MESSIANIC DESTINY

PASSOVER
LIFE begins at the Cross

Pesach (Pay-sahk) means to "Pass Over".



14 Nisan/Aviv (March or April - at evening the day before). It is the Biblical New Year.








As you read these scriptures about keeping the feasts, remember that it is God who commands our observation of them simply because these are blessings that you will miss out on by ignoring them.


It is available for BOTH the Jew and Gentile:

Jesus kept the Passover:





Christians should keep the Passover...with a renewed mind:



PASSOVER commemorates when God delivered the nation of Israel from their bondage and slavery in Egypt.

God used 10 plagues which systematically defeated the idols (gods) which the Egyptians trusted in. The Tenth plague was the death of first born of all those in Egypt who did not trust in God or obey His instruction to place the blood of a perfect Lamb (Exodus 12:5) over the doorway to their home. It was this final plague that broke the pride of Pharaoh who had continued to harden his heart against God and would not let the God's people go to their land.

From Michael Rood: The original Passover was the night of the tenth plague when the Israelites were enslaved in Egypt. All the firstborn in every household that were not “set apart” by the blood of a lamb on the doorpost of their homes died (Exodus 12). An annual commemoration of being “passed over” was instituted by the Almighty: Exodus 12:24-27

Still to this day, the classic 1956 Movie: "The Ten Commandments" is a good dramatization of what happened. We often like to watch it during the Passover/Unleavened Bread celebration.

It is interesting to note that during the second half of the movie, you see Moses (Charlton Heston) singing part of the prayers used in the Jewish Passover today. He also answers two questions asked by his son which is also part of the Passover because we are instructed to teach our children, not only the observance of Passover, but more importantly, the meaning (Exodus 12:26).

Indeed, Passover is prophetic...



God is the same yesterday as He is today (Hebrews 13:8), and if we allow Him, His Word of FREEDOM only grows deeper in our understanding as time moves forward.

Moses (Deliverer) is a type of Messiah whom God used to deliver the children of Israel from Egypt to the land God had promised to the descendants of Abraham (Genesis 15:18).
The parallel that is not to be over-looked is:

OLD TESTAMENT:
The Tenth Plague took the life of the great earthly ruler's only son and heir.
It broke the High pride of man. Only those who CHOSE to obey God's instruction to place the blood of a perfect Lamb (Exodus 12:5) over the doorway to their home were delivered from death and their lives of slavery. God then brought them to the place He had promised them, a land flowing with abundance.

NEW TESTAMENT:
God, through the sacrifice (Psalm 22, Isaiah 53) of His only son (perfect lamb - John 1:29)
redeemed us all from the bondage of our flesh
so that we could inherit Eternal Life (John 3:16),
IF we Choose (Acts 16:30-31) to Accept His resurrected son
through the doorway of our heart
to be our one True ruler and Prince of Peace.

John 10:10
"The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy.

I have come that they may have life,
and that they may have it more abundantly."

Interesting Facts (You don't want to miss)
Joeseph and Mary (the Parents of Jesus) kept the Passover yearly and we have an interesting record of how Jesus was with them at age 12 (Luke 2:41-50) Jesus sang a hymn during Passover which is called Hallel and includes Psalm 118:22 ... For Jesus this was a sad song because it was about him being rejected (Matthew 21:42, 1 Peter 2:7)

COMMUNION: Passover IS "The Lord's Supper"
The bread of the Lord's Supper is known as the Afikomen (meaning "I came" in Greek) which is the Matzah that is broken, hidden and found, bought for a price throughout the ceremony of the seder. Here are some scriptures that will help with its meaning that you will be able to appreciate much more when you experience the Passover: Luke 22:19, Jeremiah 29:13

Jesus instituted what is known as "Communion" during the 3rd cup (The cup of Redemption) of the Passover Seder. It's where He takes the Old covenant with Abraham to a much higher level (New Covenant Jeremiah 31:31, Matthew 26:28, Luke 22:20, 1 Corinthians 5:7, Ephesians 2:11-13). There is no separation between the Old Testament and the New Testament. The New is a continuation of the Old (Hebrews 13:8)!

