21 – found in Matthew 5:21, anyone who hates his brother/neighbor in his heart is guilty of murder. Thus, the one who blasphemes God, really hates God and is His enemy (James 4:4).⁴⁸⁰

God’s Grace: The story of the blasphemer made it very clear to the Israelites that those who reject the LORD will be rejected by Him. A point the B’rit Chadashah underscores when it states that those who reject the Ruach Ha’Kodesh’s testimony about Yeshua will likewise be rejected. Yeshua reveals this to us when He declares: And so I tell you, people can be forgiven all their sins and every slander they utter; even if they speak a word against the Son of Man. Sin here represents the full gamut of immoral and ungodly thoughts and actions. Son of Man designates the Lord’s humanity. The lost may have a faulty perception that may not allow them to see Christ’s deity. If they come to that conclusion based on a faulty assumption and speak against the Deliverer in His humanness, such a word against the Son of Man can be forgiven if, after gaining fuller light, they then believe in the truth of His deity. In fact, many who denied and rejected the Lord of Life before the cross later saw the truth of who He was and asked forgiveness and were saved. But, whoever blasphemes against the Ruach Ha’Kodesh will never be forgiven; they are guilty of an eternal sin (see the commentary on The Life of Christ Em – Whoever Blasphemes Against the Holy Spirit).

In an ironic twist in the Gospel narrative, the charge against Yeshua that sent Him to the cross was the charge of blasphemy (see The Life of Christ Ek – It is only by Beelzebub, the Prince of Demons, That This Fellow Drives Out Demons). In condemning the Son of God to death, His accusers were in fact guilty of blaspheming, and if they did not eventually repent, they would be separated from Him forever in unquenchable fire (Matthew 3:12).⁴⁸¹

Haftarah Emor reading (Ezeki’el 44:15-31):
(see the commentary on Deuteronomy Af – Parashah)

The most holy must stay the most holy by living the most holy lives. The priests taught the people to separate the kodesh (holy) from the chol (common) and the tamei (impure) from the tahor (pure). The priests needed to set the example that they impart to others. Priests are to reserve the fat and blood from all sacrifices for ADONAI alone (Eze 44:15). In fact, they must keep the linens in the Holy Place, lest the garments touch the people and consecrate them with holiness (Eze 44:19). Nor could a priest drink wine while on duty. They needed to marry consecrated women, whether widows or widows of other priests (Eze 44:21-22). Priests who ate in the holy Presence of God needed to eat foods that were not only kosher, but also untouched by impure hands (Eze 29-31). In short, the priests were to live lives completely saturated with holiness.

B’rit Hadashah reading (Luke 14:16-24):

The parable of the great banquet (see The Life of Christ Hp – The Parable of the Great Banquet) describes a grand banquet in the making. Formal invitations are sent and implicitly accepted. Afterward, extensive preparations are completed. The host sends his servant to inform the invitees, who then respond with refusals that need to have been communicated before preparations began. Understandably, these tardy excuses enrage the host, who suddenly faces the embarrassment of vacant seats. Thus, he invites new guests: the poor, crippled, lame and blind (Luke 14:20-21). Empty seats remained, so invitations are extended a third time! Now the servant goes to the highways outside where the ger (resident alien) travels, and the hedges where the beggars search for food left in the corners of the vineyard (Luke 14:23). The servant urges even strangers to attend, for the host insists on a full house for supper. Finally, the host declares: I tell you, not one of those who were invited (and declined) will get a taste of my banquet (Luke 14:24).⁴⁸²

Holiness in the Sanctuary
24: 1-9

Holiness in the Sanctuary DIG: Why did God need oil lamps and bread? How would those things function in the Israelites everyday life? How does this help to explain why they are included in the Torah? Why was the frankincense burned separately? How was it holy?

REFLECT: Do you burn more energy in your diligence for the Lord, or for your own work? What are the important things in your life? How do you give these things to God? What does this say about your relationship with Him? How are being a light to the world today?

These rites served to acknowledge the Holy King’s presence and to request His divine favor.

The transition from the festival calendar which climaxed in the magnificent Feast of Sukkot (to see link click Eg – Hag Sukkot), to the lesser articles of furniture in the Sanctuary illustrates the believers’ faithfulness to YHVH in the daily routine of life and not just during spiritual mountaintop experiences. Perhaps the purpose of this seeming digression (before matters pertaining to the holy calendar resume in Ch 25), was to dispel the notion that God’s presence might be limited to special occasions of worship, since both articles of furniture were closely related to the continued presence of God in Isra’el’s midst. Between the celebration of God’s appointed times (23:1-2), unbroken daily fellowship in the Temple was to continue without interruption.⁴⁷⁰

The continually burning lampstand (24:1-4): Like Leviticus Chapter 8, this section is closely connected to the book of Exodus. The plans for the structure of the lampstand (menorah) are given in Exodus 25:31-40, while the actual construction is described in Exodus 37:17-24 (see the commentary on Exodus Fn – The Lampstand in the Sanctuary: Christ, the Light of the World). ADONAI said to Moshe, “Order the people of Isra’el to bring you pure oil from crushed olives (Exodus 27:20-21). Any olive oil burns, but only the purest from the first pressing could be brought into the Holy Place. It would keep the lamps on the lampstand burning continually since they provided the only light in the Holy Place. The mitzvah for the continual kindling of the lamps had been given earlier by Moshe in Exodus 27:20-21. Here the igniting of the lamps is actually being implemented. The location of the lampstand is described as being outside the inner veil (see Exodus Fq – The Inner Veil of the Sanctuary: That is Christ, His Body) of the testimony (the Ten Commandments placed in the Ark of the Covenant) in the Temple. Aaron is to arrange for the light to be kept burning always from evening until morning before ADONAI; this is to be a permanent regulation through all your generations. He is always to keep the lamps in order on the pure menorah before ADONAI.

Later in Isra’el’s history, the lampstand was in fact captured by the Roman general Titus during the destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple in 70 AD (see the commentary on The Life of Christ Mt – The Destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple on Tisha B’Av in 70 AD). On the arch of Titus in Italy, the Roman soldiers are displayed carrying the lampstand from the City of David. The lampstand became one of the best-known symbols of Judaism, and its depiction has been found on a coin from the reign of Antigonus (40-37 BC).⁴⁷¹

In the B’rit Chadashah the Lord Yeshua Messiah becomes the light Who opens the way to the Father (see The Life of Christ Gr – I Am the Light of the World). As the Messiah of Isra’el, He fulfills the call for Isra’el to be the light to the nations (Isaiah 42:6, 49:6 and 60:3). And those who share in His ministry are also lights – both individual believers (see The Life of Christ Df – You are the Salt of the Earth and the Light of the World), and churches (see the commentary on Revelation Al – I Turned Around and Saw Someone like a Son of Man). They are lampstands because they are empowered by the Ruach Ha’Kodesh to show the people the way to the Father through the Son.⁴⁷²

The bread of God’s presence (24:5-9): The Israelites were not only to provide oil, but also bread for the Sanctuary. Twelve loaves, representing the twelve tribes of Isra’el, were to be baked and set in two rows, six in each row, on the table of showbread that stood before YHVH in the Holy Place. Those loaves came to be called the bread of the Presence (see the commentary on Exodus Fo – The Bread of the Presence in the Sanctuary: Christ, the Bread of Life) because they were placed in the presence of (literally: to the face of) ADONAI. By presenting those loaves of bread every week the twelve tribes acknowledge that God supplied food for His people.⁴⁷³ The recipe for the bread appears only here. You are to take fine flour and use it to bake twelve loaves, using two-tenths of an ‘efah, or about 2.2 liters per loaf. Arrange them in two rows, six in a row, on the pure table before ADONAI (24:5-6).

The practice of displaying bread in the Sanctuary is very ancient. There is a reference to this offering in an account from the early career of David. While fleeing from King Sha’ul, David and his men arrived at the Sanctuary of Nov and were given some of the Bread of the Presence to eat. According to the Torah, only the priests were permitted to partake of the consecrated loaves and, then, only within the courtyard of the Tabernacle (see Exodus Ex – The Courtyard and Gate of the Tabernacle). The TaNaKh records that Ahimelek the high priest had to be assured that David’s fighting men had kept themselves pure from women before permitting them to eat of the bread of the Presence (see the commentary on the Life of David Av – David at Nov).

Put frankincense with each row to be an offering made by fire to ADONAI in place of the bread and as a reminder of it. Frankincense was also an ingredient of the incense. Here, its function was that of a “token portion” (Hebrew: ‘azkarah). In most of the grain offerings, a small the “memorial portion” was placed on top of the burnt offering (see Ai – The Burnt Offering). In effect, two different modes of sacrifice were reflected in the offering of the bread of the Presence. The loaves themselves were a presentation to Ha’Shem for which no burnt offering was used. The bread was viewed by God and, by this means, accepted by Him. Subsequently, the loaves were given to the priests. In an effort to adapt this widespread mode of sacrifice to the more distinctive method of burning offerings on the bronze altar, frankincense was to be burned near the loaves of bread; just as the other grain offerings, a “memorial portion” of flour was burned on the altar. The LORD was pictured as inhaling the aroma of the burning frankincense, which served as an offering by fire. In Mishnah Menahot 11:5, we are told how the frankincense was burned during the Second Temple period. Two containers (Hebrew: bazikhim) were placed near the rows of loaves for that purpose.⁴⁷⁴

Bread and pure frankincense were to be supplied each Sabbath. Regularly, every Shabbat, he is to arrange them before ADONAI; they are from the people of Isra’el, as a covenant forever. It was food for the priests. Later, we find that the Kohathites specifically had the responsibility for the loaves of bread (First Chronicles 9:32 and 23:29). They will belong to Aaron and his sons; and they are to eat them in a holy place; because for him they are, of the especially holy offerings for ADONAI made by fire (24:7-9). This is a permanent mitzvah. The bread, which was only separated from the Most Holy Place by the inner vail, was closely associated with the covenant and was a symbol of fellowship with YHVH (First Samuel 4:5; Amos 4:4; Mark 14:22 and John 6). The bread thus symbolized the covenant that Ha’Shem had established with Isra’el.⁴⁷⁵

The bread the people brought was a token of God’s provision of food that the people were enjoying. But as it lay on the table in the Holy Place in the Sanctuary it signified all the LORD’s provision for His people, both physical and spiritual. In the B’rit Chadashah the Son of Man demonstrated that He could provide bread for His people (see the commentary on The Life of Christ Fn – Jesus Feeds the 5,000); but the real bread they needed was food for their souls, and so He declared that He was the bread of life that the Father had sent (see The Life of Christ Fr – Jesus the Bread of Life).⁴⁷⁶

Dr. Seuss Explains the Rules of the Sukkah
With thanks to Rabbi Art Gould

You can build it very small ¹
You can build it very tall ²

You can build it very large ³
You can build it on a barge

You can build it on a ship ⁴
Or on a roof but please don’t slip ⁵

You can build it in an alley ⁶
You shouldn’t build it in a valley ⁷

You can build it on a wagon ⁸
You can build it on a dragon ⁹

You can make the skakh of wood ¹⁰
Would you, could you, yes you should

Make the skakh from leaves of tree
You shouldn’t bend it at the knee ¹¹

Build your Sukkah tall or short
No Sukkah is built in the Temple Court

You can build it somewhat soon
You cannot build it in the month of June ¹²

If your Sukkah is well made
You’ll have the right amount of shade

You can build it very wide
You can not build it on its side

Build if your name is Jim
Or Bob or Sam or even Tim

Build it if your name is Sue
Do you build it, yes you do!

From the Sukkah you can roam
But you should treat it as your home ¹³

You can invite some special guests
Don’t stay in it if there are pests

You can sleep upon some rugs
Don’t you build it where there’re bugs

If in the Sukkah it should rain
To stay there would be such a pain ¹⁴

And if it should be very cold
Stay there only if you’re bold

So, build a Sukkah one and all
Make it large or make it small

Sukkah rules are short and snappy
Enjoy Sukkot, rejoice be happy!

Footnotes:

1. Maimonides (Rambam) Mishne Torah, Hilchot Sukkah, Chapter 4, Section 1.
2. The minimum height of a Sukkah is 10 tefachim. A tefach is a measure of the width of the four fingers of one’s hand. My hand is 3 1/​4 inches wide for a minimum Sukkah height of 32 1/​2 inches. The minimum allowable width is 7 tefachim by 7 tefachim. This would result in a Sukkah of 22-and-three-quarters inches by 22-and-three-fourths inches.
3. The maximum height is 20 Amot. An Amah is the length from the elbow to the tip of the middle finger. My Amah is 15-and-a-half inches for a maximum height of 25 feet. Others say that 30 feet is the maximum.
4. According to Rambam the Sukkah can be built to a width of several miles. Shulchan Aruch also says there is no limit on the size of the width.
5. Rambam Hilchot Sukkah Chapter 4, Section 6.
6. Rambam Hilchot Sukkah Chapter 4, Section 11. Rambam states that one may construct a Sukkah by wedging poles in the four corners of the roof and suspending skakh from the poles. The walls of the building underneath are considered to reach upward to the edge of the skakh.
7. Rambam Hilchot Sukkah Chapter 4, Section 8-10 discusses the ins and outs of building your Sukkah in an alley or passageway.
8. There is a location referred to in the Talmud (Sukkah 2b) called Ashtarot Karnayim. According to the discussion there are two hills, with a valley in-between where the Sun does not reach. Therefore, it is impossible to sit in the shade of the roof of the Sukkah.
9. Rambam Hilchot Sukkah Chapter 4, Section 6. You can go into a Sukkah built on a wagon or a ship even on Yom Tov.
10. Rambam Hilchot Sukkah Chapter 4, Section 6. OK, it says a camel but dragon rhymes with wagon a lot better, don’t you agree? Anyway, it says you can build your Sukkah on a wagon or in the crown of a tree, but you can’t go into it on Yom Tov. There is a general rule against riding a beast or ascending into the crown of a tree on Yom Tov.
11. Chapter 5 deals with the rules for the skakh. Basically, you can use that which has grown from the ground, and is completely detached from the ground. So, for example, you cannot bend the branches of a tree over the Sukkah to form the skakh. But you can cut the branches from a tree and use them as skakh.
12. Shulchan Aruch, Hilchot Sukkah, Perek 636, Section 1. The Sukkah should not be built sooner than 30 days before the Hag. However, if the structure is built prior to 30 days, as long as something new is added within the 30 days, the Sukkah is kosher.
13. Hilchot Sukkah Chapter 6, Section 6 explains that you should eat, drink and live in the Sukkah for the 7 days as you live in your own home. One should not even take a nap outside of the Sukkah.
14. Hilchot Sukkah, Section 10. If it rains one should go into the house. How does one know if it is raining hard enough? If sufficient raindrops fall through the skag (roof covering) and into the food so that the food is spoiled – go inside!

Hag Sukkot (Booths)
Leviticus 23:33-36 and 39-44

Hag Sukkot DIG: Why would YHVH want the Israelites to especially remember their time in the wilderness? What would Sukkot remind them of? Given the significance of the feast, why do you think Yeshua chose to reveal Himself on the greatest day of the feast?

REFLECT: What redemptive actions has God taken in your life? Any “tent” meetings? “Wilderness” experiences? “Feast” times? Which of these memorable events is most important to you? Why? What feelings did that event arouse in you for ADONAI?

The three fall festivals have a special eschatological significance. To understand this significance, we will look at Sukkot and examine the prophet Zechariah. In Zechariah Chapter 14, we read that it will be on a certain Sukkot in the future that Messiah will come again and take residence on David’s throne in Jerusalem. Though the prophet does not say specifically that the exact time of Messiah’s arrival will be on Sukkot, nevertheless, he does indicate that the first festival that will be celebrated in the new era will be Sukkot. Accordingly, we read in Zechariah 14:16, “Finally, everyone remaining from all the nations that came to attack Yerushalayim will go up every year to worship the king, ADONAI-Tzav’ot, and to keep the festival of Sukkot.” This implies that Sukkot is closely associated with the Lord’s return – a time when Messiah will come to Tabernacle among us.

Hag Sukkot will be fulfilled by the Messianic Kingdom.

Hag means pilgrimage, and whenever this term is used to characterize a festival, it refers to an actual pilgrimage, either to a nearby or to a faraway site. The duty to undertake a pilgrimage is known in a number of other religions, most notably in Islam, where the Arabic term hajatun, is similar to the Hebrew hag, and designates a holy pilgrimage. This means that any festival called hag could not be fully celebrated at one’s home, but required one’s presence at the Temple in Jerusalem. In earlier times, before the Temple was built, the pilgrimage might have brought a family to a nearby altar, but subsequently Deuteronomy 12 ordained that all sacrificial offerings were to be brought to one, central Tabernacle/Temple, which necessitated a much longer pilgrimage for most Israelites (see the commentary on Deuteronomy Ct – The Place to Worship ADONAI).⁴⁶⁴ Three times a year, every able-bodied Jewish man was to make the pilgrimage to Jerusalem to celebrate the three pilgrimage feasts of Hag ha’Matzot, Hag Shavu’ot, and Hag Sukkot (see the commentary on Exodus Eh – Three Times a Year Celebrate a Festival to Me).

Perhaps by now you are beginning to understand why the fall season is considered the time of the High Holy Days for the Jewish community. Three major holy days occur in the first nineteen days of the biblical month of Tishri (September-October). They are Rosh ha’Shanah, Yom Kippur and this holy day season ends with the eight days of Sukkot.

As with the other days, the name of this holy day tells its purpose. Essentially it is two-fold, the first being related to the fall harvest, the end of the harvest season. As Leviticus 23 teaches, Sukkot was to be a time of bringing the latter harvest. It is, in other words, the Jewish “Thanksgiving.” In fact, it is widely believed that the Puritan colonists, who were great students of the Hebrew Scriptures, based the first American Thanksgiving on Sukkot.

A secondary meaning of this holy day is found in the command to dwell in booths as a memorial of Isra’el’s wilderness wanderings. To expand the theme of this specific historical event, we might best summarize Sukkot with the word “habitation.” We know from the Torah that ADONAI dwelt with His people in their forty-year wilderness camping trip. Yet, as we camp in booths today, we should be reminded that this same faithful God watches over our lives. With such meaningful themes, no wonder Sukkot is known as Zman Simkhatenu (The Time of Our Rejoicing). The fact that YHVH provided for us and built His habitation with us is something to celebrate! The wind comes in, the rain comes in, and at night you can see the stars through the roof that is made out of palm branches. Some people live in rich houses, some people live in poor houses, but on Sukkot, all of us are equal, because we eat and sleep in the “sukkah” (booth) itself (see a video presentation of Sukkot by clicking here).

The Biblical Practice: The feast itself is seven days long. ADONAI said to Moshe, “Tell the people of Isra’el, ‘On the fifteenth day of this seventh month is the feast of Sukkot for seven days to ADONAI. On the first day there is to be a holy convocation; do not do any kind of ordinary work. For seven days you are to bring an offering made by fire to ADONAI; on the eighth day (Second Maccabees 10:6)you are to have a holy convocation and bring an offering made by fire to ADONAI; it is a day of public assembly; do not do any kind of ordinary work’ (23:33-36).” It was celebrated by building booths to commemorate the forty years of wilderness wanderings. These are the designated times of ADONAI that you are to proclaim as holy convocations and bring an offering made by fire to ADONAI – a burnt offering, a grain offering, a sacrifice and drink offerings, each on its own day – besides the Shabbats of ADONAI, your gifts, all your vows and all your voluntary offerings that you give to ADONAI (23:37-38).

There was the addition of an eighth day of solemn assembly immediately following the seventh day of Sukkot, which technically was not a part of the Feast of Booths. For seven days the Israelites were to live in booths, sleep in booths, eat in booths, to remember the wilderness wanderings. But the eighth day (see Dt – The Eighth Day) was also to be a day of Sabbath rest. But on the fifteenth day of the seventh month, when you have gathered the produce of the land, you are to observe the festival of ADONAI seven days; the first day is to be a complete rest and the eighth day is to be a complete rest. On the first day you are to take choice fruit, palm fronds, thick branches and river-willows, and celebrate in the presence of ADONAI your God for seven days (23:39-40). According to long standing tradition, the four species are the palm branch, willow and myrtle branches and a citron fruit. The rabbis developed 326 rules and regulations concerning the four species. In Temple times they were brought to the Temple and incorporated into the worship service for Sukkot, but since they are not Temple sacrifices, they are not Temple dependent. It marked the first fruits of the Fall harvest. Because Sukkot follows Yom Kippur, it is considered to be a time of rejoicing following the affliction of the Day of Atonement.

The four species are still taken and waved before YHVH today. This is the customary way it is done. The palm, willow and myrtle are bundled together and held vertically in the left hand and the citron is held in the right. They are placed together. Facing east, the blessing is made, “Blessed are You LORD our God, King of the Universe, who has sanctified us with His mitzvot and commanded us to take the palm branch.” Then the four species are waved before ADONAI in six directions: east, south, west, north, up and down. This ritual is usually performed each of the seven days of the festival.⁴⁶⁵

You are to observe it as a feast to ADONAI seven days in the year; it is a permanent regulation, generation after generation; keep it in the seventh month. You are to live in sukkot for seven days; every citizen of Isra’el is to live in a sukkah, so that generation after generation of you will know that I made the people of Isra’el live in sukkot when I brought them out of the land of Egypt; I am ADONAI your God. Thus, Moshe announced to the people of Isra’el the designated times of ADONAI (23:41-44).

The Traditional Jewish Observance: The Torah stipulates the fifteenth of the Jewish month of Tishri as the time when the Jewish people are to begin dwelling in the sukkah (singular for booth) and celebrating God’s provision. This holy day is so joyful, traditional Jews don’t even wait for the fifteenth of Tishri to construct their sukkah. Many begin the construction five days earlier, immediately after the close of Yom Kippur.

The construction of the sukkah can be both challenging and fun for the whole family. The Bible gives us a rather general commandment to build a sukkah, but the rabbis spelled out ten specific rules and regulations concerning the building of the booth.

First, there must be the feeling of a temporary abode. So, it must be built in a somewhat flimsy way to emphasize the wilderness wanderings. The temporariness is not in the walls as such, but in the roof part of the sukkah.

Second, the material for the roof must possess three specific characteristics. First, it must come from the earth and this excludes making the roof from animal skins, metal or cloth. But wood can be used. Secondly, the roofing material must be cut down and no longer connected to the ground, which excludes using attached branches. They must be cut off. Thirdly, it must not be subject to ritual impurity so the roof cannot contain fruits and food that will spoil.

Third, the roof must always be put on after the walls are totally completed so that when it is constructed, the booth is complete.

Fourth, the roof must be sufficiently thick so that there is more shade than sun. No opening can be more than eleven inches and the stars should be visible on a clear night. Nevertheless, it should not be so thick as to keep rain out.

Fifth, any booth built inside or under an overhanging porch, balcony, or tree is invalid. The shade inside the booth must come only from the booth and nothing else.

Sixth, there are no restrictions on the materials for the walls, so they could be made of metal, wood, canvas, brick or stone.

Seventh, the sukkah must have at least two complete walls. It may have three and as many as four. The fourth may be left completely open. When it is built against a house outside, one or more walls of the house may be used as walls for the booth as well.

Eighth, there is no maximum size of the booth, but there is a minimum requirement. It must be big enough to hold one person and one table.

Ninth, the booth must be no lower than 37 inches and no higher than 36.5 feet because one must be aware that they are sitting in a booth. The rabbis, as they often did, decided in their infinite wisdom, that any higher than 36.5 feet, the person would no longer feel like they were sitting in a booth.

Tenth, decorations emphasized the aesthetic. The walls may be decorated with pictures, tapestries, or flowers. The roof may be decorated (but not composed of) with fruits, nuts, apples, grapes, and pomegranates, but these are not to be eaten for the entire week.⁴⁶⁶

Since Sukkot has so many rich spiritual lessons associated with it, we would expect to find some important reference to it in the B’rit Chadashah. Not far into the Gospel accounts of the life of Yeshua, we find the first powerful reference to Tabernacles. As John relates the special background of Messiah, he openly declares the divine nature of Messiah. The Word was not only with God in the beginning, but this Word is the very manifestation of God Himself (John 1:1)! This Word, as John calls Him, was manifested to the world in a very special and tangible way: The Word became a human being and tabernacled among us, and we saw His Sh’khinah glory, the Sh’khinah or the Father’s one and only Son, full of grace and truth (John 1:14).

Yeshua of Nazareth is more than just a good rabbi or an intriguing philosopher. According to the Bible, He is the visible manifestation of the God of creation! Yet, did you notice the metaphor John employs to describe this incarnation of Messiah? The Word tabernacled (Greek: skene) among His people. In other words, as John sought to describe the Messiah’s first coming to His people, the most obvious picture was the holy day of Sukkot, which celebrated the dwelling of God!

There were two key ceremonies associated with Sukkot during the Second Temple period. The first is drawing out of the water. The source of this tradition is not in the Bible, but in the Oral Law, although they tried to base it on Numbers 29:17-19 and Isaiah 12:3, which said: With joy you shall draw water. The location where the water was drawn was from the Pool of Siloam, and the place where the water was poured was on the southwest corner of the bronze altar because it was where the grooves draining the blood of the sacrifices were located. The pouring out of the water in Judaism, was a symbol of the outpouring of the Ruach Ha’Kodesh in the last days (see my commentary on The Life of Christ Go – Jesus Teaches at the Feast of Booths and Gp – On the Last and Greatest Day of the Feast).

The second key ceremony is the lighting of the lights. There were huge lampstands, each one with four golden cups, set up in the Court of the Women (to see the Court of the Women click here). These lights would then be lit toward sundown and the rabbis taught that there was not a courtyard in all Jerusalem that was not lit by the lights emanating from the Temple Compound. The lighting of the lights was followed by dancing and juggling with fire torches. The Jews believed the lights were a symbol of God’s Sh’khinah glory (see my commentary on The Life of Christ Gr – I AM the Light of the World).

The Messianic Significance: Sukkot will be fulfilled by the establishment of the Messianic Kingdom. But during the life of Messiah there were two misapplications of Sukkot. The first time was at the Transfiguration (see my commentary on The Life of Christ Gb –Jesus took Peter, James and John Up a High Mountain where He was Transfigured). When Yeshua was transfigured, Peter suggested that he be allowed to build three booths: one for Moses, one for Elijah, and one for Yeshua. This was a proper response. The Jews believed that when the Messiah came, His Kingdom would begin. Knowing the TaNaKh very well, Peter also knew that the Messianic Kingdom was the fulfillment of Sukkot. The Bible says that the Dispensation of Grace (see my commentary on Acts Am – The Dispensation of Grace) was a mystery to the righteous of the TaNaKh (Ephesians 3:1-13; Colossians 1:26). In the Bible a mystery is something that was once hidden, but now is revealed. So while Peter was correct in his theology, his timing was off. He did not know that the Feast of Passover must be fulfilled before the Feast of Weeks can be fulfilled. Peter did not understand that Messiah had to die before the Kingdom could be established. In other words, Passover had to be fulfilled before Sukkot could be fulfilled.

The second misapplication of the Feast of Weeks was during the Triumphal Entry (see my commentary on The Life of Christ It – Jesus’ Triumphal Entry into Jerusalem as the Passover Lamb). The actions of the people both by what they said and by what they did showed that they also expected the Kingdom to be established at that time in fulfillment of the Feast of Tabernacles. According to John 12:12-13, they broke off palm branches, which is in keeping with Sukkot, but not with the Passover, which they were celebrating. Furthermore, according to Matthew 21:8-9 and Mark 11:8-10, they cried out, Hosanna in the highest and Hosanna to the Son of David. Like Peter, they did not understand that Passover had to be fulfilled before Sukkot could be, and the Passover could only be fulfilled by the death of Messiah.

During the Messianic Kingdom it will be obligatory upon all the Gentile nations to send a delegation up to Jerusalem to celebrate the Feast of Weeks. In the Dispensation of Torah (see my commentary on Exodus Da – The Dispensation of Torah), it was obligatory for Jews only, but during the Millennial Kingdom, for a thousand years, it will be obligatory for every Gentile nation. If a nation fails to send a delegation to observe this feast, then they will be punished by drought (Zechariah 14:16-19).

Just as the Feast of Booths was a time of rejoicing following the affliction of Yom Kippur, even so the Messianic Kingdom will be a time of rejoicing following the afflictions of the Great Tribulation. What a celebration there will be as the children of God, both Jews and Gentiles, celebrate this feast at that time. Amen. Come, Lord Yeshua!

When approaching the High Holy Days, I believe there is some important evidence that is often overlooked in regard to Messiah’s two-fold ministry. Sukkot, besides being a celebration of the fall harvest, is also understood to be a prophetic picture of the Kingdom of Messiah. We build our Sukkot/temporary huts to remind us of the great truth that the day is coming when Messiah will “dwell or tabernacle” in our midst and fulfill the promises as the son of David. This must be the reason that Prophets foretell of the kingdom celebration of this feast among all the redeemed, both Jew and non-Jew: Then it will come about that any who are left of all the nations that went against Jerusalem will go up from year to year to worship the King, the Lord of hosts, and to celebrate the Feast of Tabernacles (Zech 14:16). It makes sense that Sukkot will be the preeminent feast in the Kingdom since Messiah would then be dwelling with His people!

Yet within this Fall feast is also hidden the secondary aspect of Messiah’s work; namely His suffering for the atonement of our sins. This means that there must be some kind of connection between Sukkot and the First Coming of the Messiah as the Messianic Jews would see it. I find it interesting that there has always been some debate about when Yeshua was actually born in the world. Most Western Christians celebrate Christmas on December 25^th as the designated day to remember the Messiah’s First Coming. Perhaps many people, both Jews and Gentiles, have overlooked the important holy day of Sukkot as God’s time to celebrate the First Coming of Messiah as well? As the Jewish believer wrote in the first century: In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God . . . And the Word became flesh and dwelt (literally, tabernacled) among us (John 1:1 and 14).

How perfect! As the writer thinks of the First Coming of Yeshua, he makes the connection to our ancient Feast of Sukkot. Indeed, Messiah dwelt with His people at His First Coming to Isra’el as Ben Yosef. Through His death and resurrection, Yeshua of Nazareth is able to fulfill the other aspect of the Messianic call as Ben David (see the commentary on The Life of Christ Mv – The Jewish Concept of Two Messiah’s). He is returning soon to complete the whole plan of the Father.⁴⁶⁷

The Feast of Passover was fulfilled by the death of Messiah, the Feast of Unleavened Bread was fulfilled by the sinlessness of His sacrifice, the Feast of First Fruits was therefore fulfilled by the resurrection of Christ life, Shavu’ot was fulfilled by the birth of the Church, the Feast of Trumpets will be fulfilled by the Rapture of the Church, the Day of Atonement will be fulfilled by the Great Tribulation, and the Festival of Booths will be fulfilled by the Messianic Kingdom.

A Practical Guide for Believers in Messiah: The central element for the celebration of the Feast of Tabernacles is the booth we call the sukkah. While you may want to use the rabbinic description as a guideline (see above), you should not forget the freedom to construct this booth as you want. As with all the biblical holy days and customs, the sukkah is a “shadow” of the greater lessons of the coming Messiah (Colossians 2:17).

Building the sukkah can be an exciting and educational family project. Whether it is a shack on the side of the house or a free-standing structure, the hut can be constructed by anyone who wants to help. The outer frame can be assembled from various materials that, in turn, can be fortified with the traditional palm branches or leaves. For this reason, Sukkot is a great time to trim up the yard as well! Children will love to add their cut-out paper fruit, leaves, or Bible verses.

As previously noted, traditional Jews begin constructing their sukkah immediately after breaking the fast of Yom Kippur. Many Messianic Jews and Gentiles follow this custom by inviting people over for a “Sukkah Decorating Party,” and planning for the upcoming holy days begins in earnest.

Depending upon one’s tradition and climate, the interpretation of what it means to live in a sukkah will vary considerably. Originally, given the climate of the land of Isra’el, it was certainly understood that living in the sukkah meant moving into it during the duration of the festival. In colder climates, the requirement is satisfied by simply eating in the sukkah. Some Torah communities have begun to actually go camping for the duration of the festival. Other communities use the opportunity of the festival to visit one another and spend time sitting in each other’s sukkot. It is a time of gladness and fellowship.⁴⁶⁸

As the fifteenth day of Tishri begins, a holiday dinner is prepared. The table is set; although, being outside in the sukkah, it will probably have a less formal atmosphere. Since this holiday is to be a reminder of the forty-year camping trip in the wilderness, the dinner will probably feel more like an outdoor picnic than a formal meal. But as will all the Jewish holidays, they start with the blessings over the wine and challah bread.

A special emphasis will be the ha-Kavod (processionals), in which the people march around the sanctuary waving the lulav (closed fond of a date palm tree) and recounting the Hallel (Praise) Psalms 113-118.

These elements of the inner in the sukkah continue for eight days of the festival, while the synagogue services are usually convened only on the first two. To really get into the spirit of the holy day, the family might want to sleep in the sukkah under the stare, weather permitting.

As mentioned before, the seventh day of the festival has much spiritual significance for believers in Yeshua. However, as we reach the eighth day, we come to a special holiday, the Eighth Day of Assembly (see my commentary on The Life of Christ Gp – On the Last and Greatest Day of the Feast). As mentioned in Leviticus 23:26, this day is to be set aside as a Shabbat and a holy assembly.

On October sixth, 1973, a coalition of Arab nations attacked Isra’el-occupied territories. And fifty years later, Isra’el faced the same situation at the hands of Hamas terrorists. As if attempting to emulate Hitler’s “final solution,” these wannabe Nazi’s launched surprise attacks on October seventh, 2023, the most joyous day of the Jewish calendar, the eight day of the festival of Sukkot. Anyone who has any objections to Isra’el’s subsequent response to this massacre, should do their crying at the kibbutzim of Kfar-Azar and Be’eri, where many Jewish babies and toddlers were tied together in piles and burned alive. Peace died with them there.

As if all these festivities aren’t enough, the Jewish community has added an additional ninth day to Sukkot called Simchat Torah (Rejoicing of the Torah). As its name implies, this day celebrates the revelation of God as symbolized in the Torah scroll. It’s a time of tremendous joy, with dancing and lively music. A central part of the service is the reading from the last chapters of Deuteronomy and the start of the yearly cycle of reading the parashah every Shabbat all over again with the first chapters of Genesis (see my commentary on Deuteronomy Af – Parashah). Although rabbinic Judaism celebrated this holiday in the Middle Ages, believers in Yeshua can surely affirm the idea behind it. God’s Word is good and should be revered. It is even to be joyously celebrated! How much more so for believers of Yeshua Messiah.

With the close of Simchat Torah, we reach the end of the High-Holy-Day season. What wonderful truth is evident! What a complete picture of God’s plan for redeeming faithful Jews and Gentiles unto Himself. Sometime soon the shofar will sound and announce the regathering of believers from all over the world in the rapture. The seven-year Great Tribulation will follow this. But in the last three days of the Great Tribulation, the Jewish leadership will realize that they have rejected the Messiah and call out for His return. Then Yeshua Messiah will return for the second time to the earth. This, in turn, will lead all believers into the joyful celebration of the Kingdom of God at Sukkot. May we be ready to dwell in that holy habitation with our Kosher King.⁴⁶⁹

Yom Kippur (The Day of Atonement)
23: 26-32

Yom Kippur DIG: Why is The Day of Atonement the most holy day of the year? What was the purpose of this feast? What was so important about the preparation for it? Why must the nation of Isra’el experience affliction? What are the Messianic implications for them?

REFLECT: When have you had to go through affliction to reach the point of repentance? What did you learn? How can your lesson help others? Who can you help this week? How are the principles taught by the Day of Atonement valid for the B’rit Chadashah believer?

Yom Kippur will be fulfilled by the Great Tribulation.

Following the blowing of the shofars to assemble the people (to see link click Ee – Rosh ha’Shanah), was, and continues to be, the most holy day of the year for Isra’el – Yom Kippur. The details of the festival of The Day of Atonement can be seen in Chapter 16 (Co – Yom Kippur: The Removal of All Sin). Leviticus 23:26-32 is a separate message from Chapter 16, and emphasizes the spiritual preparation for the day and not all the details of the atonement which were covered earlier.⁴⁵⁷  To see a video presentation of Yom Kippur click here.

The Biblical practice: ADONAI said to Moshe, “The tenth day of the seventh month (Tishri) is Yom Kippur; you are to have a holy convocation” (23:26-27a). This day was set aside for the removal of all the sins of the people. The slate was wiped clean, so to speak, and the people had the opportunity to make a fresh start for the following year. Of course, the people could find forgiveness for sin and spiritual renewal at any time of the year, but given the extent of sin and defilement, known and unknown, it was wonderful to have one day where all of it could be taken care of all at once.

But there would be no spiritual renewal if the people did not prepare their hearts for it. David said that ADONAI desires a broken and contrite heart, and not just the outward ritual of sacrifice (Psalm 51:17-19). Therefore, the people were instructed to afflict their souls (Hebrew: vein-nitem nafshoteichem) which the CJB translates you are to deny yourselves (23:27b). The expression is rather harsh, for this expression means to afflict, punish, or treat harshly. It is interpreted here to mean that the people should follow a total fast and abstain from the pleasures and comforts they normally enjoyed because these were incompatible with repentance, confession, and atonement. In this way they were contributing to the effectiveness of Yom Kippur and not simply relying on the work of the priests.

YHVH adds that spiritual renewal is based on sacrificial atonement. And you are to bring an offering made by fire to ADONAI (23:27c). There would be no forgiveness of sin without the shedding of blood (Hebrews 9:22b), and the blood had to be shed from God’s appointed sacrificial offering; as stated above, Chapter 16 gives the details. The provision for this spiritual renewal was expressed through animal ritual: one goat was sacrificed on the bronze altar and another goat was taken away into the wilderness. In this way the confessed sins were completely removed.

The principles taught by the Day of Atonement are valid for the B’rit Chadashah believer; sin must be regularly removed in order for spiritual service and fellowship to take place. John instructs us that if confess our sins, He is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness (First John 1:9). Beyond that, sin can only be removed through Messiah’s eternal sacrifice (see the commentary on Hebrews Cd – Messiah’s Sacrifice Was Once for All Time). Not annually.

The Day of Atonement was also a time of complete rest – no work of any kind could be done at that time. You are not to do any kind of work on that day, because it is Yom-Kippur, to make atonement for you before ADONAI your God. And anyone who does any kind of work on that day, I will destroy from among his people. You are not to do any kind of work, for it is considered a Sabbath day; it is a permanent regulation through all your generations, no matter where you live. Since it is called a Shabbat, the general customs for the Sabbath are in order. It will be for you a Shabbat of complete rest, and you are to deny yourselves; you are to rest on your Shabbat from evening the ninth day of the month until the following evening (23:28 and 30-32). YHVH made clear distinctions between the secular and the sacred. The people were to devote themselves to spiritual concerns, in fact, the most important spiritual concern: finding atonement from God. It has always been true that people need to come away from their daily routines in order to give full attention to their spiritual life. And on the higher meaning of these principles the writers of the B’rit Chadashah explain that works of any kind, no matter how good or righteous, are of no value in finding atonement and entering His rest.⁴⁵⁸

The text adds that anyone who does not deny himself on that day is to be cut off from his people (23:29). For only Ha’Shem knew the hearts of the people and could discern who had actually afflicted their souls. In rabbinic literature the penalty is called karet, or “cutting off.” In priestly literature, the penalty of karet was understood to include a series of related punishments at the hand of God, ranging from the immediate death of an offender, as in 20:17, to his premature death at a later time, and even to the death of his descendants. In Mishnah Sanhedrin 9:6 and Mishnah Keritot 1:2, this penalty was considered as mitah biydei shamayim, or “death at the hands of heaven.” Since in 7:20-21 karet is mentioned in the context as childlessness, there is the implication that it took that course as well.⁴⁵⁹

The Jewish Observance: Yom Kippur is considered the logical extension of what was started at Rosh ha’Shanah. In fact, the ten days between Rosh ha’Shanah and Yom Kippur take on their own holy significance. They’re called the Yomim Nora’im, the Days of Awe. Traditional Jews, as well as many non-traditional Jews, spend these days looking inward, seeing how their inner life might be more pleasing to God. Personal relationships are evaluated; forgiveness and restitution are offered where needed. Reconciliation is attempted.