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=== LINKS ===

The Meaning of Passover shows the Messianic significance through the meal of Passover that has been celebrated every year for centuries. -- view more

Christ in the Passover... shows the link between Passover and Christ as the Lamb of God -- view more

Article from Rabbi Yechiel Eckstein on Passover -- Passover Article (part1), (part2)

Passover Lessons... shows many interesting facts about Passover -- download pdf



If it seems too much for you, then we recommend to simply do Communion during the feast of Passover. But do your best to observe it at the right time (which you can find on either a Jewish or Messianic Calender). It would be best to find a Messianic Family or congregation the observes the Passover celebration.
Or if possible, find a Messianic friend who might allow you to experience this Feast with them. (Please be respectful to learn from them as you "elder brother/sister") Listen for what the Holy Spirit will tell you and enjoy His presence.

As you begin to seek the Lord deeper by observing this feast every year, the Holy Spirit will begin to not only reveal deeper knowledge of what He has done for you, but also, you will begin to feel His Love in a stronger way. Traditionaly, there are 4 cups in the Feast of Passover.

It was the 3rd cup that Jesus instructed us to remember Him by which we observe today as Communion. But did you know that Jesus did not drink the 4th cup? Do you know why?

...seek Him in the Feasts Jeremiah 29:13

The Passover Seder for Christians

The Mystery of the Passover Cup

Find more depth:
Hebrew For Christians

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Reminder:
The key to NOT getting trapped in a religious ritual,
is to seek the meaning of what God is showing us,
and how He wants us to understand and carry in our hearts His Kingdom (Matthew 6:33).

At the root of all the feasts and commandments, the purpose is always the same:

Never stop seeking Him
(because He is our LIFE Colossians 3:4   John 14:6)

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Chag haMatzot (Hag-ha-Mat-zot) means "Festival of Unleavened Bread".



15-21 Nisan/Aviv (March or April - at evening the day before).

{Example: Feast of Unleavened Bread Begins (when Messiah was buried) –
From Sundown April 5, 2015, until Sundown April 11, 2015 [click for current dates]}





John 6:24-63



Note: The feasts of Passover, Unleavened Bread and First Fruits are celebrated together because of their "back-to-back" timing and therefore are commonly referred to simply as Passover.

During the Exodus from Egypt, unleavened bread was made in a hurry, without yeast because there was no time to wait for the yeast to rise. In other words, the yeast would have prevented them from leaving their enslaved state of existence.


Commonly in scripture, "leaven" represents sin. Before Passover, it is tradition to search and cleanse the house from every trace of yeast (leaven) and all products that contain it. This is symbolic of removing any hypocracy, pride and anything that prevents us from coming to the Lord.

Just as waiting on the yeast would have prevented the Jews from escaping their slavery, Waiting on (giving greater priority to) sin, prevents you from moving through the doorway out of bondage from sin and into your freedom in the presence of God.

Another Important detail:
Unleavened Bread, Pentecost and Tabernacles are the Three "pilgrimage" feasts when all male Jews were required to go up to Jerusalem to "Appear Before the LORD" Deuteronomy 16:16



This is a good reminder to take the effort to eliminate sin in our lives. So, once a year we go through our house and physically eliminate any and all yeast.

It's one thing to get the idea in your mind. But if that's all it is to you than you will only reap the entertainment of an idea of the Truth. And you will NOT have gone through the exercise that will benefit you when real temptations come your way. Because real temptations are subtle and easy to fall prey to if you have not properly trained yourself to take action against it.

These feasts are awesome exercises to teach and train ourselves and our children. Not to mention the prophetic awareness you attain and maintain by actually doing these exercises called The Feasts of The Lord!

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Reminder:
The key to NOT getting trapped in a religious ritual,
is to seek the meaning of what God is showing us,
and how He wants us to understand and carry in our hearts His Kingdom (Matthew 6:33).