As the evening of the tenth of Tishri approaches, special preparations are made. Leviticus 23 states that on Yom Kippur, Isra’el is to humble your soul. This is taken (based on the Hebrew word oni) to mean fast. In the context of Isaiah 58:5, this word is used specifically for going without food.

Before sundown, when the fast begins, it is customary to have a holiday meal. In fact, it’s a requirement in order to make the fast day set apart! As with the other holy days, the table is set with the best linens and dishes. White is still an appropriate color for linens and clothing. It symbolizes the holy of the High Holy Days, the cleansing from our sins (Isaiah 1:18). Two candles are lit and the blessings are said over the wine and the challah bread.

After the festive meal, just before dark, at twilight, Yom Kippur begins along with the fast. The fast continues from sundown on the ninth of Tishri until sundown on the tenth. For many Jews that means no food, not even water. Jews are encouraged to abstain from all luxuries for those twenty-four hours. No unnecessary bathing, entertainment, sex, etc. Please note that the rabbis are quick to point out that the fast is only applicable to healthy adults past bar or bat mitzvah age (thirteen). Anyone with a health problem or who is pregnant or nursing is exempted from the fast.

The evening of the holy day (Erev Yom Kippur) is perhaps the most holy occasion of the spiritual year. Jews flock to the local synagogues to attend Kol Nidre service. Kol Nidre is a special cantorial prayer asking Ha’Shem for release from any vows that have been taken inappropriately (see Fa – Holiness of the Vow). The origin of the petition dates back to the Middle Ages when many Jews were forcibly converted into the Church, yet still wanted to maintain their connection with their people. The evening service continues with traditional prayers and songs from the Jewish prayer book calling Isra’el to atonement in God.

Yom Kippur day takes on the feel of a most holy Shabbat. Jewish worshipers continue the fast that started the previous evening and likewise attend synagogue services all day. The traditional liturgy, prayers and music emphasize the theme of the day, the need for atonement for sins. The services last most of the day for it is believed that judgment will come at the close of Yom Kippur. The prayers fervently request that, as Jews, they would be written in the Book of Life for one more year.

The holy day closes with an important Neilah service (the closing of the gates). The final blast of the shofar is sounded. It is thought that the fate of each individual is sealed at that time for the upcoming year. Naturally, the hope is for a sweet and blessed spiritual year, which is illustrated in the breaking-the-fast meal, which follows sundown. Sweet wine is tasted first, which is blessed in the traditional manner. Next, the sweet challah or honey cake is eaten as a reminder of the sweet new year that they hope to experience. For most Jews, this is at best an optimistic hope that their sins have been atoned for. Believers in Yeshua, however, can rejoice in the confidence that He, the Messiah, has indeed paid the price that ADONAI required.⁴⁶⁰

During Temple times, the high priest would sacrifice identical goats. One goat was brought as a sacrifice in the Temple, while on the other goat (see Cv – The Goat for Azazel), the high priest laid his hands and confessed the sins of the nation. Afterwards, a representative of the people would take the Azazel goat into the desert to die. Since the earliest days of Jewish observance of Yom Kippur, the ritual of the two goats had occupied a central role in the Yom Kippur service. But once the Second Temple was destroyed (see the commentary on The Life of Christ Mt – The Destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple Remembered on Tisha B’Av in 70 AD), this practice stopped and a substitute was needed.

Today many Orthodox Jews practice an atonement ritual called kapparot on the eve of Yom Kippur. This is a practice where a chicken is waved over the heads of both men and women, and then slaughtered in accordance with halachic rules and then donated to the poor for a pre-Yom Kippur meal. Psalm 107:17-20 and Job 33:23-24 are recited along with a prayer, saying, “This is my exchange, this is my substitute, this is my atonement. This chicken will go to its death, while I enter and proceed to a good and long life and to peace.”

The Future Affliction of the Great Tribulation: Here, the implications of the festival to the Jews in the Great Tribulation are in view. During the Great Tribulation people will desperately seek religion because of the chaos in the world at that time. As ADONAI’s judgments devastate the earth and terrorize its inhabitants, people will frantically turn to the beast as their savior. He will lead a worldwide campaign to destroy every last Jew and attempt to replace God on the earth. The beast (the antichrist) and the ten horns (one world government) you saw will hate the prostitute. They will bring her to ruin and leave her naked (Revelation 17:16a).

John saw another beast (the false prophet), coming out of the earth. He will deceive people into worshiping the antichrist and establish a worldwide religion. The false prophet will have two horns like a lamb (giving the appearance of a true religious leader) but he will speak like a dragon (Satan). He will exercise all the authority of the first beast (the antichrist) on his behalf, and will make the earth and its inhabitants worship the first beast (Revelation 13:11-12). Therefore, context will determine how the beast is interpreted. When this is understood, the book is much easier to read and much easier to understand.

We see the woman (see the commentary on Revelation Dd – I Saw a Woman Holding a Golden Cup in Her Hand, Filled with the Filth of Her Adultery) riding the beast (One World Government) before the Great Tribulation. During the first three-and-a-half years of the Great Tribulation, the false religious system will have the support of the civil government led by the antichrist seen in Revelation 17:1-18. However, after forty-two months the beast (the antichrist) will have consolidated his power, and he will declare himself to be god and turn on the woman, destroying her so that the unholy trinity of Satan, the beast (the antichrist) and the false prophet will be able to rule without sharing their power with anyone (see Revelation Ek – The Beast Will Hate the Prostitute and Bring Her to Ruin).

During this study it has been pointed out that modern Judaism teaches the affliction of the body, though the Scriptures teach it is affliction of the soul. God, however, is going to bring both afflictions with the fulfillment of the Day of Atonement. The Passover was fulfilled by the death of Messiah; The Feast of Unleavened Bread was fulfilled by the sinlessness of His bloody offering; the Feast of First Fruits was fulfilled by the resurrection of Yeshua, the Feast of Weeks was fulfilled by the birthday of the Church. The first cycle of feasts was fulfilled with Messiah’s First Coming. Then between the first cycle and the second cycle there is a four-month interval that is symbolic of the Age of the B’rit Chadashah that interrupts the program of the feasts of Isra’el. Then comes the second cycle of holy festivals. The Feast of Trumpets will be fulfilled by the Rapture of the Church, and the Day of Atonement will be fulfilled by the Great Tribulation.⁴⁶¹

The Messianic Significance: The Day of Atonement will be fulfilled by the Great Tribulation. To better understand this, it is helpful to review the biblical practice and the Jewish observance. First, the key word is affliction. In the case of the biblical practice, the affliction was that of the soul. In the case of the Jewish observance, the affliction is of the body. Secondly, is the concept of atonement. On the Day of Atonement, it was not an individual atonement, but a national atonement. By the sacrifice of the two goats, national atonement was made for the people of Isra’el. But the national atonement would not be effective if there wasn’t the affliction of the soul by the individual. Salvation is always by grace alone, through faith alone, in Messiah alone. So, while the blood of the goat provided atonement for the nation as a whole, it was applied only to the righteous of the TaNaKh.

Another example of this is in the Levitical sacrificial system. Salvation is, and has always been, on the basis of faith; faith in the Dispensation of Torah and faith in the Dispensation of Grace. When an Israelite went to the Tabernacle or the Temple to make an offering, YHVH only accepted it if the person did so on the basis of faith. It was not accepted if the person was only going through the motions. Without faith it is impossible to please God (Hebrews 11:6). A piece of meat on the bronze altar meant nothing without faith. It’s like a person going through the motions at their place or worship. Just because you sit in the garage, it doesn’t make you a car!

Dear Heavenly Father, How wonderful that it is by faith that we can please and not by the quantity of our works. Our love and faith work together to produce a strong desire to please You by our works. My heart is heavy for family and friends who know about You and who think of you as a good and loving father, but they do not have any love for You. Please let them have a moment of spiritual clarity so they can see You for who You really are. They want Your love without giving it back. But salvation cannot be earned in any way by our works, it is the gift given in love and must be received by faith (Ephesians 2:8-9). In holy Yeshua’s name and power of His resurrection. Amen

The key word in relation to the Great Tribulation is affliction. In the Tribulation there will be an affliction of the body of Isra’el and affliction to the soul of Isra’el. In the last three days of the closing of the Great Tribulation (Hosea 6:1-2), the leadership of Isra’el held up at Bozrah, will finally realize that the reason they have suffered so much is because of the rejection of Yeshua Messiah. As the armies of the antichrist encircle them to wipe them from the face of the earth, the Israelites will repent and cry out for Yeshua to return (see my commentary on Revelation Ev – The Basis for the Second Coming of Jesus Christ). At that point all Isra’el will be saved (Romans 11:26), and Yom Kippur will be fulfilled because the blood of Messiah will have atoned for Isra’el’s sins by faith. Some believers fast on Yom Kippur, not because they need to obtain forgiveness, but to pray for the salvation of Isra’el (Romans 10:1).⁴⁶²

After Rosh ha’Shanah comes Yom Kippur; after repentance comes regeneration. Such is the promise for all Isra’el as she will supernaturally experience the fulfillment of Yom Kippur and the return of Yeshua Messiah (Romans 11:25-27). For all believers, we wait expectantly for the return of our Kosher King! What a picture of Yom Kippur! We can rejoice in the atonement now, while we wait for the blessed hope (Titus 2:13).

The Feast of Passover was fulfilled by the death of Messiah, the Feast of Unleavened Bread was fulfilled by the sinlessness of His sacrifice, the Feast of First Fruits was therefore fulfilled by the resurrection of Christ life, Shavu’ot was fulfilled by the birth of the Church, the Feast of Trumpets will be fulfilled by the Rapture of the Church, and the Day of Atonement will be fulfilled by the Great Tribulation.

A Practical Guide for Believers in Messiah: For believers in Yeshua, both Jewish and Gentile, the observance of Yom Kippur can hold special significance. The repentance started at Rosh ha’Shanah comes to a culmination with atonement ten days later. As with the traditional Jewish community, those ten days (Yomim Nora’im) can take on spiritual meaning as they meditate on the meaning of the High Holy Days. Although there are not many customs directly relating to the ten days, the message could be applied to a believer’s daily meditation at that time. Traditional reading from the book of Jonah, Hosea 14 and other pertinent passages can enhance one’s appreciation of the season.

Regarding the Yom Kippur fast, some believers question if fasting is appropriate since they are already forgiven in Messiah. True, believers do not fast to obtain forgiveness, yet there are some benefits for fasting nonetheless. Yeshua spoke of the blessings of a fast. Although the question of salvation is already settled by faith in Yeshua, believers are still in constant need of returning to a pure walk with the Father. Fasting can sensitize our spirits to His heart.

Many Messianic Jews and Gentiles fast on Yom Kippur for another reason also. As it is the one day of the religious year on which Jews around the world are packed into synagogues and praying, many believers have found it to be a special day to pray for the salvation of Isra’el. As Paul wrote to the believers in Rome: Brothers, my heart’s deepest desire and my prayer to God for Isra’el is for their salvation (Romans 10:1).

The evening of Yom Kippur is a wonderful time for a Messianic worship service. For those who live near a Messianic Congregation, attending a formal Yom Kippur service can be a spiritual highlight. The music, liturgy and message all celebrate the true meaning of the day: atonement in Yeshua Messiah! If you are unable to attend such a group, why not plan your own service for your family and friends. You have the greatest textbook for planning such a celebration: your own Bible. Choose some songs and Scriptures that accentuate the theme of forgiveness in Yeshua. Combined with the fasting and prayer, any group has the potential for an inspiring Yom Kippur service.

By the following day, the stomach is testifying that this is a serious time of seeking God. For those who want the full Jewish experience, continue the fast, even without water until sundown. Yom Kippur day is another time for worship services with a community of believers. The theme is the same: repentance and (for believers) rejoicing in God’s plan of forgiveness.

The afternoon might be spent at home resting and further meditating on the importance of the day. Our Messianic congregation has a tradition of meeting together for the final hour of daylight for a Neilah service (the closing of the gates). This had proven to be a rich time of corporate prayer and worship as we read from a Messianic siddur (prayer book), the Scriptures, and sing songs of praise to our Redeemer. As the sun sets to close Yom Kippur, we bless the wine (grape juice) and the challah (bread); thus, the first things we taste after the feast are sweet. Then we have a “break-the-fast” potluck dinner as a fitting celebration to this holy day. Blessed be ADONAI-Elohim, who has secured our salvation in Yeshua Messiah. That is what Yom Kippur is all about for those who call on His Name.⁴⁶³

Rosh ha’Shanah (Trumpets)
23: 23-25

Rosh ha’Shanah DIG: What call to action do you associate with the sound of shofars? Why do you think Isra’el was not allowed to work on feast days (23:3, 7, 21, 25, 28-32, 35-36)? What does this mitzvah say about the relative importance of ADONAI and His work?

REFLECT: What will the sounding of the shofar mean to the believer? What will the sounding of the shofar mean to the unbeliever? Are you looking forward to the Rapture or dreading it? Why? Do religious traditions enhance or hinder your worship of ADONAI?

Rosh ha’Shanah will be fulfilled by the Rapture.

Now we are moving from the spring feasts to the fall feasts of Isra’el; from prophecy of the First Coming of Yeshua to the events just preceding and leading up to His Second Coming. The next festival in Isra’el’s holy calendar was the blowing of shofars in the fall, the seventh month (Tishri), which marked the end of the harvest season and the beginning of the new year in the civil calendar. In the pagan world it was often a time of corrupt practices and superstitious rituals. But to Isra’el it was a time when the people looked forward to a season of spiritual renewal and festive thanksgiving.

Of all the Jewish holidays, Rosh ha’Shanah seems like a mystery feast. The Torah does not reveal to us the exact meaning or principles of the holiday. What is clear to us, is the main commandment of blowing of the shofar (Lev 23:24). Zicharon Truah literally means a remembrance of blowing. The concept of shouting for joy is based upon Job 38:7, which states that when ADONAI created the heavens and the earth, all the angels shouted for joy. The rabbis teach that God created the heavens and the earth on Rosh ha’Shanah so it was on this day that the angels shouted for joy. The shofar is not only to be remembered on this day, but it is also to be blown (see a video presentation of Rosh ha’Shanah by clicking here).

Rosh ha’Shana is the most common Jewish term for this feast day. Very few Jewish people today talk about the Feast of Trumpets, rather, they mention Rosh ha’Shanah, which means the head of the year. Although it is never referred to in this way anywhere in Scripture, this has become the most common term for this feast in Judaism. One of the fascinating facts about Rosh ha’Shanah is that it is considered the “New Year.” The truth is, it comes in the seventh month of the Jewish calendar year. Did someone make a big mistake? The biblical year starts in the spring with the month Nisan (Exodus 12:2). This has a certain logic to it. It is the beginning of the new harvest season. However, because the rabbis teach that God created the heavens and the earth on this day (it was the first of the fall holidays) they eventually considered it as the “spiritual” New Year. Hence the name change as well. Biblically known as Yom Teruah (the Day of Sounding/Festival of Trumpets), the first of Tishri became known as Rosh ha’Shanah (the Head of the Year). Therefore, it was not conceived of as a New Year at this stage, but, rather, as an occasion preliminary to Sukkot.

Rosh ha’Shanah falls on the first day of the seventh month of Tishrei. The reason that Isra’el blew the trumpets on the first day of the seventh month is because we essentially adapted the old Babylonian Canaanite calendar. But according to the Babylonian calendar, the first day of the seventh month was the day of the resurrection of the pagan god Ba’al. Every year he died at the end of the rainy season, and was resurrected again at the beginning of the next rainy season.

The beginning of the rainy season is usually between Rosh ha’Shanah and Sukkot. So, his mother, the Asherah, went down to Hades, to hell, and resurrected her son from the dead, because he was the god of rain. So, we blew the trumpet as a call to war against idolatry, as a call to the eradication of the idols. As a call to return all men, women, and children, Jews and Gentiles, to the knowledge of the One God who created Heaven and Earth, and not an idol that died and is resurrected every year, like Baal. And we, as disciples of Yeshua, as believing men and women, still have to fight idolatry around the world.

So, we begin this cycle of holidays with Rosh ha’Shanah, the modern tradition of the Jewish New Year. As opposed to the modern tradition, The biblical New Year falls on the first day of Nissan, which is actually around the end of March. But tradition is tradition. As it says in Fiddler on the Roof, “We have a tradition for everything.” So, we have a tradition for this too.⁴⁵¹

The Biblical Practice: When you read Leviticus Chapter 23 there is a description of all the seven feasts. But the shortest description by far is the Festival of Trumpets. Just three verses . . . short and swift. ADONAI spoke to Moses saying, “Speak to the Bnei-Yisrael (the children of Isra’el), saying: In the seventh month, on the first day of the month, you are to have a Shabbat rest (Hebrew: shabbathon, not the usual word for Shabbat, but a great and solemn Shabbat), a memorial of blowing [shofars], a holy convocation. It is traditional to sound the shofar one-hundred times. You are to do no regular work, you are to present an offering made by fire to ADONAI (23:23-25). The shofars were sounded when sacrifices were offered, and they were also used by the Temple musicians.

But that’s not all. We should remember that Rosh ha’Shanah is also a Rosh-Chodesh (New Moon). Asaf tells us: Sound the shofar at Rosh-Chodesh and at full moon for the pilgrim feast (Psalm 81:4). The first day of the biblical month is a new moon, and the Feast of Trumpets falls on the first day of the seventh month. Thus, it is a double holiday, and an additional offering needed to be brought as well.⁴⁵² Prepare a burnt offering to make a fragrant aroma for ADONAI – one young bull, one ram and seven male lambs in their first year and without defect – with their grain offering, consisting of fine flour mixed with olive oil – six quarts for the bull, four quarts for the ram, and two quarts for each of the seven lambs – also one male goat as a sin offering to make atonement for you. This is to be in addition to the burnt offering for Rosh-Chodesh with its grain offering, the regular burnt offering with its grain offering, and their drink offerings, according to the rule for them; this will be a fragrant aroma, an offering made by fire to ADONAI (Numbers 29:2-6).

It was to be on the seventh month, and seven is the number of completion (see my commentary on Genesis Ae – The Number Seven). The Israelites got together, didn’t do any regular work, blew their shofars, presented an offering and went home. That was it. They had no idea why. The Passover and Unleavened Bread pointed back to the Exodus; First Fruits recognized ADONAI’s bounty in the Land; and Weeks remembered the giving of the Torah at Mount Sinai by Moses. But Rosh ha’Shanah points back to nothing. All they knew was something important was going to happen; someone important was coming.

The Jewish Observance: Whereas in the Bible it was a one-day festival, in Judaism Rosh ha’Shanah has become a two-day festival. In the earlier days one could not always be sure when one day ended and another began since it was based on the visibility of three stars and eyewitnesses. For Jews living outside the Land, they would have to try to figure out when the day began in Isra’el, and not, for instance, in Babylonia. So in order to make sure that they didn’t observe the wrong day, it has become a two-day festival to make sure that all the grounds are covered. Technically, in Judaism, it is known as Yom Arichta or “the long day” because two days are counted as one “long day” rather than two singular days.

Although other horns are permitted, Jews have come to prefer the ram’s horn in remembrance of Isaac’s substitute. There are three main purposes for blowing the ram’s horn. First, is a call to repentance. It was a call for all Jews to return to Judaism, for on the day all Jews will pass under judgment. The second purpose is to remind Isra’el of her covenant relationship with God. The third purpose is to confuse the Adversary on the day he accused Isra’el. He gets so confused when the ram’s horn is blown that he never manages to organize his accusations.

The rabbis teach that there are three reasons why the ram’s horn is blown. First, it is a symbol of the final regathering of Isra’el when the Messiah comes. Secondly, it is a symbol of the resurrection of the dead. And thirdly, they believe that on this day three books will be opened. One is called the Book of the Righteous and those who were perfectly righteous would have their names inscribed in the Book of Life and they would live another year. Another book is called the Book of the Wicked or the Book of the Dead and those whose names are inscribed into this book would die during the year. The final book is called the Book of the In-Between. Those inscribed in the third book are given ten days to repent, the ten days between the Feast of Trumpets (Rosh ha’Shanah) and the Day of Atonement (Yom Kippur).

Therefore, Yom Kippur is considered a logical extension of what was stated at Rosh ha’Shanah. In fact, the ten days between Rosh ha’Shanah and Yom Kippur take on their own holy significance. They are called Yomin Nora’im, The Days of Awe.

Traditional Jews spend the afternoon of Rosh ha’Shanah in a body of water (ocean, lake or stream) observing the ancient service, Tashlich. The word comes from Micah 7:19 where the prophet promises: You will hurl all our iniquities into the depths of the sea. To illustrate this beautiful truth, people cast breadcrumbs or pebbles into the water and rejoice in ADONAI’s promise of forgiveness while reciting Micah 7:18-20.

There are other practices and customs practiced by Jews on this holy day. It is customary to wear something white on this occasion because it is a symbol of purity and the forgiveness of sins. Another custom is to feast on this day. This custom is based on Nehemiah 8:10 where after reading the Torah, the people were sent out to feast. They were to eat festive foods, but they were not to eat anything that is bitter or made with vinegar because the emphasis is praying for a sweet year, not a bitter one. The special bread eaten is Challah, which is the egg bread that Jewish people eat on Shabbat. On the Sabbath it is normally seasoned with salt, on this occasion it is dipped in honey to emphasize sweetness. While the Sabbath Challah is braided and elongated, the Challah for this occasion is round to symbolize the cycle of life and desire for a long life.

Ten days of awe fall between Rosh ha’Shanah and Yom Kippur. These are ten days in which one must repent, particularly the seven days in the middle because the first two days of these ten is the Feast of Trumpets and the tenth day is the Day of Atonement. It is during these seven days that one is to seek forgiveness and special forgiveness prayers are recited. If a Sabbath were to fall within the seven-day period, it is known as “the Sabbath of repentance” and especially on that Shabbat there is a great emphasis on repentance.

The purpose of this holy day can be summed up in one word – regathering. Since the fall holidays call us to regather a pure faith in God, Rosh ha’Shanah has come to represent the day of repentance. It is the day when those who love the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob take stock of their spiritual condition and make the necessary changes to insure that the upcoming new year will be pleasing to ADONAI.⁴⁵³

Dear Heavenly Father, Praise You for Your wisdom in setting aside a day for repentance. Sometimes we get so wrapped up in the joy of what You have done for us that we forget to look carefully at how we can draw closer to You in all we do, say and think. Praise You for Your wisdom in creating the pomegranate to be ripe at the time of this festival. How significant that its fruit is red, providing a reminding link that only thru blood can there be redemption. We offer repeated and heartfelt praise and gratitude for Messiah’s willingness to offer Himself as the blood sacrifice.  By His will we have been made holy through the offering of the body of Messiah Yeshua once for all. . . He entered into the Holies once for all – not by the blood of goats and calves but by His own blood, having obtained eternal redemption. (Hebrews 10:10, 9:12). As we eat the red pomegranate, help us to remember the great pain and shame Messiah willingly suffered for us, and let us look carefully within ourselves to see how we can draw closer to You in all we say, do and think. In Yeshua’s holy name and power of His resurrection. Amen

Why pomegranates at Rosh ha’Shamah? It is a strange looking fruit indeed with its exterior tough skin crown on the top. Unlike most other fruits, the pomegranate has no internal flesh to eat but only a multitude of seeds. So why does this exotic fruit receive special focus in the Jewish community this time of year? For starters, it is during the fall and the High Holy Days (starting around Rosh ha’Shanah) that the pomegranate ripens. Whereas most other fruit varieties are beginning to fade at this time of year, the pomegranate is just beginning to flourish. This is especially noteworthy since the Talmud alludes to the rather unremarkable appearance of the tree itself that bears such a beautiful fruit (Tractate Sukkah 53d). Of course, the fruit juice has been newly rediscovered for its amazing health benefits, as the POM company has marketed. Jewish tradition equates the many seeds of this fruit with the 613 mitzvot of the Torah as this easy to miss fruit tree has long been a native of the Holy Land. It is listed as part of the discoveries of the twelve spies in the Exodus generation (Numbers 13:23), two rows of pomegranates were molded into the two pillars on the porch of Solomon’s Temple (First Kings 18-20), and the Rimmonim (Hebrew for pomegranates) were pomegranate-shaped bells fashioned onto the hem of the high priest’s outer garment (Exodus 28:33-34). Still today we recall these details as depicted in many Ashkenazi Torah scrolls which are often crowned with silver “Rimonim” bells. It is a joyful sound of our priestly service every Shabbat and Holy Day as the Torah procession makes its way through Jewish and Messianic congregations around the world.

It is not surprising that at this time of year many Rosh ha’Shanah cards are decorated with this very symbolic fruit. It is during the High Holy Day season that we are called to take a fresh inventory of how we are doing our spiritual journey. Too many people get distracted by the responsibilities of daily life and yet neglect the most important part of our existence, the soul. Like the pomegranate, the Torah and our faith in Messiah can sometimes appear rather nondescript on the outside, but they bring blessing through their spiritual fruit. It would seem to be the perfect time of year to revitalize our spiritual lives and make them more relevant and dynamic. L’Shana Tova u’metukah/ a sweet and fruitful year awaits.⁴⁵⁴

The Messianic Significance: Seeming like a mystery to Isra’el today, when we put Yeshua in the middle of it, the mystery is solved. A mystery in the Bible is something once hidden, but now revealed. And what Rosh ha’Shanah reveals is the Rapture (see my commentary on Revelation By – The Rapture of the Church). There are two main passages that deal with the details of the Rapture and in both of those passages there is the presence of a trumpet (First Thessalonians 4:13-18; First Corinthians 15:50-58).

As with all biblical holy days, there is prophetic as well as historical meaning in Rosh ha’Shanah. Many classical rabbis saw a connection between Rosh ha’Shanah as the holy day of regathering and the Messiah who would be the agent of that regathering. For example, in a work in the 8^th century AD we find the following commentary: Messiah ben David (son of David), Elijah and Zerubbabel, peace be upon him, will ascend the Mount of Olives. And Messiah will command Elijah to blow the shofar. The light of the six days of Creation will return and will be seen, the light of the moon will be like the light of the sun, and God will send full healing to all the sick of Isra’el. The second blast that Elijah will blow will make the dead rise. They will rise from the dust and each man will recognize his fellow man, and so will husband and wife, father and son, brother and brother. All will come to Messiah from the four corners of the earth, from east and from west, from north and from south. The Children of Isra’el will fly on the wings of eagles and come to Messiah . . . (Ma’ase Daniel as quoted in Patai, page 143). So while the historical emphasis of the holy day is repentance, the prophetic theme looks for the future day when the full spiritual regathering will occur.

This holy day is a perfect picture of the regathering of believers! In the future all true believers in Yeshua will be gathered to meet Him in the clouds (see the commentary on Revelation Ai – Look, He is Coming with the Clouds). The dead in Messiah will rise first, to be followed immediately by those believers alive at that time. Not surprisingly, the signal of the gathering will be the sound of the shofar. In fact, the reference here is to a particular note sounded at Rosh ha’Shanah. For the Lord Himself shall come down from heaven with a commanding shout, with the voice of the archangel and with the blast of God’s shofar, and the dead in Messiah will rise first (First Thessalonians 4:16). In fact, the reference here is to a particular note sounded at Rosh ha’Shanah. The word normally translated shout comes from the Hebrew word teruah, better translated in this context as the “alarm” blast of the shofar. Similar references to the shofar as the signal of the Rapture can be found elsewhere in the New Covenant (see First Corinthians 15:50-58 and Revelation 4:1).

Believers in Yeshua Messiah should have a fond appreciation for this rich holy day, Rosh ha’Shanah! It has served historically as a time of spiritual preparation and repentance, both themes we can learn from. Prophetically, we are reminded of God’s promise to regather and restore His chosen people, Isra’el, on the last day. The sound of the shofar is also a reminder of the blessed hope (Titus 2:13). Let us give heed to the sound of the shofar and all that Rosh ha’Shanah has to teach.⁴⁵⁵

The Feast of Passover was fulfilled by the death of Messiah, the Feast of Unleavened Bread was fulfilled by the sinlessness of His sacrifice, the Feast of First Fruits was therefore fulfilled by the resurrection of Christ life, Shavu’ot was fulfilled by the birth of the Church, and the Feast of Trumpets will be fulfilled by the Rapture of the Church.

A Practical Guide for Believers in Messiah: There are a number of practical ways to observe Rosh ha’Shanah. In synagogues, preparation starts the preceding Hebrew month, Elul, by sounding the shofar on Shabbat. Special prayers to cultivate repentance, called selikhot, are offered. For Messianic Jews and Gentiles this season could be observed in the same kind of spirit. Perhaps one might desire to purchase a shofar and sound it every morning during the month preceding Rosh ha’Shanah. This could be used to enhance the true spirit of this holy day – focusing on repentance and a pure walk with God.

Jewish tradition maintains a preference for shofars, the first being a curved rams horn, as curved horns are favored over straight horns. Second choice would be a curved sheep’s horn, third is a curved horn from any other animal available, and fourth is a straight rams horn. When using one of the first four types, one would say a blessing when performing a mitzvah with a shofar. The fifth preference is the horn of a non-kosher animal which one can use for the mitzvah, but a blessing is not recited beforehand. The last type is a horn from a cow which is not to be even considered as being a shofar. In the Torah the word used for a cow or any other animal horn is keren. These are solid horns that need to be bored out hollow in order to make a sound. When the Torah says to blow the shofar, it must be from a horn that does not need to be bored out such as a keren, but is naturally hollow.

A special evening observance can be planned upon reaching the first day of Tishri. As with most Jewish holy days, much of the preparation revolves around a holiday meal. The table is set with the best dinnerware, tablecloth and two candles. White is the most common color for the holy days based on the promise of God that He will turn our scarlet sins as white as snow (Isaiah 1:18). This may include the tablecloth, and often, personal clothing. To believers it is a beautiful statement of our cleansing in Yeshua! It is traditional to light the holiday candles with the appropriate blessing that is slightly different from the standard Shabbat blessing:

Barukh atah Adonai Elohenu melekh ha-olam, asher kidshanu b’mitzvohtav,
v’tzi-vanu l’hadleek ner shel yom tov.

Blessed are You, Lord our God, King of the universe, who has set us apart
by Your commandments, and has commanded us to strike the holiday light.

After the candles, we bless the sweet wine (or grape juice) and the special round raisin challah bread. Both remind us of an important theme of Rosh ha’Shanah – that we will experience a sweet and full New Year in God’s blessing.

The foods of the dinner also make this statement. We may have the traditional tzimmes (carrots and honey), as well as honey cake for dessert. In one of the more graphic customs, we dip sliced apples in honey to taste the incredible sweetness that comes from our heavenly Father. It should be noted that the traditional greeting of the holiday season is l’shana tova u-metukah (may you have a sweet and good new year). Main dishes might be turkey or brisket. A symbolic dish is a cooked fish served with its head. This illustrates God’s promise that there will be a time when Isra’el will no longer be the tail, but the head (Deut 28:13)!

After the dinner it is time to celebrate in worship and in meditation. Normally, this takes place in the synagogue service where believers in Yeshua attend a Rosh ha’Shanah service. What a joy to hear the sound of the shofar, to experience the corporate prayers, and to worship music in the fullness of Messiah!

Because Rosh ha’Shanah is to be considered as a Sabbath day of rest, today Jews celebrate it for two days. The following day can be made special by celebrating a special ceremony called Tashlikh. What can be a meaningful service for believers, they cast breadcrumbs, symbolizing our sins, into a body of water! The shofar can be sounded, and a guitar played while songs of praise are sung to celebrate the truth of the prophet: ADONAI will again have compassion on us. He will subdue our iniquities, and He will cast all our sins into the depths of the sea (Micah 7:19).⁴⁵⁶

The Four-Month Interval
Leviticus 23:22

This interval is pictured as a summertime of labor in the fields
in preparation for the final harvest of the summer and before the fall harvest.

The first four feasts were fulfilled by the program of the First Coming of Yeshua and occur within about fifty days of each other. Between the first four feasts and the last three feasts, there is a four-month interval mentioned in passing. When you reap the harvest of your land, do not reap to the very edges of your field or gather the gleanings of your harvest. Leave them for the poor and for the foreigner residing among you. I am ADONAI Your God (23:22). During the pause between the two sets of festivals, life is to continue as normal. This interval is pictured as a summertime of labor in the fields in preparation for the final harvest of the summer and before the fall harvest. This verse is not related to any feast. Unless one understands what is really happening, it almost seems like an unnecessary interruption. However, it is the pause between the festivals that fulfilled the program of the First Coming as opposed to the festivals to be fulfilled by the program of the Second Coming. This internal of four months does have a Messianic implication.

The Messianic implication is the insertion of the Dispensation of Grace (see my commentary on Hebrews Bp – The Dispensation of Grace), interrupting the program of the feasts of Isra’el. Indeed, the gleanings for the poor and the foreigner residing among you is a very good picture of the mission of the Church itself in Gospel evangelism. For example, Yeshua states: Look to the fields! They are ripe for harvest (John 4:35)! Thus, it becomes a fitting symbol of the obligation of the Church to do the work of Gospel evangelism. Therefore, Leviticus 23:22, being a parenthetical verse interrupting the discussion of the feasts of Isra’el, is significant in that it symbolizes the present age in which we now live and in which the program of the feasts of Israel has been temporarily interrupted.

The last three festivals in the second cycle of festivals also come close together, even closer than those of the first cycle of feasts. In fact, they all come within two weeks of each other. The last three feasts of the second cycle are to be fulfilled by the program of the Second Coming. As Jesus says Himself at the end of the Bible: Yes, I am coming quickly (Revelation 22:20). Amen. Come, Lord Yeshua.

Hag Shavu’ot (Weeks)
Leviticus 23: 17-22

Hag Shavu’ot DIG: What is the purpose of this feast? How would this festival help to maintain a correct relationship with God? What insights do you glean from this festival? Why is leavened bread used in this feast? What do the Jews associate this festival with?

REFLECT: Three thousand Jews who were saved on the first Shavu’ot. Do you know when you were saved? How do you feel when you realize that Yeshua was the first fruit of the more to come? Who do you know that you could introduce Yeshua to, so that they can be saved?

Hag Shavu’ot was fulfilled by the birth of the Church.

During the centuries, the first “First Fruits” (in other words Ea – Resheet) became less important to Isra’el, especially as the Jewish people were denied access to the Land and the Temple. But the second “First Fruits” is called Shavu’ot because the text in Leviticus instructs us to count off seven weeks (literally seven Sabbaths); thus, it is named Weeks, since it occurs seven weeks after the offering of the first fruits of the barley harvest on Resheet.⁴⁴⁵ Greek-speaking Jews and many Christians called this day Pentecost (which means “fiftieth”), because it occurs fifty days after the seventh week (23:16). The count actually began on Resheet, and once it reached the fiftieth day, the Feast of Weeks would be observed.

Because Shavu’ot marks the last of the first cycle of festivals, it became known as the “The Closing Festival,” and was considered a Sabbath day. It celebrated the latter first fruits of the wheat harvest, whereas the Festival of First Fruits celebrated the early first fruits of the barley harvest. Although its origins are to be found in an ancient grain harvest festival, Shavu’ot has long been identified with the giving of the Torah on Mount Sinai. Shavu’ot is designated as a time of thanksgiving for the spring harvest, which increases the hopefulness for the abundant fall harvest, celebrated by the festival of Booths (see Eg – Sukkot). Giving thanks for the present provision leads to faith for future addition. What a wonderful God we have! He provides all our needs through His riches in glory in Messiah (Philippians 4:19).

Hag means pilgrimage, and whenever this term is used to characterize a festival, it refers to an actual pilgrimage, either to a nearby or to a faraway site. The duty to undertake a pilgrimage is known in a number of other religions, most notably in Islam, where the Arabic term hajatun, is similar to the Hebrew hag, and designates a holy pilgrimage (see a video presentation of Hag Shavu’ot by clicking here).

This means that any festival called hag could not be fully celebrated at one’s home, but required one’s presence at the Temple in Jerusalem. In earlier times, before the Temple was built, the pilgrimage might have brought a family to a nearby altar, but subsequently Deuteronomy 12 ordained that all sacrificial offerings were to be brought to one, central Tabernacle/Temple, which necessitated a much longer pilgrimage for most Israelites (see the commentary on Deuteronomy Ct – The Place to Worship ADONAI).⁴⁴⁶ Three times a year, every able-bodied Jewish man (families were also welcomed if they could make the trip) was to make the pilgrimage to Jerusalem to celebrate the three pilgrimage feasts of Hag ha’Matzot, Hag Shavu’ot, and Hag Sukkot (see the commentary on Exodus Eh – Three Times a Year Celebrate a Festival to Me). Consequently, Shavu’ot was the Tower of Babel reversed.

The Biblical Practice: This was a one-day festival. On this occasion two wheat loaves were to be placed on a single sheet and waved before God. It was waved, but not actually offered on the bronze altar (Leviticus 2:12). The loaves were to have leaven in them. This was unusual because this was the only feast where leaven was permitted as an offering. Leaven, when it is used in the Bible symbolically, is always a symbol of sin. The reason God permitted leaven to be used on this occasion was because those that this offering represented were sinners.

Normally, offerings brought to the LORD required unleavened bread (Lev 2:4-5 and 7:12; Num 6:15) because leaven pictures sin, and God cannot tolerate sin. However, on Shavu’ot, Moshe wrote: You must bring bread from your homes for waving – two loaves made with one gallon of fine flower, baked with leaven – as first fruits (of the fall wheat harvest) for ADONAI (23:17). This was the one time of the year when leavened bread was brought to Ha’Shem, though none of it was burned on the bronze altar. The bread was leavened by placing in the dough a lump of leaven from bread of the preceding barley harvest, thus reemphasizing the close connection between the barley and wheat harvests, and the festivals associated with them.⁴⁴⁷

The Jewish Observance: Traditional Jewish observance of Shavu’ot is multifaceted and has evolved somewhat from biblical times. As recorded in the Torah, during the Second Temple period, Shavu’ot consisted of being a harvest festival for farmers. Various first fruits were brought as an offering: barley, grapes, figs, pomegranates, olive oil and honey. The farmers would parade to the Temple with these firstfruits and then offer them up in a special ceremony. People would follow them blowing flutes and other musical instruments. It was quite an elaborate observance as the farmers brought their firstfruits to the Temple.

Part of the wheat offering was baked into two loaves of leavened bread, a striking contrast to the matzah offered a few weeks before. These two loaves were brought to the Temple on a single sheet, and waved in every direction before the bronze altar twice. This act was a public statement of God’s provision for all His people.