At the root of all the feasts and commandments, the purpose is always the same:

Never stop seeking Him
(because He is our LIFE Colossians 3:4   John 14:6)
As we seek Him from this feast we are revived through First Fruits and filled through Pentacost and on until Tabernacles. This is a story of our Complete Redemption and Salvation that we are right in the middle of! Do not miss the Joy of The Lord in the Feasts of the Lord!!!

This particular exercise helps us to get real about getting rid of the roadblocks that so easily prevent us from seeking God. (Hebrew 12:1-22)

Our main roadblock is complacency.

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Yom haBikkurim ("Rei-sheet") means "Offering of FIRST FRUITS".



16 Nisan/Aviv (SPRING:March or April - at evening the day before).



Leviticus 23:9-14     Joshua 5:10-12     Ester 3:12 - 5:7     Luke 24:44-47


From Michael Rood: "During the Feast of Unleavened Bread there is always a Sabbath (Saturday). The day after the Sabbath we are told to bring the “first fruits” of the harvest (the first ripe barley in the field) and raise it as a wave offering; this is the Feast of First Fruits."

Please read this excellent article from David Silver: The Messiah Has Been in Disguise


First fruits is a picture of the resurrection of Christ because it was fulfilled by Him when He rose from the dead on the third day (which was perfectly the Sabbath during Passover at that time). Physically, it was viewed as an agricultural holiday. Spiritually it has much greater significance: 1 Corinthians 15:20-23.
It echoes our Salvation Now when we accept Yahushua (Jesus) in our hearts as Lord, and it also points to our ultimate Sabbath with Him in the afterlife: John 5:28-29


One way to honor the Feast of First Fruits is by looking for an opportunity to give above and beyond your regular tithe to help the widow, the orphan, the stranger and the Levite (Deut. 26:12)

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Hag Shavuot means "Feast of 7 WEEKS".




6 Sivan   (SPRING:May or June - on the 50th day after the Sabbath of Passover).





From Michael Rood: "The fire! The thunder! The awesome voice of the Almighty himself delivering the 10 commandments… and that was just the first Shavuot! On this same day in history, the mighty rushing wind of the Holy Spirit was given to Yeshua’s disciples in Jerusalem. And today, we celebrate the anniversary of both as the inseparable bond between the Torah and the Spirit!"

This Feast of Shavuot is observed and celebrated 50 days after Passover. It is also known as Pentacost which means "50" in Greek. It is more traditionally counted during the 7 Sabbaths that fall within this period of feasting (waiting) and therefore is labeled the feast of weeks.

This Feast of The Lord commemorates the Giving of The Law when Moses came down from Mount Sinai with the Ten Commandments which were written on the Tablets of Stone. It is a time to present a new-grain offering (of the wheat harvest) to The Lord and give thanks to Him for His blessing that gives us Life. John 6:63

Some will also find a significance in comparing the 50 days of Pentacost with the 50 years of Jubilee. In addition, the feast of WEEKS may also parallel the prophetic 70 weeks found in the Book of Daniel. God has given us constant reminders of His Peace not only in the afterlife but within the history of Man and even within our life time on the Earth.

Shavuot (Sha-voo-Ote) is one of the 3 times during the years when all Jewish males were required to up to Jerusalem and "appear before the Lord" Deuteronomy 16:16


Excerpt From David Silver: "At Pentecost, we are told to bring a wave offering of two loaves that are baked with leaven (Lev. 23:17). These two loaves are a picture of Jew and Gentile, the One New Man! Leaven in the Bible often represents sin. But it can also illustrate the expansion of the kingdom of God. Jesus said, "To what shall I liken the kingdom of God? It is like leaven, which a woman took and hid in three measures of meal till it was all leavened" (Luke 13:20-21)."

As Gentile believers allow God's love to saturate them, they will evangelize the Jew. And as Jewish people allow God's love to saturate them, they will fulfill their original call — to evangelize the Gentiles.