The first time was before the slaughter of two sheep. The second time after the slaughter of the two sheep they were waved with the breast and thigh of the sheep. Then the two loaves were eaten by the priests. One loaf was eaten by the high priest and the second loaf was divided among the other priests. It was eaten either on the very same day that it was waved or that night sometime before midnight. The rabbis asked the question, “Why was it necessary to have two loaves?” The answer they came up with is because Shavu’ot is the season for the fruit of the tree and therefore the Holy One, blessed be He, said, “Bring Me two loaves on Shavu’ot so that the fruit of your trees may be blessed.” That was the rabbinic reason for the two loaves.

Since the destruction of the Temple in 70 AD, the modern Jewish observance of Shavu’ot has changed. It is still a time to remember God’s faithfulness; however, an additional, fascinating thing has evolved. Since the Israelites came to Mount Sinai in the third month after Passover (Exodus 19:1), the rabbis teach that Shavu’ot was the day that Moses received the Torah or the Oral Law (see my commentary on The Life of Christ Ei – The Oral Law). Therefore, modern observance includes celebrating the giving of the Torah. Messianic congregations, however, do not include the celebration of the Oral Law.

There were eight other observances during the Second Temple period that have carried over to today.

1. There was no fasting. If the Feast of Weeks occurred on the Sabbath, the slaughter of the sacrifices were deferred until the following day, so it was not to be a day of fasting.

2. There was a tradition of three days of consecration (see my commentary on Exodus Df – Go to the People and Consecrate Them) that the Israelites underwent before receiving the Torah. Because of Jewish tradition, today many Jews observe three days of consecration in order to make themselves worthy of celebrating Shavu’ot. Another special custom, Tikun Leil Shavu’ot (preparing for the arrival of Shavu’ot), developed from the Jewish people’s love for the Torah. Traditional Jews stay up the first night of this holy day studying the Torah. Many synagogues customarily hold confirmation services for teenagers during this season to recognize their culminating childhood studies of the Torah.

3. Certain scriptures are read especially on Shavu’ot. From the Torah of Moses, Exodus 19:1 through 20:17 (the giving of the Torah); Numbers 28:26-31 and Deuteronomy 5:19-30, 9:9-19, 10:1-5, 10, is read on the first day. Deuteronomy 15:19 through 16:17 is read on the second day along with the prophets Ezeki’el 1:1-28 (the prophet’s vision of God’s Sh’khinah glory) and Habakkuk 2:20 through 3:19 are read.

4. The book of Ruth is traditionally read because her story takes place at harvest time as Shavu’ot does (see the commentary on Ruth Ah – The Book of Ruth and Shavu’ot). Moreover, Ruth was a convert to the Torah and the Torah was given on Shavu’ot. The rabbis teach that just as Ruth suffered deprivation when she accepted the Torah, so we suffer deprivation when we accept the Torah. Furthermore, according to Jewish tradition, King David, who was a descendant of Ruth (see Ruth Bd – Coda: The Genealogy of David), was born and died on Shavu’ot.

5. There are two special liturgies that are used during the synagogue service. The first is the singing of the Akdamut, which is an Aramaic hymn (composed about 1030 AD) that is a reference to the Ten Commandments and has as its theme God’s love for Isra’el and Isra’el’s faithfulness to the Torah of Moses. It is sung on the first day of the Feast of Weeks. The second is the Tikun Leil Shavu’ot, which means the service on the night of Shavu’ot. This is an anthology of the first and last verses of every book in the TaNaKh and also the entire book of Ruth. The main emphasis of this second song is the indivisibility of the Torah and the Oral Law (see above) according to rabbinic teaching.

6. There is a special emphasis on eating milk products on Shavu’ot in order to remember that the Promised Land that Ha’Shem gave to Isra’el was supposed to be a land flowing with milk and honey. Also, according to Jewish tradition, on that day of the giving of the Torah, only dairy products were eaten. So, cheese is eaten because it is a product of the land reminding the Jews that it is a land of milk and honey. Cheese blintzes’, a special form of Jewish crepes filled with cheese, are also served to remind the Jews of the two tablets of the Ten Words (see Deuteronomy Bk – The Ten Words) brought down from Mount Sinai by Moses.

7. A second kind of special food is Challah, which is egg bread that has a yellow color because of the heavy use of the yoke of the eggs. Often two loaves of Challah are used to represent the two loaves that were once offered in the Temple compound. This bread is eaten every Friday night on the Jewish Shabbat, but on the Sabbath the bread is braided. However, on Shavu’ot the bread is not fixed in the braided form, it is fixed with a design of a ladder. The reason is that the rabbis teach that the Challah for the Feast of Shavu’ot should be different from the Challah that is used for the Sabbath. Furthermore, the rabbis teach that the ladder is used to remind the Jews that Moses used a ladder to climb up to heaven to receive the Torah.

8. A third type of food is kreplach, which is a form of Jewish ravioli but without the tomato sauce and it is fixed in a triangle rather than a square. It has three sides to represent the patriarchs Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, and to represent the three divisions of the TaNaKh: the Torah (Ta), the “Neviim,” or the Prophets (Na), and the Ketuvim (Kh), or the Sacred Writings.⁴⁴⁸

The Messianic significance: The Festival of Shavu’ot was fulfilled by the birth of the Church (see my commentary on Acts Al – The Ruach ha’Kodesh Comes at Shavu’ot). There were three thousand Jews who were saved on that day, but the Gentiles were not saved until later (see Acts Bg – Peter Goes to the House of Cornelius). Therefore, in a very special way, those Jewish believers were the first fruits in fulfillment of Shavu’ot. James, in his book specifically written to Jewish believers (James 1:1), said: God chose to give us (spiritual) birth through (the preaching of the Gospel) the word of truth, that we might be a kind of first fruits of all he created (James 1:18). With all the spiritual meaning behind the holy day of Shavu’ot, believers in Yeshua can find great blessing in celebrating it. Much of the traditional Jewish observance can be followed. Yet, as believers add a Messianic perspective to this feast, it becomes even more meaningful.

The practical celebration of Shavu’ot begins when the Feast of First Fruits ends. On the day before the start of Shavu’ot, a number of preparations should be made for the observance. The dinner table is set with the best linens and dishes. You may want to decorate the house with greenery or fresh flowers, as a reminder of the harvest aspect of the day. As the sun is setting on Erev Shavu’ot (evening of Shavu’ot), the family and friends gather around the festive table. The yom tov (holiday) candles are lit by the woman of the house. After the traditional blessings and prayer, blessings are first chanted over the cup of wine or kosher grape juice (kiddush): Barukh attah Adonai eloheinu melekh ha-olam, borei peri ha-gafen (Blessed are You, LORD our God, King of the universe, Creator of the fruit of the vine). Then the challah bread is blessed and shared by all: Barukh attah Adonai eloheinu melekh ha-olam, hamotzi lechem min haaretz (Blessed are You, LORD our God, King of the universe, Who brings forth bread from the earth). On the first night of the holy day we add: Baruch atah Adonai eloheinu melekh ha-olam, she-he-khiyany v’kiya-manu v’higi-yanu lazman hazeh (Bless are You, LORD our God, King of the universe, who has given us life, sustained us and brought us into this season).

Next, the holiday dinner is served, which should include dairy dishes to help commemorate the milk, that is the Word of God, which becomes a special joy to believers in Yeshua because His Ruach Ha’Kodesh enables us to follow His instructions. Many Messianic congregations hold Erev Shavu’ot services and morning services the next day. Corporate worship and fellowship are consistent with the intent of Shavu’ot. After the evening service, some ambitious believers might want to have their own Tikun Leil Shavu’ot (preparing for the arrival of Shavu’ot). This is the tradition of staying up late to study Torah. A Messianic group of believers might focus on the five books of Moses and the blessings of the Ruach ha’Kodesh. Whatever customs are incorporated, the holy day of Shavu’ot can be a true blessing for those who have the Spirit of God within them.⁴⁴⁹

The Feast of Passover was fulfilled by the death of Messiah, the Feast of Unleavened Bread was fulfilled by the sinlessness of His sacrifice, the Feast of First Fruits was fulfilled by the resurrection of Messiah life, and Shavu’ot was fulfilled by the birth of the Church.

A Practical Guide for Believers in Messiah: With all the spiritual meaning behind the holy day of Shavu’ot, believers in Yeshua can find great blessing in celebrating. Much of the traditional Jewish observance can be followed. Yet, as believers add Messianic perspective to this feast, it becomes more meaningful.

The practical celebration of Shavu’ot begins when the festival of First Fruits ends. On the day before the start of Shavu’ot, a number of preparations should be made for the observance. The dinner table is set with the best linens and dishes. You may want to decorate the house with greenery or fresh flowers, a reminder of the harvest aspect of the day. As the sun is setting on Erev Shavu’ot (the evening of Shavu’ot), the family and friends gather around the festive table. The holiday candles are lit and the following blessings are recited: Barukh atah Adonai Elohenu melekh ha-0lam, asher kidshanu b’mitzvohtav l’hayot or l’goyeem v’natan-lanu Yeshua m’shee-khaynu ha-or la-olam. Blessed are You, LORD our God, King of the universe, who has sanctified us by Your commandments and commanded us to be a light unto the nations and has given us Yeshua, our Messiah, the Light of the World.

On the first night of the holy day we add: Barukh atah Adonai Elohenu melekh ha-olam, she-he-khiyanu v’kiya-manu v’higi-yanu lazman hazeh. Blessed are You, LORD our God, King of the universe, who has given us life, sustained us and brought us to this season.

The blessings over the wine, grape juice and challah are chanted to traditional melodies. Next, the holiday dinner is served, which should include dairy dishes to help commemorate the milk, that is the Word of God. God’s Word becomes a special joy to believers in Yeshua because His Holy Spirit enables believers to follow His instructions.

Many Messianic congregations hold Erev Shavuot services and morning services the next day. Corporate worship and fellowship are consistent with the intent of Shavu’ot. After the evening service, some ambitious believers might want to have their own Tikun Leil Shavu’ot (preparing for the night of Shavu’ot). As we learned earlier, this is the tradition of staying up late to study Torah. A Messianic group of believers might focus on the five books of Moses and the blessings of the Ruach Ha’Kodesh. Whatever customs are incorporated, the holy day of Shavu’ot can be a true blessing for those who have the Ruach Ha’Kodesh within them.⁴⁵⁰

Dear Heavenly Father, Praise You for Your wisdom in planning festivals so we can remember how wonderful You are and how everything You do is done in perfect sequence and timing.

Praise You for Your giving of the Ruach ha’Kodesh within me to always be there to help and guide me (Hebrews 13:5c). Yeshua answered and said to him: If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word. My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our dwelling with him (John 14:23). Though life is often hard now, we love to worship and praise you, knowing that our trials will soon be over and eternity will be filled with peace and joy and life in heaven praising you forever! For I consider the sufferings of this present time not worthy to be compared with the coming glory to be revealed to us (Romans 8:18) In the Name of the One who sits at Your right hand. Amen

Counting the Omer
Leviticus 23: 15-16

The countdown of the omer is a countdown to Shavu’ot.

Among Gentile believers today the same festival is known as Pentecost, which comes from the Greek word “fifty” because the feast is fifty days after Hag ha’Matzot. From the day after Shabbat, that is, from the day you bring the omer for waving, you are to count seven full weeks (literally Sabbaths), until the day after the seventh week; you are to count fifty days; and then you are to present a new grain offering to ADONAI (Leviticus 23:15-16).

The Torah commands us to begin counting omer the day after shabbat, which is Sunday, or Resheet (to see link click Ea – Resheet). The Messianic implications of the omer and the subsequent countdown are great. Just as the first omer of barley was brought as a first fruits of the whole harvest, so too Messiah’s resurrection was a first fruits of the resurrection of the dead. This is the imagery Paul invokes with the words: Messiah has indeed been raised from the dead, the first fruits of those who have fallen asleep (see the commentary on First Corinthians Dt – Messiah: The Firstfruits of Those Who Have Fallen Asleep). Just as the first fruits of the barley harvest made all the rest of the harvest kosher for harvest, so, too, the resurrection of Messiah makes the resurrection of the dead possible.

Because of the resurrection and the connection to Shavu’ot (see Ec – Hag Shavu’ot), counting the omer is a precious mitzvah for believers. According to Jewish tradition, the counting is done in the following manner. After the evening prayers, a blessing is recited: “Blessed are You, LORD our God, King of the Universe, Who has sanctified us with His commandments and commanded us to count the omer.” Then the counter simply states, “Today is one day of the omer, or two days of the omer, or three days of the omer, and so on.

This formal counting is followed by the recitation of Psalm 67 and a few short petitions for spiritual cleansing and renewal. Psalm 67 is recited because it is composed of exactly 49 Hebrew words which correspond to the 49 days of the omer count. The Psalm is seasonally appropriate because of its harvest motif. It is spiritually appropriate because it speaks clearly of God’s salvation (in Yeshua) being made known over all the earth.

The countdown of the omer is a countdown to Shavu’ot, which has traditionally been celebrated as the time of the giving of the Ten Words to the nation of Isra’el (see the commentary on Deuteronomy Bk – The Ten Words), seven weeks after their miraculous exodus from Egypt. As such, it is a spiritual journey of preparation. It is a journey that is begun with Pesach (pointing to the death of Messiah), and completed at Shavu’ot (pointing to the permanent giving of the Ruach Ha’Kodesh and the birth of the Church). The days between the two festivals should be a time of spiritual reflection, growth, purification and preparation.⁴⁴²

In Judaism, the first thirty-three days of the omer are treated as days of semi-mourning in commemoration of several calamities from the early AD. The following activities are curtailed during the period of mourning: marriages and wedding celebrations, cutting of one’s hair, listening to instrumental music, and purchasing and wearing new garments.⁴⁴³ The thirty-third day of the omer is a semi-festival on which the mourning is suspended.

Our Master’s resurrection makes the counting of the omer a season of special significance and joy for His disciples. It is a time for us to remember the resurrection of Yeshua among us. All of His post-resurrection appearances fell within the days of counting the omer. On the fortieth day of counting the omer, some Messianic communities celebrate the Master’s ascension. This is sometimes accomplished with a special service, but more often the occasion is marked with a gathering of a time of song, teaching and inspiration.⁴⁴⁴

Resheet (First Fruits)
Leviticus 23: 9-14

Resheet DIG: What day was the resurrection of Messiah on? Do you think that happened by chance? Why? Why not? Describe the various aspects of your favorite religious festival. What do you see as its purpose? Where does the Bible actually describe the resurrection?

REFLECT: Do you give proper thanksgiving and honor to your bountiful King before enjoying His generous provisions? Why? Why not? If not, when can you start? What do you see as the purpose of your favorite religious festival? What does it teach you about your faith?

The Feast of First Fruits was fulfilled by the resurrection of Messiah to life.

During the seven days that the Israelites ate unleavened bread (to see link click Dz – Hag ha’Matzot), a sheaf (Hebrew: omer) of the first grain harvested was brought to ADONAI. This must have brought a new element of excitement into the week’s observance; instead of looking back to their deliverance from bondage, the people now looked forward in confidence and with gratitude to a full harvest to follow.⁴³⁵ Since it comes on the heels of the major festival of Passover/Unleavened Bread, Resheet is often overlooked. We shall see, however, that this biblical holy day observance should be one of the most important of all the festivals for Messianic Jews and Gentiles (see a video presentation of Resheet by clicking here).

Dear Heavenly Father, The Feast of First Fruits is such a joyful time, looking forward to what You will do in harvesting of souls. As believers, we look forward to what You will do for us in the future! Instead of looking back to our deliverance from sin’s bondage, those who love You can look forward in confidence and gratitude to a wonderful eternal life of peace and joy with You in heaven forever! Behold, the dwelling of God is among men, and He shall tabernacle among them. They shall be His people, and God Himself shall be among them and be their God. He shall wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more. Nor shall there be mourning or crying or pain any longer, for the former things have passed away (Revelation 21:3-4).

One day a week it is a joy to set aside time to rest from our normal work and to worship You. May we include in that day: Praise for sin’s penalty paid (John 1:29 and Second Corinthians 5:21), for your indwelling presence in us now (John 14:21-23), and for our future joy . . . spending eternity with You in Your glorious Kingdom! You are an Awesomely Wonderful Father and I can’t wait to be with You, praising you for all eternity! In Yeshua’s holy name and power of His resurrection. Amen

The meaning of this holy day is understood in its name Resheet, which literally means the beginning of the spring harvest. It speaks of the earliest harvest that takes place in Isra’el, the barley harvest. Like the fall holy day of Sukkot (Booths), this festival emphasizes the agrarian culture of the ancient Middle East.

The blessing of the Land was linked to this festival. ADONAI said to Moshe, “Tell the people of Isra’el, ‘After you enter the land I am giving you and harvest its ripe crops, you are to bring a omer of the First Fruits of your harvest (Hebrew: Resheet Ketzirchem) to the priest (23:9-10). The First Fruits of the Land were to be offered to the LORD, then they could use the rest. This is the principle of tithing (see the commentary on The Life of Christ Do – When You Give to the Needy, Do Not Do It to be Honored by Others: seven principles of scriptural giving). ADONAI was symbolically offering His First Fruit of Yeshua when He was resurrected, and thus, the people were to do the same with their barley harvest. This was not obvious in this verse, but there were many hints in the next three verses.

The first omer was brought to the gate of the Tabernacle where the high priest was to wave the newly ripened barley grain before the LORD before the Sanctuary. He is to wave the omer before ADONAI, so that you will be accepted; the priest is to wave it on the day after the Shabbat (23:11). The Oral Law (see the commentary on The Life of Christ Ei – The Oral Law) actually tells us how it was done. The high priest would place his two hands under the gift, then take it to the bronze altar. He elevated it up and down, north and south, then sideways, east and west. All this was done with joy and singing and the blowing of the shofar. This is a great illustration of Yeshua, coming down from above, then being raised up out of the grave and spreading His Gospel to the four corners of the earth.

On the day that you wave the omer, you are to offer a male lamb without defect, in its first year, as a burnt offering for ADONAI (see Ai – The Burnt Offering). This reminded some rabbinical commentators of the Passover lamb. The words are similar. Both had to be a male lamb without defect; both had to be one year old. It was a great time of rejoicing. The people were to give double their grain offerings. Its grain offering is to be one gallon of fine flour mixed with olive oil (twice the usual amount, perhaps to emphasize the importance of grain in this celebration), an offering made by fire on the bronze altar to ADONAI as a fragrant aroma; its drink offering is to be of wine, one quart (23:12-13). The sages would ask, “Why is there a double quantity of grain? Why is there lamb offered without blemish like Passover? Why is a drink offering made at this time?”⁴³⁶ All these things point to our Great Messiah, but the Great Sanhedrin had declared that Yeshua was demon possessed (see The Life of Christ Ek – It is only by Beelzebub, the Prince of Demons, That This Fellow Drives Out Demons), so the Jews missed the whole point of the festival.

You are not to eat bread, dried grain or fresh grain until the day you bring the offering for your God; this is a permanent regulation through all your generations, no matter where you live (23:14). Thankfulness is one of the first emotions to vanish; this requirement made sure the Israelites gave proper thanksgiving and honor to their bountiful King before enjoying His generous provisions (Deut 26:10-11; Proverbs 3:9-10).⁴³⁷

Pesach, Hag ha’Matzot, and Resheet came rapidly, three days in a row; Friday, Saturday (Shabbat), and Sunday. All three point to Yeshua Messiah. Pesach points to the death of the Lamb of God; Hag ha’Matzot points to the sinlessness of His sacrifice, and Resheet points Messiah as being the First Fruits of those who would be raised from the dead. The Feast of the Passover would last one day, and it was followed immediately by the Feast of Unleavened Bread. By B’rit Chadashah times, Pesach and the first day of Hag ha’Matzot had become the same in accordance with the Pharisaic view.⁴³⁸ On the fifteenth day of the same month is the Festival of Matzot (another name for Pesach). For seven days you are to eat matzah (Leviticus 23:6).

Here is what the seven-day festival every Nisan looks like:

Pesach (or the Festival of Matzot)           Day 1 Shabbat

Hag ha’Matzot (Unleavened Bread)      Day 2 Shabbat

Resheet (First Fruits)                                       Day 3 Shabbat

                                                                                       Day 4

                                                                                       Day 5

                                                                                       Day 6

                                                                                       Day 7 Shabbat

On the first day of Pesach you are to have a holy convocation; don’t do any kind of ordinary work. Bring an offering made by fire (on the bronze altar) to ADONAI for seven days. The additional sacrifices are described in Numbers 28:17-25 (see the commentary on Numbers Fg – The Hag ha’Matzot Offering). On the seventh day is a holy convocation; do not do any kind of ordinary work (Lev 23:7-8). It was to be treated as a Sabbath day. On the first and seventh day of the festival, work was forbidden. The community celebrated together. On the intervening days, however, ordinary work could be carried on, if necessary, but the celebration continued.

The Biblical Practice: It was a one-day festival and because it was the first harvest of the spring, it was a perfect time to make a grain offering to ADONAI. On this occasion, the First Fruits of the barley harvest was to be offered and an omer would be offered the day after the Passover. It was to be observed as an acknowledgment of God’s bounty and that the whole harvest belonged to Him and not to mankind. This feast marked the beginning of the two-month spring harvest.

The Jewish Observance: During the Second Temple period (from 515 BC when the Temple was completed until it was destroyed by the Romans in 70 AD), on the fourteenth of Nisan, which was the day before Passover, the spot where the first omer was to be reaped was marked out by a special delegation from the Great Sanhedrin (see The Life of Christ Lg – The Great Sanhedrin). In the late afternoon while the Passover lambs were being slaughtered at the Temple, the high priest and his entourage would slip away, travel over the Kidron Valley bridge and up the side of the Mount of Olives. They would then tie up three shocks of barley. Afterwards, they would go back to the Temple before sundown. It was still the day of preparation.

As the sun set on Thursday the fourteenth, the Jewish day turned into Friday, the fifteenth of Nisan. Everyone celebrated Pesach with unleavened bread from the barley harvest of the previous year.

Then came the Sabbath on the sixteenth of Nisan, and everyone rested.

When the sun set on the Sabbath, by the Jewish reckoning of time, Saturday turned into Sunday, the seventeenth of Nisan. Then the high priest and the members of the Sanhedrin were joined by thousands of people as they walked over the Kidron Valley bridge at night and up the side of the Mount of Olives where the three shocks of barley had been tied up the day before Passover. Because the Sabbath was over, they could harvest the barley that would be presented the next morning in the Temple. The high priest would ask five questions. First he would ask, “Has the sun gone down?” And the crowd would answer, “Yes, the sun has gone down!” Secondly, he would ask, “Will you harvest the barley?” And they would answer, “Yes, we will harvest the barley!” Thirdly, the high priest would ask, “With these sickles?” And the crowd would answer, “Yes, with these sickles!” Fourthly, he would ask, “In these baskets?” And they would answer, “Yes, in these baskets!” And lastly, the high priest would ask, “Shall I harvest?” And the thousands in the crowd would chant, “Yes, harvest!” When the answer was “yes” to all five questions asked three times over, they cut one omer of grain from the ground that had already been marked out.

Then the three shocks of barley were harvested and put into three baskets to be carried back to the Temple with singing the Hallel psalms, music and dance. Then it was threshed with canes, as opposed to ox powered sledges, to preserve the barley heads. The barley was then roasted in a flame and winnowed in the wind to remove the chaff. The barley was then milled and sifted until it was very fine. According to the Talmud the inspectors should be able to stick their hands into the barley flour without any flour sticking to the hands when they were removed (Menahot 8:2).

The next morning the high priest, as the mediator between God and the people, would wave this baked unleavened bread before the LORD at the Nicanor Gate in the Court of the Women (to see the Nicanor Gate click here). He would wave it from side to side in all four directions with arms outstretched. By doing so, the whole crowd would be acknowledging God’s provision and sovereignty over all the earth. Faith was a necessary component of this festival. If the offering was acceptable to YHVH, it would be the firstfruits of more to come. Their crops would not be destroyed by flooding, disease or drought. This was the way the feast was observed while the Temple was standing.

The high priest would celebrate the feast of First Fruits for the whole nation; but each individual family would also celebrate since Isra’el was a farming community dependent on the land to produce its wealth. Isra’el’s farming families would prepare for the yearly First Fruits celebration at the same time they were preparing for Passover. When families came to Jerusalem they were prepared to celebrate three festival days, Pesach (Passover), Hag ha-Matzah (Unleavened Bread), and Resheet (First Fruits); since they were celebrated for seven days, from the fifteenth through the twenty-first of Nisan. First, the family would set aside a portion of the crop to be marked for First Fruits by tying a cord around the area to be harvested for the annual pilgrimage to Jerusalem. When the crop was harvested and baked, the family would take it along, with their lambs, to Yerushalayim to celebrate the feasts.

The modern Jewish observance of Rasheet is not very complex. In the Temple period it involved offerings, processions and praise services; the contemporary celebration consists primarily of prayers and blessings from a Jewish prayer book. These helped people reflect on the symbolic meaning of the day, counting the days from the barley harvest to the wheat harvest of Shavu’ot, the next holy day. However, after the Temple was destroyed in 70 AD, and during the resulting dispersion, it was no longer observed that way. In fact, during the long period of the dispersion, Gentile law forbade Jews to own land, and so they could no longer be farmers. So, this feast was largely ignored. But, the second “First Fruits,” or Shavu’ot (see Ec – Hag Shavu’ot), has gained significance because the text of Leviticus instructs us to count off seven full weeks from Pesach until the fiftieth day is reached.

On the first Sunday after Passover, Messianic believers begin to count the days to Shavu’ot. They begin with the reading of the traditional blessing: Baruch atah Adonai Elohenu melekh ha-olam, asher kidshanu b’mitzvohtav v’tizi-vanu al Sfirat ha-omer (Blessed are You, LORD our God, King of the universe, who has set us apart by your commandments and has commanded us concerning the counting of the omer). This blessing is read every evening for the next forty-nine days with an adjustment made according to the number of days that have been counted. For example: Ha-yom, yom echad l’omer (Today is the first day of the omer). The next day would be the second day, then the third, and so on until the forty-ninth day is reached. The fiftieth day marks the next major holy day on the biblical calendar, Shavu’ot. In essence then, Resheet is a countdown in anticipation of the next great work of ADONAI at Shavu’ot.⁴³⁹

The Messianic Significance: After Shabbat, as the next day was dawning, Miryam of Maddala and the other Miryam went to see the grave. Suddenly there was a violent earthquake, for an angel of ADONAI came down from heaven, rolled away the stone (to show us that the tomb was empty) and sat on it. His appearance was like lightning, and his clothes were as white as snow. The guards were so terrified at him that they trembled and became like dead men. But the angel said to the women, “Don’t be afraid. I know you are looking for Yeshua, who was executed on the cross. He is not here, because he has been raised – just as He said (Matthew 28:1-6a). YHVH offered His First Fruit which marked the most significant time in His eternal calendar. The resurrection is that one event that separates biblical truth from all other religions. Other world leaders are still in their tombs, but we worship a living God.⁴⁴⁰

Thus, the fulfillment of the Feast of Firstfruits can be seen in the resurrection of Messiah. It is a harvest festival and the barley loaves are waved before ADONAI. Think of it! The grain that had come from the earth was then being lifted up high for all Isra’el to see! Yeshua Himself alluded to His resurrection in similar terms when He said: The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified. Very truly I tell you, unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds . . . and as for Me, when I am lifted up from the earth, I will draw all people to Myself (John 12:23-24, 32). The resurrection of Yeshua from the dead is perfectly symbolized in the wave offering of First Fruits. He rose on the third day. So we can see the sovereign hand of God in regard to the timing of Resheet. It was imperative for Messiah to die exactly on the Passover in order to fulfill the prophecies, and for Him to be risen from the dead on First Fruits.

The fulfillment of First Fruits can also be clearly seen in the B’rit Chadashah. Paul states: But Messiah has indeed been raised from the dead, the first fruits of those who have fallen asleep (see the commentary on First Corinthians Dt – Messiah: The Firstfruits of Those Who Have Fallen Asleep). The resurrection of Messiah guarantees a future resurrection of all who die in the faith, just as the omer of First Fruits guaranteed a harvest to come. In fact, the entirety of First Corinthians 15 draws upon that agricultural setting to make the point: a seed may be buried in the ground, but in due season, it will shoot forth in a more glorious body (Revelation 1:5).

So First Fruits was fulfilled by the resurrection of Messiah. But there were others who were resurrected before Yeshua, both in the TaNaKh and the B’rit Chadashah, how is He the First Fruits? There are two types of resurrections. The first type is merely a restoration back to natural life, which means they would die again later. But the second type of resurrection is true resurrection to immortality and no longer subject to death. That’s the kind of resurrection Yeshua experienced. Messiah rose to eternal life and because He is the firstfruits of more to come, and as believers, we are the more to come. We will die, only to rise to eternal life. As John said: I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God so that you may know that you have eternal life (see The Life of Christ Ms – The Eternal Security of the Believer).

The Feast of Passover was fulfilled by the death of Messiah, the Feast of Unleavened Bread was fulfilled by the sinlessness of His sacrifice, and the Feast of First Fruits was fulfilled by the resurrection of Messiah.

A Practical Guide for Believers in Messiah: Having discovered the theme of Resheet (resurrection), believers in Messiah should appreciate the importance of the holy day. In fact, there is irony here. The believers of the early Church, especially the Roman Church of the fourth century, began to lose touch with the Jewish understanding of the faith. However, the Church wanted to maintain a celebration of the resurrection of Messiah.

As a result, the Council of Nicea (325 AD) established, among other edicts, that Christians would not be allowed to commemorate the Passover, but would observe the resurrection on a new holiday called Easter. Accordingly, Easter would be observed on the Sunday after the Spring Equinox. So today many Christians have forgotten the intimate connection between the resurrection and the Jewish holy days.

It makes one wonder if it would have been simpler and clearer to continue to celebrate the great works of God at His appointed times (Leviticus 23:4). Is it any wonder that the Church historically has had such little awareness of its own Jewish heritage? In these latter days, it is wonderful to see so many believers, Jews and Gentiles, desiring to understand the original context of their faith. Resheet can be a beautiful celebration to point to the risen Savior or the world, Yeshua ha’Mashiach!

In practical terms, a Messianic celebration of First Fruits can celebrate the waving of the omer after sundown. Jewish tradition today is fairly simple, and consists primarily of counting the days and changing the appropriate blessings. Messianic believers should have no problem incorporating them into their observance.

Barukh atah ADONAI Elohenu melekh ha-olam, asher kidshanu b’mitzvohtav l’goyeem v’natan-lanu Yeshua m’sheekhaynu ha-or la-olam.

Blessed are You, Lord our God, King of the universe, who has sanctified us by Your commandments and commanded us to be a light to the nations and has given us Yeshua our Messiah, the light of the world.

Barukh atah ADONAI Elohenu melekh ha-olam, boray p’ree ha-gahfen.

Blessed are You, Lord our God, King of the universe, Creator of the fruit of the vine.

Barukh atah ADONAI Elohenu melekh ha-olam, ha-motzi lechem min haaretz.

Blessed are You, Lord our God, King of the universe, Who brings forth bread from the earth.

You may want to say the blessings over bundles of barley or a cup of grain, lifting them up to illustrate the truth of this holy day. An appropriate time to recount these blessings is just before the holiday dinner. In additional blessings over the cup of grain, other elements of a Messianic First Fruits service might include worship music and a scriptural message regarding the centrality of resurrection to our faith in Yeshua.

He is risen indeed!⁴⁴¹

Hag ha’Matzah (Unleavened Bread)
Leviticus 23: 6-8

Hag ha’Matzah DIG: How does this feast bring to mind the work of Messiah? How would this festival help to maintain a close relationship with YHVH? What is the significance of the matzah being striped and pierced? What would it mean to be cut off from the people?

REFLECT: What does it mean for believers to celebrate this festival today? Is there anything wrong with Gentiles celebrating this festival? How is our fellowship with the Lord broken? How do believers purge the leaven out of our lives today? Who can you tell today?

Hag ha’Matzah was fulfilled by the sinlessness of Yeshua’s sacrifice.

Hag ha’Matzah, or the Feast of Unleavened Bread, is recorded in Leviticus: On the fifteenth day of Nisan is the festival of matzah; for seven days you are to eat matzah. On the first day you are to have a holy convocation; don’t do any kind of ordinary work. It was considered a Shabbat day. Bring an offering made by fire (on the bronze altar) to ADONAI for seven days. On the seventh day is a holy convocation; do not do any kind of ordinary work (23:6-8). This is the biblical name for this feast found in Exodus 23:15, and emphasizes the necessity of the absence of leaven (also see Matthew 26:17; Mark 1 and 12; Luke 22:7 and John 1:9). This day started the counting of the omer (see Eb – Counting the Omer).

Hag means pilgrimage, and whenever this term is used to characterize a festival, it refers to an actual pilgrimage, either to a nearby or to a faraway site. The duty to undertake a pilgrimage is known in a number of other religions, most notably in Islam, where the Arabic term hajatun, is similar to the Hebrew hag, and designates a holy pilgrimage (see a video presentation of Hag ha’Matzah by clicking here).

This means that any festival called hag could not be fully celebrated at one’s home, but required one’s presence at the Temple in Jerusalem. In earlier times, before the Temple was built, the pilgrimage might have brought a family to a nearby altar, but subsequently Deuteronomy 12 ordained that all sacrificial offerings were to be brought to one, central Tabernacle/Temple, which necessitated a much longer pilgrimage for most Israelites (see the commentary on Deuteronomy Ct – The Place to Worship ADONAI).⁴²⁹ Three times a year, every able-bodied Jewish man was to make the pilgrimage to Jerusalem to celebrate the three pilgrimage feasts of Hag ha’Matzah, Hag Shavu’ot, and Hag Sukkot (see the commentary on Exodus Eh – Three Times a Year Celebrate a Festival to Me).

The Biblical Practice: It is quite simple and two things should be noted. First, it is a feast that lasts for seven days immediately following Passover. No leaven can be eaten for these seven days. Hag ha’Matzah is mentioned several times in the TaNaKh and one time in the B’rit Chadashah. Exodus 12:15-20 introduces Hag Ha’Matzah in conjunction with the Passover since the two festivals come back-to-back. Not only were the Israelites forbidden to eat any leaven, they were forbidden to have it in their homes. The punishment for anyone who ate leaven or failed to clean it from their homes was to be cut off from the community of Isra’el (Exodus 12:19). In rabbinic literature the penalty is called karet, or “cutting off.” In priestly literature, the penalty of karet was understood to include a series of related punishments at the hand of God, ranging from the immediate death of an offender, to his premature death at a later time, and even to the death of his descendants. In Mishnah Sanhedrin 9:6 and Mishnah Keritot 1:2, this penalty was characterized as mitah biydei shamayim, or “death at the hands of heaven.”⁴³⁰

Dear Heavenly Father, It is so comforting to think of Your chesed, steadfast love. But that is only one part of your character. Another very important and very crucial part of Your character is Your holiness. [Seraphim] One called out to another, and said: Holy, holy, holy, is ADONAI-Tzva’ot! The whole earth is full of His glory (Isaiah 6:2a and 3). Your perfect love and holiness work together to redeem for Yourself a family who loves and obeys You. He who has My commandments and keeps them is the one who loves Me. He who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and reveal Myself to him (John 14:21). No one can say they believe in You and then go off and do whatever they want. Believing in You includes loving obedience. Yeshua answered and said to him: If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word. My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our dwelling with him (John 14:23). Your forgiveness is wonderful but it does not give me the right to sin any time I feel like it. You hate sin and have given Your Holy Ruach to live inside of me and to convict me of sin (John 16:8-9).  I love You and delight in following Your holy ways in joyful obedience. In Yeshua’s holy name and power of His resurrection. Amen

Exodus 23:14-15 declares this one of the three pilgrimage festivals. Actually, it is the Passover which is the pilgrimage festival but because the Feast of Unleavened Bread immediately follows Pesach, the Jew would still be in Jerusalem when this feast began.

Deuteronomy 16:3-8 emphasizes the necessity of a total absence of leaven.

Second Chronicles 39:23-27 records how King Hezekiah kept the feast.

Ezra 6:21-22 states that it was also kept in the days of Ezra.

Ezeki’el 45:21-24 prophecies that it will be observed during the Messianic Kingdom. Not all the festivals will be observed during the thousand-year reign of Messiah, but this one will. It is mentioned only one place in the B’rit Chadashah where Yeshua observed it: Now the Passover and the Festival of Unleavened Bread were only two days away, and the chief priests and the Torah-teachers were scheming to find a way to arrest Yeshua and kill him (Mark 14:1).

Pesach, Hag ha’Matzah, and Resheet came rapidly, three days in a row; Friday, Saturday and Sunday. All three point to Yeshua Messiah. Pesach points to the death of the Lamb of God; Hag ha’Matzah points to the sinlessness of His sacrifice, and Resheet points Messiah as being the firstfruits of those who would be raised from the dead. The Feast of the Passover would last one day, and it was followed immediately by the Feast of Unleavened Bread. By B’rit Chadashah times, Pesach and the first day of Hag ha’Matzah had become the same in accordance with the Pharisaic view.⁴³¹ On the fifteenth day of the same month is the festival of matzah (another name for Pesach). For seven days you are to eat matzah (Leviticus 23:6).

Here is what the seven-day festival every Nisan looks like:

Pesach (or the Festival of Matzah)           Day 1 Shabbat

Hag ha’Matzah (Unleavened Bread)      Day 2 Shabbat

Resheet (First Fruits)                                       Day 3 Shabbat

                                                                                       Day 4

                                                                                       Day 5

                                                                                       Day 6

                                                                                       Day 7 Shabbat

On the first day of Pesach you are to have a holy convocation; don’t do any kind of ordinary work. Bring an offering made by fire (on the bronze altar) to ADONAI for seven days. The additional sacrifices are described in Numbers 28:17-25 (see the commentary on Numbers Fg – The Hag ha’Matzot Offering). On the seventh day is a holy convocation; do not do any kind of ordinary work (Leviticus 23:7-8). It is considered a Shabbat. On the first and seventh day of the festival, work was forbidden. The community celebrated together. On the intervening days, however, ordinary work could be carried on, if necessary, but the celebration continued.

Today in Isra’el, Passover is the seven-day holiday sometimes called Hag ha’Matzah, or the Festival of Matzah, with the first and last days celebrated as legal holidays and as holy days involving holiday meals, special prayer services, and abstention from work. Nothing that contains yeast is eaten during that seven-day period.

The Jewish Observance: Two things should be noted. First, it follows the biblical practice of not eating leaven for seven days. There are specially prepared foods made for this occasion containing unleavened bread. The first, sixth, and seventh days were considered more holy, and they would only cook as much food as was needed, not more. Secondly, there is a liturgy that is followed with specific scriptures to read each day.

The first day of Unleavened Bread (more holy), the full Hallel is said.
Leviticus 22:26-23:44 that deals with seven holy seasons
Numbers 28:16-25 that deals with the sacrifices
Second Kings 23:1-9 and 21-25 that deals with the Passover of Josiah

The second day of Unleavened Bread, the first intermediate day
Exodus 13:1-16 that deals with the laws of unleavened bread and the first born
Numbers 28:19-15
and a shortened version of the Hallel is said.

The third day of Unleavened Bread, the second intermediate day
Numbers 28:19-25
and a shortened version of the Hallel is said.

The fourth day of Unleavened Bread, the third intermediate day
Numbers 28:19-25
and a shortened version of the Hallel is said.

The fifth day of Unleavened Bread, the fourth intermediate day
Numbers 28:19-25
and a shortened version of the Hallel is said.