We need each other. When Jew and Gentile join together as one in Messiah Jesus, there will be an explosion of God's Spirit engulfing the earth with the Glory of God. This One New Man, the true body of Messiah, will usher in the greatest awakening in history! (* click for reference of above 3 paragraphs)

In the 2nd chapter of the Book of Acts, the disciples of Jesus were NOT randomly gathered together to have a Bible study. They were SPECIFICALLY and ceremoniously gathered together to OBSERVE SHAVUOT as they would have done every year. But this time, it was 50 days after Jesus died as the ultimate Passover Lamb.

This Feast commemorates when YHWH delivered His Law to Moses on Mt Sinai...with wind and fire. Now, hundreds of years later, the disciples being purposely gathered on this particular Shavuot, YHWH delivers the Spirit of His Law...with a mighty rushing wind and tounges of fire. -- His Spirit -- the Holy Spirit (The Power of LIFE) given as Yahushua (Jesus) had promised in Acts 1:5. But it was not only for the Apostles, but also for ALL of us who receive Him in our hearts.

In Acts 2:32-33, the Apostle Peter recited the prophecy from Joel 2:28-32.
This initiated the new covenant between God and Israel which did not abolish the old covenant, but brought it to a deeper, higher and much broader level (Jeremiah 31:31; Hebrews 9:14-15).




Awesome worship song: Hands To The Heavens

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“It is the Spirit who gives life;
the flesh profits nothing.
The words that I speak to you are spirit,
and they are life. John 6:63

Yom Teruah (means day of making a loud noise)
Rosh Hashanah (means "Head of the Year").



1 Tishri   (FALL:September or October - The Jewish Civil New Year - Traditionally).


Leviticus 23:23-25


Attribution: From Michael Rood: "Yom Teruah is the first fall feast – it marks the start of the fall feast season. “Yom” means day, and “Teruah” means to make a loud noise, which is why Yom Teruah is also called the “Day of Trumpets” or even “Day of Shouting.”"


Attribution: From the August 27, 2013 eNews issue http://www.khouse.org
The shofar is often representative of Abraham’s offering Isaac to God as a sacrifice on Mount Moriah (Genesis 22). It was then that God provided Abraham with a ram caught by its horns in a thicket as a substitute for Isaac.

Rosh Hashanah is a time of both celebration and repentance. It is a time of spiritual renewal through prayer and deep personal reflection leading up to Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement, on the 10th day of Tishri (Leviticus 23:26-28). Rosh Hashanah is when the Jewish people recognize God as King and Judge over all living things. On Rosh Hashanah we celebrate the creation of the world, when “God saw every thing that he had made, and, behold, it was very good,” (Genesis 1:31).

The vast majority of Christians are unfamiliar with most of the traditional Jewish holidays, let alone the Biblically Commanded Feasts which hold great spiritual and prophetic significance. Sobering Questions:

Are you ready ? 
Are you preparing the way of the Lord by standing with Israel ? 
Are you daily praying for the peace  of Jerusalem ? (Psalm 122:6)   
Are you giving YHVH no rest until He makes Jerusalem a praise in all the Earth ? (Isaiah 62:6 & 7) 
Are you praying  for ALL of the Jews home to come home to Israel ? (Is 49:22) 
Are you provoking the Jewish people to jealousy ? (Rom 11:11)

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Excerpt from Jonathan Cahn:

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“It is the Spirit who gives life;
the flesh profits nothing.
The words that I speak to you are spirit,
and they are life. John 6:63

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REMINDER:
The key to NOT getting trapped in a religious ritual,
is to seek the meaning of what God is showing us,
and how He wants us to understand and carry in our hearts His Kingdom (Matthew 6:33).

At the root of all the feasts and commandments, the purpose is always the same:

Never stop seeking Him
(because He is our LIFE Colossians 3:4   John 14:6)

Yom Kippur means "Day of Atonement".




  10 Tishri
  (FALL: September or October - on the 50th day after the Sabbath of Passover).

From Chabad.org: Click here
Yom Kippur is the holiest day of the year—the day on which we are closest to G_d and to the quintessence of our own souls. It is the Day of Atonement—“For on this day He will forgive you, to purify you, that you be cleansed from all your sins before G_d” (Leviticus 16:30).