The sixth day of Unleavened Bread (more holy)
Exodus 13:17-15:26, the crossing of the Sea of Reeds
Numbers 28:19-25
Second Samuel 22:1-51 (see my commentary on the Life of David Eh – David’s Song of Praise),
and a shorter version of the Hallel is said.

The seventh day of Unleavened Bread (more holy)
Deuteronomy 15:19-16:17
Numbers 28:19-25
Isaiah 10:32-12:6
and a shorter version of the Hallel is said.⁴³²

The Messianic Significance: Whenever the word leaven is used symbolically in Scripture it is always a symbol for sin. That is why God would not even allow this symbol of sin to be eaten by the Jewish people during this feast or to have it in their homes or to have it anywhere in the land of Isra’el. Only Passover matzah that is striped and pierced is considered kosher (see the commentary on Isaiah Jb – Yet We Considered Him Punished and Stricken by God).

The Feast of Unleavened Bread is fulfilled by the offering of the sinless blood of Messiah. When Yeshua was offered up as a sacrifice and shed His sinless blood, the moment His blood was spilled outside His body, the Feast of Unleavened Bread was fulfilled. Hebrews 9:11-10:18 emphasizes the sacrifice of the innocent, sinless blood. The point here is that the blood of goats and bulls could never take away sin, but required human blood that was innocent. Only one Person had sinless, innocent blood – Yeshua Messiah.

This blood needs to be applied and sprinkled somewhere. It could not be sprinkled in the Most Holy Place of earthly Tabernacle, or the Temple, for that was merely a copy of the original. The writer to the Hebrews says it was necessary to cleanse the heavenly Tabernacle. As a result, at some point, Yeshua sprinkled the heavenly Tabernacle for the purpose of cleansing it. Whereas the earthly Tabernacle could be cleansed with the blood of animals, the heavenly tabernacle required something more – sinless human blood. This accomplished three things. First, the heavenly Tabernacle was cleansed; secondly, the sins of the Righteous of the TaNaKh (the Old Testament saints) were removed before leading the captives to heaven (Ephesians 4:8); thirdly, the sins of the New Covenant believers are forgiven and removed permanently upon faith in Yeshua, we are justified.

Another implication of the Feast of Unleavened Bread is in First Corinthians 5:6-8 where it is stated that believers are to keep it by a holy walk. Believers should purge out the leaven in our lives because Messiah, our Passover Lamb, was sacrificed for us. Again, leaven is a symbol of sin. Even believer’s sin, this leaven in our lives, must be purged. When a person accepts Jesus as his or her Passover sacrifice in fulfillment of the First Feast, and is at the moment born again (John 3:3), he or she experiences the regenerating work of the Ruach Ha’Kodesh (the Spirit of God), is baptized into the body of Messiah, and placed into the family of God (see my commentary on The Life of Christ Bw – What God Does For Us at the Moment of Faith). Once a believer is in the family he or she can never be disowned. However, fellowship within the family can be broken by sin or by leaven in the believer’s life. The means of purging out the leaven is confession: If we confess our sins, He is faithful to forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness (First John 1:9b). By means of confession we can purge our lives of leaven. In that way, we can keep the Feast of Unleavened Bread in its spiritual sense.⁴³³

The Feast of the Passover was fulfilled by the death of the Messiah; the Feast of the Unleavened Bread was fulfilled by the sinlessness of His sacrifice.

A Practical Guide for Believers in Messiah: Those who desire to enter into the full celebration of the holy day begin before the arrival of the Seder by cleansing all leaven from the house. Floors are swept, vacuumed and mopped. Cupboards are cleared of leavened products and cleaned. Pots and dishes are thoroughly washed to remove any possible fragments of leaven. The spirit of the Torah is to remove all leaven from our houses (Exodus 12:19-20). This is also symbolic of the spiritual cleansing of our hearts (First Corinthians 5:6:8).

My suggestion, in that spirit of freedom, is to adapt the preparation to a comfortable degree. For some, this may mean all of the above cleaning. For others, it may mean a cursory cleaning to merely symbolize the truth of the Passover. Let everyone be convinced in his or her own mind (Romans 14).

After the general cleaning in the first weeks of Nisan, the attention becomes more focused as the day of Pesach approaches. After sundown on the fourteenth of Nisan, a special ceremony called bedikat khameytz (the search for the leaven) takes place in the home. The last little bits of leaven are found and removed. The details are intriguing. Since the house has previously been cleaned, the leader of the house must purposely hide some leaven (bits of cookie or bread) in various places. Then the leader takes a feather, a wooden spoon and a lighted candle, and the family begins searching for the final leaven. This can be a great time to get children or grandchildren involved because it’s a game like hide-and-seek.

The spiritual lessons are quite striking, however. The leaven (sin) must be cleansed from our dwellings (and hearts). The method itself is informative. The light of the candle (the Word of God) illuminates our sin, “I have hidden Your Word in my heart that I might not sin against You” (Psalm 119:11). The leaven is scooped onto the wooden spoon for removal (like the wooden cross of the Messiah). The following morning, this last bit of collected leaven is burnt outside the home (in a can or bag) to symbolize its final destruction. This symbolizes Messiah’s destroying sin outside the camp (Hebrews 13:12-13), and making freedom from the power of sin available for all who believe.

On the day of the fourteenth of Nisan, as the first day of Passover approaches, final preparations for the Seder must be made. By now, the preliminary arrangements, such as shopping for “Kosher for Passover” products (Matzah, wine or grape juice, and any other unleavened food substitutes) should be completed. These customs may seem strange to the uninitiated, but the deep spiritual truth will be evident to discerning believers in Yeshua. Even something as unusual as the search for the leaven can become a meaningful ceremony for those whose hearts have been cleansed by the Messiah.⁴³⁴

Pesach (Passover)
Leviticus 23: 5-8

Pesach DIG: Why is Pesach celebrated on the fifteenth and not the fourteenth? What is the Messianic significance of Pesach? How does the Jewish observance differ from the biblical practice today? What are some practical things believers can do to prepare for it?

REFLECT: Do you have a Messianic congregation near you? Do you think you could find it on the internet/YouTube? Why would a Gentile want to celebrate Pesach? Why do you think other Gentiles do so? Have you ever attended a Passover Seder? Why? Why not?

The Feast of Passover is fulfilled by the death of Messiah.

The Biblical Practice: In the first month of Nisan, on the fourteenth day of the month comes Pesach for ADONAI (Leviticus 13:5). It is considered a Shabbat. This is the dating system that was in use during much of the biblical period, especially in the information of official records and laws. The operative unit of time was the lunar month (Hebrew: chodesh), not the week; and the months of the year were designated by ordinal numbers: the first month . . . the seventh month, and so forth. The counting began in the spring of the year. There is both biblical and extra biblical evidence that other calendrical systems were also in use during the biblical period, but Leviticus 23 does not refer to them.⁴²²

The entire community of Isra’el will slaughter the Passover lamb at twilight, between sundown and complete darkness, approximately one and one-third hours of duration (Exodus 12:1-6). There were two key elements. The first was the killing of the lamb. From the tenth to the fourteenth, the lamb was to be examined to make sure it was without spot or blemish (see the commentary on The Life of Christ, to see link click Ix – The Examination of the Lamb). The lamb would be slaughtered at twilight on the fourteenth, making sure no bones were broken (Exodus 12:46). The second element was the eating of the lamb (Exodus 12:8) with unleavened bread and bitter herbs. As the sun went down, the fourteenth of Nisan turned into the fifteenth of Nisan, and so the Passover meal was actually celebrated and eaten on the fifteenth of Nisan (see a video presentation of Pesach by clicking here).

Pesach, Hag ha’Matzot, and Resheet came rapidly, three days in a row; Friday, Saturday (Shabbat), and Sunday. All three point to Yeshua Messiah. Pesach points to the death of the Lamb of God; Hag ha’Matzot points to the sinlessness of His sacrifice, and Resheet points Messiah as being the firstfruits of those who would be raised from the dead. The Feast of the Passover would last one day, and it was followed immediately by the Feast of Unleavened Bread. By B’rit Chadashah times, Pesach and the first day of Hag ha’Matzot had become the same in accordance with the Pharisaic view.⁴²³ On the fifteenth day of the same month is the festival of matzot (another name for Pesach). For seven days you are to eat matzah (Lev 23:6).

Here is what the seven-day festival every Nisan looks like:

Pesach (or the Festival of Matzot)           Day 1 Shabbat

Hag ha’Matzot (Unleavened Bread)      Day 2 Shabbat

Resheet (First Fruits)                                       Day 3 Shabbat

                                                                                       Day 4

                                                                                       Day 5

                                                                                       Day 6

                                                                                       Day 7 Shabbat

On the first day of Pesach, you are to have a holy convocation; don’t do any kind of ordinary work. Bring an offering made by fire (on the bronze altar) to ADONAI for seven days. The additional sacrifices are described in Numbers 28:17-25 (see the commentary on Numbers Fg – The Hag ha’Matzot Offering). On the seventh day is a holy convocation; do not do any kind of ordinary work (Leviticus 23:7-8). On the first and seventh day of the festival, work was forbidden. The community celebrated together. On the intervening days, however, ordinary work could be carried on, if necessary, but the celebration continued. Today in Isra’el, Passover is the seven-day holiday sometimes called Hag ha’Matzot, or the Festival of Matzot, with the first and last days celebrated as legal holidays and as holy days involving holiday meals, special prayer services, and abstention from work. Nothing that contains yeast is eaten during that seven-day period.

The Jewish Observance: Pesach (PAY-sahk) means to pass over. The Passover meal, Seder (SAY-der), commemorates the Israelites’ deliverance from slavery in Egypt. There are two key elements. The first key element is unleavened bread. The Torah says the people should remove any leavened products from their households (Exodus 12:15). This was to remind them that they had to flee Egypt so quickly that the bread in their ovens did not have time to rise. Leaven is a symbol of sin so God would not permit the symbol of sin to be in the Jewish home. Not only that, according to Jewish law, a Jew may not even own leaven during the Passover season. It also had to be striped and pierced. A particularly intriguing element unwittingly added by the rabbis is called the afikomen (a Greek word meaning that which comes last) ceremony. Three matzahs are placed in a special Passover bag known as the matzah tash that is only one bag, but contains three pouches. A piece of unleavened bread is placed in each pouch. Before the Seder, the middle matzah is broken in two and the larger half is wrapped in a white linen cloth and hidden away to be used later for the afikomen or the desert. The smaller half is used for the special benediction over the matzah just before the Passover starts. After the story has been told and the Passover ceremony is over, and in conjunction with the third and fourth cups of wine, the children try to find it and then it is removed from its hiding place, unwrapped, broken into small pieces the size of an olive, and distributed for all to eat. Before 70 AD the rabbis taught that after the story has been told the Passover lamb was supposed to be the last thing eaten. But after 70 AD there were no longer any “Temple approved” lambs, so the afikomen became the symbolic reminder of the Passover lamb and for this reason, it must be the last thing eaten. The rabbis later added numerous other elements, including green vegetables, a roasted egg, and kharoset (apple/nut mix).

The second key element is the wine. Each person will drink four cups of wine. First, the cup of blessing; second, the cup of plagues; third, the cup of redemption; and fourth the cup of praise with which the family sings Psalm 113-118. Later in history, the rabbis added a fifth cup called the cup of Elijah (Malachi 4:5).⁴²⁴

The passage also indicates that on the first and seventh day of the festival are to be observed as holy convocations. In the original context the holy convocation is a reference to the Temple service prescribed for the festival day. Today, the Jewish observance, the holy convocation, has come to mean the assembling together for prayer, worship, and the public reading of scripture, in other words, a congregational assembly. In addition to the prescribed Torah reading, it is traditional to read the Song of Solomon on the day of Unleavened Bread. Believers might also read the passion narratives and reflect on them.

In Chassidic communities, it has become a tradition to host a “Messianic Banquet” on the seventh day of the Festival of Matzvot. The Messianic Banquet is celebrated in anticipation of Messiah’s coming (ironic). Relevant verses from the prophets are studied as Chassidim rehearse the banquet that will inaugurate the reign of the Messianic King. In some renditions, four cups are consumed on the first night of Passover.⁴²⁵

The Messianic Significance: This feast was fulfilled by the death of Messiah. Isaiah 52:13-53:12 pictures the Messiah coming as a lamb to the slaughter (see the commentary on Isaiah Iy – The Death of the Suffering Servant). The New Covenant passages also clearly connect Messiah with the Passover Lamb (John 1:29, 35-36; First Peter 1:18-19 and Revelation 5:12). Not only is Yeshua identified with the lamb itself, Paul identifies Him with the whole Passover Feast: For our Pesach lamb, the Messiah, has been sacrificed (First Corinthians 5:7). Thus, we have here an explicit confirmation that the Passover not only points specifically to Yeshua the Messiah, but that it also finds its most complete significance in His sacrificial death. Because Yeshua is the ultimate Passover Lamb, by believing in Him we participate and benefit from all the doctrines which are characteristic of the historical exodus from Egypt. In other words, the Brit Chadsahah confirms that Messiah redeemed us, set us free to serve YHVH, and saved and delivered us from sin.

Finally, what good does all of the head knowledge do us? The Torah bids us to participate in the Passover Seder every year. It is in the participation of Pesach that we are reminded – and renewed – every year of the precious redemptive truths of Messiah as well as the powerful acts God has accomplished for us in history.⁴²⁶

The afikomen ceremony also points to Messiah. One bag with three compartments portrays one God who exists in three Persons. In this ceremony the middle matzah is removed, a picture of the incarnation when the Second Person of the Trinity became man in the person of Yeshua. It is broken in two that pictures His death When Yeshua came to this part in the ceremony, he said: This is My body broken for you (see the commentary on The Life of Christ Kj – Breaking of the Middle Matzah). It is then wrapped in white linen. The Gospels make it quite clear that when the body of Messiah was removed from the cross, He was wrapped in linen cloth. It is then hidden for a time, a picture of His burial. Then it is removed from its hiding place and unwrapped, a picture of the resurrection. Pieces are broken off and distributed to the members around the table, a picture of John 6 where Yeshua said we must all partake of His body. In that same chapter Yeshua clearly interprets the “eating” of His body as believing that He is the Messiah.

Furthermore, in the Jewish observance there are four cups of wine. Luke does not mention all four cups but does mention two. The first cup is in Luke 22:17-18, the cup of thanksgiving over which the Passover observance begins. The third cup is mentioned in Luke 22:20 (see the commentary on The Life of Christ Kk – The Third Cup of Redemption). For Jews it symbolizes the physical redemption brought about by the blood of the Passover lamb in the Egyptian Passover (see the commentary on Exodus Bv – The Egyptian Passover). Now it symbolizes our spiritual redemption from the tyranny of sin. Yeshua clearly identified Himself in terms of the Jewish observance of the Passover.⁴²⁷

Therefore, the Passover is fulfilled by the death of Messiah.

A Practical Guide for Believers in Messiah: On the fourteenth of Nisan, final preparations for the Passover Seder must be made. A traditional Seder plate and ceremonial items will also be needed. The zeroah is a lamb shankbone representing the lamb sacrifice. If no lamb shankbone is available, a turkey or chicken bone that has been roasted by fire may be substituted. The baytzah is a roasted, hard-boiled egg representing the burnt offerings of the Temple period (see Ai – The Burnt Offering). The maror (bitter herbs) is usually horseradish, which is a reminder of the bitterness of slavery to sin. The kharoset (the sweet apple/nut mix) is a wonderful reminder of the sweetness of our redemption, and the karpas (parsley), a green vegetable, speaks of life. A kiddush cup (goblet) for each person plus the cup of Elijah with its own place setting is also needed to prepare the Seder table. A matzah tash (afikomen bag) and a ceremonial washing bowl of water are also essential items.

Each reading participant will need a haggadah (Hebrew: the telling) for the Seder, which is a Jewish instructional guide that sets the order and commemorates the Israelites’ Exodus from Egypt. If the leader feels comfortable, it is possible to use a traditional haggadah available through any Jewish bookstore. Many believers, however, prefer to use a Messianic Jewish haggadah. These contain most of the traditional reading, but are also accompanied by relevant New Covenant passages and explanations. One recourse I recommend to Messianic believers is The Messianic Passover Haggadah by Lederer Messianic Ministries. It is a quality Messianic haggadah. Lederer also has a very helpful preparation guide for the Seder.

Pesach officially begins after the sun sets on the fourteenth of Nisan and the fifteenth of Nisan begins. In Judaism, the night precedes the day. Since most of the Jewish communities outside Isra’el celebrate the first two nights of Passover with a traditional Seder, many Messianic believers have different types of Seders each night. Many Messianic congregations have a large community Seder the first night of Pesach for their members and to reach out to those who need to hear the message of redemption. The second night is usually spent at a smaller, home Seder with family and close friends. But whatever your options, I encourage you to make plans to celebrate this wonderful festival.

The Seder is the focal point of the celebration of Passover, yet it is a seven-day holy day. The Torah says we are to remove the leaven from our homes and eat matzah during this time. For some, this might be the ultimate inconvenience. What? No bagels for seven days? Yet, when spiritually appraised, even something like eating matzah crackers for a week can be an uplifting experience.

Remember the symbolism. It is not just spring house cleaning; it is to remind us of our need for spiritual cleansing and repentance. Hence, every time we eat a matzah sandwich during Pesach, we are reminded of the meaning of the holy day. Every time we long for a leavened cookie we are reminded of this great spiritual truth!

It is my prayer that Pesach will become a source of joyful celebration as believers experience Messiah our Passover in an intimate and practical way. Therefore, celebrate the feast not with old hametz (leaven), the hametz of malice and wickedness, but with unleavened bread – the matzah of sincerity and truth (First Corinthians 5:8).⁴²⁸

Dear Heavenly Father, Thank You for not only loving and rescuing those who love You from sin’s penalty, but You also bringing us into Your Kingdom (Colossians 1:13) and living within us now! The Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it does not behold Him or know Him. You know Him, because He abides with you and will be in you . . . Yeshua answered and said to him: If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word. My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our dwelling with him (John 14:17, 23).

Praise You for Your great love that knew how shameful and painful the cross would be, yet You went ahead and suffered because of the joy set before You (Hebrews 12:2). I desire to follow Messiah’s example by scorning the trials and suffering that I have on this earth, and look ahead to the joy of worshiping You for all eternity! For I consider the sufferings of this present time not worthy to be compared with the coming glory to be revealed to us. (Romans 8:18). In the Name of the One who sits at Your right hand. Amen

Shabbat
23: 1-4

Shabbat DIG: How is Shabbat like a date with God? How does the biblical calendar remind us of the agricultural year, particularly in the celebration of the harvest? How does Shabbat speak about creation and redemption? What is the link between Genesis 2:1-3 and Hebrews Chapter 4:10? How does Shabbat give us a future taste of the future world to come?

REFLECT: Do you have a Messianic congregation near you? Do you know how to access a Messianic congregation on the internet? As a Gentile, grafted into the Olive tree (Isra’el), do you choose to observe Shabbat? Why? Why not? Is there anything wrong with attending a Messianic congregation of Shabbat on Saturday and then going to church on Sunday?

Even though Gentiles are not bound to observe the sacred times (Colossians 2:16; Romans 14; Galatians 4:8-17), their freedom in Messiah allows them to do so if they choose to.

The biblical calendar (23:1-2): God said to Moshe, “Speak to the Israelites and say to them, ‘These are My appointed festivals, the appointed festivals of the LORD, which you are to proclaim as sacred festivals’ (23:1-2).” The religious calendar coincided with the agricultural year, particularly in the celebration of the harvest. The feasts of Pesach (Passover) and Hag ha’Matzah (Unleavened Bread) were celebrated at the time of the barley harvest in the late spring, while Shavu’ot (Weeks) was celebrated fifty days later in late spring/early summer during the time of the wheat harvest The fall festivals of Rosh ha’Shanah (Trumpets), Yom Kippur (Day of Atonement), and Sukkot (Booths) during the seventh month (September/October) were celebrated in conjunction with the harvest of grapes, figs, and olives.⁴¹⁸

Shabbat (23:3-4): The first of the festivals (mo’adim, meaning a time and place to meet) listed in Chapter 23 of Leviticus is Shabbat. The first listed is also the most important. It is a day of cessation from all regular work. It is like a date with God. Our relationship with the Lord is like a bride and groom, and is reflected in Shabbat and these feasts. The pattern for this day was set by the Holy One when He created everything (see the commentary on Genesis, to see link click Aq – By the Seventh Day God Had Finished His Work). We are told that when ADONAI completed all the work which He intended to do in the creation: God blessed the seventh day and separated it as holy; because on that day God rested from all His work which He had created, so that it itself could produce (Genesis 2:3). Thus, the pattern for rest and completion on the seventh day was set from the very beginning of creation.

Dear Heavenly Father, Praise You for being so wonderful! You are such an Awesome Father to Praise! We owe so very much to You: Your gift of eternal life (Romans 5:17), Your great grace and mercy (Ephesians 2:8-9), Messiah’s willingness to take our shame and pain on the cross (Hebrews 12:2), Your steadfast love forgiving me for my sins and placing them as far as the East is from the West (Psalms 103:10-11). Through Yeshua then, let us continually offer up to God a sacrifice of praise – the fruit of lips giving thanks to His name (Hebrews 13:15). It is a joy to praise You always – when I fall asleep, when I wake in the morning and even in the middle of the night if I wake up. Praising You is such a comfort for it puts the focus of life, not on the problems and trials of life; but on You, our Almighty, Loving and Holy, Heavenly Father. In the name of Yeshua and by the power of His resurrection. Amen

The Torah enjoins Isra’el to do as YHVH did and abstain from all their creative work. The Torah also stresses the importance of Shabbat in other ways. First, there are an abundance of passages – at least forgotten different ones – that teach about the Shabbat. Second, there is at least one Shabbat included in each mo’adim of Chapter 23. Third, by establishing a Shabbat year (see El – The Sabbath Year) and a Shabbat year after seven-sevens of years (see Em – The Year of Jubilee), we can understand that there must be something very awe inspiring about our celebration or acknowledgment of this seventh-day rest.⁴¹⁹

There are six days when you may work, but the seventh day is a day of Sabbath rest, a day of sacred assembly. You are not to do any work; wherever you live, it is a Sabbath to the LORD. These are ADONAI’s appointed times (see Dw – God’s Appointed Times), the sacred assemblies you are to proclaim at their appointed times (23:3-4 NIV). The seventh-day Shabbat stands at the front of this list of festivals. This is an indication of its importance. Moreover, to further emphasize the teaching of Shabbat-rest, each of these special days contains at least one Shabbat, or day of rest. The first and last days of Hag ha’Matzvot (including Pesach and Resheet) and Sukkot both start and finish with a Shabbat. And Shavu’ot, Rosh Ha’Shanah, and Yom Kippur are each a Shabbat in themselves. We get the impression that Shabbat may be, indeed, the most important of the festivals.

Shabbat in this context is referred to as shabbat shabbaton, the Shabbat of Shabbats, or the most restful cessation. Thus, according to traditional Jewish thinking – based upon the Torah statements regarding Shabbat, the weekly Shabbat reminds us of two things: creation and redemption. Accordingly, each of the feasts teach us something about being a creation of God and about being a redeemed person. It seems, therefore, that Shabbat is intimately connected with the themes of each festival. A special day called Shabbat is there to further emphasize on a weekly basis the themes of creation and redemption of which each feast speaks. But just how does Shabbat speak about them?

First, Shabbat reminds us of creation, in that, it is entirely independent of the month and unrelated to the moon. Its date is not determined by any event in nature, such as a new moon, but by the act of creation itself. Thus, the essence of the Shabbat is completely detached from the world of space. By reminding us of the physical creation Shabbat reminds us that we were all created to be completely dependent upon the Creator for everything. Life was meant to be one of eternal rest in Him and His provision for all of our physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual needs.

But sometime after the creation, the Fall occurred (see the commentary Genesis Ay – The Fall of Man). Mankind, in his sinful state, continually attempts to assert his desire for independence from his Creator. This has left all of us in a state of spiritual slavery where sin has so bound us that we cannot on our own break away from our desire to live life independent of our Creator.

However, because of His grace, love, and mercy toward His creation, the Creator set out to set us free from that spiritual bondage, whose ultimate end is death. For the wages of your [sin nature] is death (6:23a). This is called redemption – releasing us from the slavery of sin. The result is that when anyone accepts God and receives His redemption accomplished by the atoning sacrifice of Messiah, that person is made into a new creation. Moreover, the chains of sin are broken forever and sinful mankind is changed into a spiritual being whose innermost desire is to a life that is completely dependent upon the Creator (see the commentary on Romans Bu – The New Freedom in Messiah).

YHVH provided a wonderful gift to His people. Once a week, He has created a day serving as a reminder to believers that they are made to depend on God. Hence, we are to cease from our labors. Just as Ha’Shem ceased from making His physical creation because there was simply nothing else to be done, so we are to practice once a week to cease from striving and all daily laboring because there is nothing else which can possibly be done to us – we are complete in Messiah! Therefore, if anyone is united with the Messiah, he is a new creation – the old has passed; look, what has come is fresh and new (Second Corinthians 5:17)!

Second, Shabbat also reminds believers of redemption. When Messiah saved us from our sins and atoned for them, ADONAI also redeemed us from slavery to our sin. He made us free to live for Him and free to rest in Messiah’s finished work. Thus, once a week, God provided a reminder of what it means to rest in Him and live as a redeemed person. Moreover, each of the other festivals also contain at least one day of rest. The picture here is that each of the festivals teach us something about what it means to rest in Him and walk as a redeemed person.

In these ways, Shabbat displays its preeminence among the festivals, and the rest on each of the festivals should be considered just as important as the weekly Shabbat and the Shabbats of the other festivals all picture some aspects of what it means to be a new creation and a redeemed person in Messiah.⁴²⁰

The Good News: There is a vital connection to the importance that ADONAI puts on the Sabbath and the revelation of Messiah in it. To see this clearly, we will examine Hebrews Chapter 4. In this amazing chapter, the writer makes a link between the establishment of a seventh day Shabbat by YHVH in Genesis and entering into the eternal spiritual rest we have through faith in the Messiah. The link is the concept or rest.

In Genesis 2:1-3, God did not stop all activities. He, of course, continued to sustain the universe which He had just finished creating. But His rest consisted of a cessation of all His creative work. The creation was finished and accomplished. There was simply nothing else necessary to do other than sustaining the work that He had just completed. Therefore, YHVH rested – not because He was physically tired – but simply because He was finished.

Hebrews Chapter 4 tells us that belief in Yeshua is exactly the same way. The six days of labor in one’s life are the time before he believes in Messiah. It is a time where he seeks to earn God’s approval. It is a time when he strives to do, to perform, to labor and struggle in order to attempt to gain approval of his Creator.

In contrast, when a person trusts in the Messiah for his salvation, he “enters into a rest,” according to Hebrews 4:3a. This is the same kind of rest that YHVH entered into when He finished the creation as is stated in Hebrews 4:4, “And God rested on the seventh day from all His works.” Why is believing in Messiah likened to entering a Shabbat-rest? Continuing our study in Hebrews, we find the key in verse 4:10, “For the one who has entered His rest has Himself also rested from His works, as God did from His.”

What, then, enables a person to be accepted by God as righteous? It is not our efforts. It is simply resting in what Messiah did for us! Messiah did all the work for us. He paid the penalty for our sin. He accomplished the atonement. He secured our justification. He completely changed us from His enemy (James 4:4), to His child (John 1:12). He redeemed us from slavery. He reconciled us to God. He forgave us. He saved us! Even the very faith necessary for all of this to be true for us was a gift given to us from our loving heavenly Father, “For you have been delivered by grace through faith, and even this is not your accomplishment but God’s gift. You were not delivered by your own actions; therefore, no one should boast” (Ephesians 2:8-9). What more was necessary to make us new creations (see the commentary on Second Corinthians Bd – A New Creation). NOTHING! Except to merely, by faith, enter into the wonderful eternal Shabbat that ADONAI has waiting for all who believe in Messiah.

In essence, therefore, if we understand the message of Shabbat, especially as it is explained in Hebrews 4, we see that the message of Shabbat is the Good News! That is why the Torah deems Shabbat as being so important. If we do not understand the Shabbat, then we are deficient in our understanding of salvation. Hence, once a week God provides us with a visible practical way to remember our rest in Messiah – by setting aside the seventh as He did. Moreover, each of the other festivals (mo’adim) have at least one Shabbat associated with them. This is as if YHVH were saying that whatever else these appointed times may teach, it all begins by entering into God’s eternal rest through faith in the finished work of Messiah.

A taste of the future: Hebrews Chapter 4 also teaches us at least one more important concept about the Shabbat. It tells us that the present Shabbat is just a small test of the future eternal Shabbat we will enjoy because Messiah saved us by His grace (see the commentary on The Life of Christ Ms – The Eternal Security of the Believer). This idea is hinted at in Hebrews 4:9, where we read: There remains therefore a Sabbath rest for the people of God. The writer of Hebrews had already discussed the necessity of entering into God’s spiritual rest for our daily lives (Ps 95). In this verse, however, the writer of Hebrews seems to hint of a future rest. Both the TaNaKh and in rabbinical literature, the Sabbath is viewed as a type of the world to come.

Therefore, when we observe Shabbat in a physical way every week we not only act out the rest we presently have from being in Messiah but we also live out a little bit of what it will be like in the world to come when we will forever experience the perfect blessings of the rest Messiah gave to us through His redemption.⁴²¹

God’s Appointed Times
23: 1-44 

Counting the God’s appointed times and the Shabbat’s, the Israelites had a total of over eighty holy days a year, which was about 23 percent of the year dedicated to a time of fellowship with God. A foretaste of an eternity spent together with ADOANI.

A search for Jewish Roots: As Barney Kasdan writes in his book God’s Appointed Times, something unusual is stirring among believers in Yeshua in our day. Throughout Church history there has been a chasm of misunderstanding between the Church and the Jewish people. Both Christians and Jews have falsely concluded that there is little real or practical connection between Christianity and Jewish life. However, these views are based on either ignorance or false presuppositions.

As one objectively studies the B’rit Chadashah (New Testament), one finds there is no escaping the inherent Jewishness of faith in Messiah. Yeshua Himself was a traditional Jew living in the land of Isra’el. He called other Jews to follow Him as the Messiah, the anointed one from God. His early followers considered themselves to be Jews who had found the promised Messiah; hence, they naturally continued the Jewish expression of faith. It is a tragedy that the Christian community has not understood, for the most part, the rich heritage on which its faith is built. Many believers, however, rediscovering these connections, are wondering just how they can understand the Jewishness of their faith in a practical way. These feasts were revealed by YHVH for His own particular reasons, and through them all believers can be blessed, both Jews and Gentiles.

The purpose of God’s appointed times: The Feasts of ADONAI, or the biblical holy days, teach us about the nature of God and His plan for mankind. A classic passage in regard to God’s appointed times (23:4) is found in the New Testament. So don’t let anyone pass judgment on you in connection with eating and drinking, or in regard to a Jewish festival or Rosh-Chodesh (head of the month) or Shabbat. These are a shadow of things that are coming, but the body is of the Messiah (Colossians 2:16-17). While this passage is often taken to mean avoid legalism, there is another truth stated. It is true that the festivals are not the ultimate goals of faith, yet they do hold tremendous lessons for God’s children. The festivals are not antiquated tangents to faith but, on the opposite side, they are in fact legitimate shadows or models of ADONAI’s truth. This is something that should be explored in a positive way, not shunned as legalism for each feast carries with it a message of salvation and rest in the Lord.

For example, the Shabbat has much to teach about our weekly lives. Passover is rich in the symbolism of the Messiah’s death, burial and resurrection. Rosh ha’Shanah and Yom Kippur are not obsolete, but continue to declare the reality of Yeshua’s return to this earth. In short, all of the Feasts of ADONAI were given to Isra’el and to grafted in believers to teach, in a practical way, more about God and His plan for the world. When analyzed with the right spirit, there are some exciting new truths waiting to be rediscovered through participation in the Jewish/biblical holy days!

The continuity of God’s appointed times: Some believers understand, at least in a theoretical way, that the feasts provide excellent teaching for believers. Yet, because of certain popular theological positions, these believers question the value of continuing the celebrations today. Their contention is that the appointed times of ADONAI are no longer relevant because Yeshua fulfilled all their symbolism in His earthly life and ministry (to see link click Dv – Holiness of the Seven Feasts). While there is a fulfillment to the festivals, there is also a continuation of the practical expression of these feasts.

Yeshua Himself observed the various feasts during His early life. The Gospel writers tell us that His custom was to worship on the Shabbat (Luke 4:16). It was during Sukkot (Tabernacles) that Yeshua offered living water to the Jewish multitude (see the commentary on The Life of Christ Gp – On the Last and Greatest Day of the Feast). One of His most powerful sermons, in which He proclaimed His Messiahship, took place in the Temple at Hanukkah (see The Life of Christ Hj – Then came Hanukkah at Jerusalem and it was Winter). The earthly life and ministry of Messiah show the continuity of the biblical holy days. This continuity didn’t suddenly stop with the apostolic generation that followed. Although there are several statements in the B’rit Chadashah (New Testament) that cause us to think carefully about the proper balance concerning God’s appointed times, there is clear indication that the early followers of Yeshua continued these practices.

It was at Shavu’ot (Pentecost) that the first believers gathered for worship to proclaim the risen Messiah (Acts 2). In his discussion about the spiritual significance of Pesach (Passover), Paul exhorts the Corinthian believers (a mixed group of Jews and Gentiles) to celebrate the Seder (First Corinthians 5:8) with right understanding. There is abundant evidence that the disciples understood and continued to celebrate the wonderful truth of God through the holy days explained in the Scriptures. This is an example for believers today. Much can be gained by continuing to observe the feasts in the present generation.

The freedom of God’s appointed times: A final note needs to be made as we consider the celebration of the biblical feasts by believers. Hopefully you are excited about the positive reasons to understand and incorporate God’s appointed times into your life. Of utmost importance is the emphasis upon our freedom in the Messiah. These days, as with any other biblical custom, are not meant to lead us into legalistic bondage. Messiah Yeshua is our total sufficiency when it comes to our spiritual standing before YHVH (Galatians 5:1).

Yet, there are some compelling reasons to celebrate the feasts. I hope you will discover, as many believers have, that a balanced celebration of the holy days is a wonderful blessing. The biblical festivals teach much about who God is and His exciting plan for life. It is my prayer that this positive blessing will be yours as you better understand and celebrate the appointed times of ADONAI.⁴¹⁷

Whenever we see the number seven in the Scriptures, it is the number of completion (see the commentary on Revelation Ag – The Importance of the Number Seven in the book of Revelation). So here, we have a complete picture of God’s appointed times. The seven appointed festivals all follow a basic structure. First, there is the Biblical Practice, second we look at the Jewish Observance, next we study the Messianic Significance, and lastly, we will offer a practical guide for believers in Yeshua to celebrate the festivals today.

Holiness of the Seven Feasts
23:1 to 25:55

Celebrate the feasts of the LORD. This is a real big issue in the Bible, but it is even a bigger issue in Christianity. The issue is big in the Church, not because what is written in the New Testament, but because what has happened in the Catholic church between the 4th and the 6th century A.D. or Anno Domini, “In the year of our Lord” (or the way that it is called universally, C.E. – or Christian Era, to ease the minds of non-Christians who might object to this implicit acknowledgement of Yeshua as Lord) During that time, and even starting a little earlier, the paganized Christian churches were alienating themselves from Isra’el, and even from the Jewish disciples of Yeshua. They were alienating from Isra’el for clear political internal Roman issues. It is all well documented, and there is no question about it. (If you are interested to see some of the most striking documents of this systematic anti-Jewish, anti-Torah and anti-Old Testament campaign that the Catholic church set in motion, please read John Chrysostom, Against the Jews. Homily 3). Another good book to read on this subject is The Anguish of the Jews: Twenty-Three Centuries of Antisemitism.

Messiah and the apostles kept all the biblical feasts of ADONAI, and this is clear from the B’rit Chadashah itself. In fact, Paul commands the church in Corinth to keep the Passover under the inspiration of the Ruach Ha’Kodesh, “For indeed Christ, our Passover, was sacrificed for us. Therefore, let us keep the feast, not with old leaven, nor with the leaven of malice and wickedness, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth” (First Corinthians 5:7-8).

The seven festivals (the mo’adim) of Leviticus are the only place in the Bible where we find any commandment concerning worship. Each festival bearing with it a specified time for a holy assembly of the redeemed community to worship the Lord. What is even more peculiar is the fact that even in the B’rit Chadashah, there are no commanded times of worship. To be sure, believers are taught to worship, but there are no specified days on which to do it, except, perhaps for the observance of the Lord’s Supper.

Does this mean that if a believer in Yeshua is not born physically Jewish, he or she has no commanded worship times? Did God forget about this kind of a person? Are specified times of worship important? Of course they are! Romans Chapter 11 and Leviticus Chapter 23 provide us with the answer (see the commentary on Romans, to see link click Cz – The Illustration of Isra’el’s Future). It teaches that Gentile believers are grafted into the olive tree which, in context, is Isra’el. This means, among other things, that Gentile believers are part of the commonwealth of Isra’el.

But what does that look like? What is the evidence of this if Gentiles don’t do any of the things which characterize Isra’el? One point of identification is Leviticus 23 and the mo’adim cycle, which is like a dance circle. You can join in at any point, it does not matter where. Eventually as the circle goes around and around, you will always come to the places where you missed when you joined. If someone joins in at Sukkot, eventually they will come to Pesach. So come join the circle, or should I say, come join the cycle. If the Church were to celebrate these mo’adim it would accomplish two things. First, it would provide Gentile believers in Yeshua regular times of worship and praise in a systematic and logical order. Second, it would afford Gentile believers in Messiah a point of contact or identification with the nation into whom they are grafted.⁴¹⁶

Unfortunately, today, the Messianic community is treated like it doesn’t exist. When the leaders of the first Messianic Community met (see the commentary on Acts Bs – The Council at Jerusalem), the main issue was, “Can these Gentiles really be believers?” And they responded positively to that question (see Acts Bt – The Council’s Letter to the Gentile Believers). Yet, today, that question seems to have been reversed by the majority of Christian churches and denominations, who ask “Can these Messianics really be believers?” Far too often, the response to where a Jew should go if saved, the answer is “Find a good bible believing church!” Very few churches follow Paul’s command to keep the Passover feast, and fewer still systematically teach through books of the TaNaKh. If you are sitting under a pastor who teaches through books of the TaNaKh you are fortunate indeed! Fewer still (if any) follow the other feasts of the Jewish biblical calendar. This is why my wife and I attend a Messianic congregation. Implicit in Paul’s admonition to keep the Passover feast, is the idea of celebrating them all. Please contact me if you are a member of a church that celebrates all seven of the biblical feasts.

Finally, the seven biblical feasts all point to the ministry of Messiah. If we claim to be “people of the Book,” then we should be interested in learning about Yeshua: (1) The festival of Pesach (the Passover) points to the death of Messiah, (2) the festival of Hag ha’Matzah (Unleavened Bread) points to the sinlessness of His sacrifice, (3) the festival of Rasheet (First Fruits) points to His resurrection, (4) the festival of Shavu’ot (Pentecost) points to the birth of the Church, (5) the festival of Rosh ha’Shannah (Trumpets) points to the Rapture, (6) the festival of Yom Kippur (the Day of Atonement) points to the Great Tribulation, and (7) the festival of Sukkot (Tabernacles) points to the Messianic Kingdom.