Atonement means reconciliation (restoration of relationship) between Man and God. It's important to understand that our Intimate Spiritual Relationship with God was lost in the Garden of Eden when both Adam and Eve CHOSE to eat from the fruit of the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil (Genesis 3).

We are all descendants of Adam and have inherited his "Adamic" nature that is separated from God. Thus we were all born with the nature of having to decide for ourselves what is good and what is evil, and thus have taken upon ourselves the responsibility for the consequences of how we will navigate our life... rather than following our Heavenly Father who gave us Life in the first place and has already planned a better destiny for each one of us.

Obviously, we are NOT God, nor do we have the ability to control or see the best direction for our lives. At best, we are wrecklessly taking our chances to just see what happens! Simply put, we choose our pride instead of accepting YHWH to be our GOD over our lives as well as everything else. Choosing our pride over God, separates us from God. But God IS LIFE. When we choose to separate from Life, we are choosing DEATH! That is the consequence of our choice of trying to be "like" God (Genesis 3:5). It as simple as that.

And in the end of our brief stay on earth, through our great pride, we may have even had surprising success in gaining Earthly wealth and comfort, but it would be at the greater cost of sacrificing what God had intended for us (Luke 9:24-25).

When we gain what the world offers, we forfeit a much higher and durable level of wealth which God would have lead us into in what we could have accomplished not only for ourselves, but also for others. That, indeed, is wealth which is valuable both on earth and in eternity (Matthew 6:19-21).

This is NOT to say that we should live our lives in poverty (3 John 1:2), but if our focus is on Earthly riches, we will miss the greater riches of Heaven (while we are still on Earth). It is shamefully sad that so easily and so quickly, we sell ourselves out for what is temporary, shallow and has no real lasting value.

So, one might ask, Why did God allow this to happen, knowing that we would turn from Him? The answer is Love... True love is a two way street. It can only be realized through a mutual relationship. The fact is, you can't force someone to love you and Love isn't Love unless you have the ability to choose or not choose to love someone in return.

So, the real question is: If God could provide away for you to turn back and love Him... Would you?

God is merciful, and still loves us even though we've turned from Him. It is NOT His desire to destroy you. That's the devil's desire. God did not make you, so that He could force you to worship "His big ego" or be destroyed if you don't... Again, that's the devil's desire.

God is Love (1 John 4:8). And He continually, constantly and always offers His Love to you. But He cannot (and will not) force you to accept it. Even if it breaks His heart, He gives us the freedom to choose to Love Him or not.

We all start out in life away from God. And as you look through time, in the Bible and in our lives, you will see that all God cares about is our hearts returning to Him.

The Good News is that God has provided a way for us to return to Him. But that provision cost Him something ... It cost Him much more than just withstanding the disrespect and rejection that we have given Him. Through His Love for us, He risked making himself vulnerable by becoming one of us to exchange His own Life and pay the price (Romans 5:8) and suffer the death that was due us.

Atonement is fulfilling the sentence (consequence, obligation or price required) that was assigned to the judgment of an offense. Our offense was rejecting Life for a our own temporary glory, which is selfish and stupid (... unless your pride is more important than eternal life).

It's been well said that: God is not standing against you because of your sin.
He is standing with you against your sin.
But how can He stand with us, if we keep running away from Him and, in fact, we don't want Him nor love Him? Again, He loves us. But He can't force us to love Him. Otherwise, our love would not be true.
The Bible reveals the greatest True Love story of all time,
...and you are in it.

So the question remains:
Will you return to Him?
Do you really want true Love
and a truly fulfilled Life
(both here and in eternity)
Or is your answer: "No thanks, I prefer my own pride" ?



Rosh HaShanna and Yom Kippur are observed together over a ten day period known as the "days of repentance." Yom Kippur also marks the final day of judgment when God judges the people. In addition, after Rosh HaShanna, the shofar is not blown again until the evening prayer service of Yom Kippur. As it is today, it was a time to fast and pray.

In the Old Testament, the high priest would sacrifice an animal (a pure and spotless Lamb) to pay (atone) for his sins and the sins of the people. Then they would release a goat (called the "scapegoat") into the wilderness (never to return) to symbolically carry away the sins of Israel. (Leviticus 16:8-10, 20-22, 29-34)


This day of atonement is also known as the day of Judgment. But it is really NOT intended for the purpose of judging and sentencing us to separation and punishment, but rather, to provide a means of restoration between a loving Heavenly Father and those whom He has made in His image (Genesis 1:26). We as humans are the only ones who have this opportunity. Fallen angels cannot be redeemed and animals don't have the ability to choose.

YHWH humbled Himself as a man Yahushua (Jesus) - to sacrifice His life for ours, taking on our judgment to atone (pay) for our sins and through His resurrection, he reconciled our unique relationship with God. Indeed, Jesus is the Way... (John 14:6).



The Temple emphatically illustrates:

• How our relationship with God was separated
• how it is His great desire for us to return to Him.

The temple is a dramatic symbol of how God Made us: spirit-soul and body.

1. The outer court represents our body.
2. Inside the Temple is the inner court (or Holy place) which represents our soul.
3. And the small room inside the Holy place is the Holy of Holies which represents our spirit.

The Holy of Holies is a room that has only one doorway covered by a large veil (a curtain made of expensive and durable materials) that separated the Holy place from the Holy of Holies. The veil represented the separation of our free relationship with the Almighty (G_d) that has existed since the fall of Adam...

Before Christ, The Holy of Holies is the place in the Temple where the Spirit of God would reside. It was only the high priest who could enter the Holy of Holies (once per year)through the veil. But now, we no longer need a high priest, or any other human or animal to atone for our sins, because Jesus Christ who is God as a man paid the price with His own pure sinless blood (1 Peter 1:18-19).

But, even though our offense was atoned and forgiven, God also need to overcome the consequence of our Sin which is Death. Our old Adamic natures still must die. That cannot be stopped. But because Jesus is God, He overcame death and offers us a new life through His resurrection.

Through His death our sins (rejection of Him as God) were atoned (paid for) and our separation from God was removed.
Through His resurrection our spirits are reborn into a new life that is able to have an unveiled relationship with God.

Christ is the open veil (doorway) through which we all have access to the Almighty (Holiest of All). He removed the legal separation and restored the place that connects our spirits with His Holy Spirit -- inside our hearts as in the Holy of Holies (Acts 17:24; Hebrews 10:19-20).

Once a year the High Priest would enter the Holy of Holies to sprinkle on the Mercy Seat, the blood of the sacrifice Lamb to atone for the sins of Israel. Every year (over centuries) this was a prophetic picture of what God would ultimately do through His own mortal life (as Messiah - Jesus) to keep His covenant with all who believe in Him (past, present and future) Revelation 5:9.

Before we accept God's atonement through Jesus the Messiah, our spiritual eyes are veiled from beholding God. In other words, what we see in the Physical Realm is only a symbol of the reality in the Spiritual Realm.

When Jesus died on the Cross, the full price of our sin was paid for (Because He loves us - God took on Himself, the Judgment of Death that was for us). On that day and at the moment of His death, the veil of separation to the Holy of Holies was ripped from top to bottom (Matthew 27:50-54; Mark 15:38; Luke 23:45). until the Messiah (the only humble High priest AND pure sacrifice Lamb) atoned and restored that relationship in our hearts.

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FINAL THOUGHTS

ABOUT FORGIVENESS:
Forgiveness is the process where an offense is identified and confessed by the offender. Then, and only then, can the one offended be given the opportunity to forgive the offender. Ironically, one of the hardest things to ask is: "Will you forgive me?" ...DON'T BYPASS THIS IMPORTANT STEP. Almost everyone is more comfortable to just say "I'm sorry", but it's not the same as giving the other person the right and the choice to forgive you or not.

If you are the offender, you are the one giving the offended person the opportunity to get freed from the bondage of bitterness. If you are the one offended, choosing to forgive someone for their specific offense (preferably if they have admitted their offense to you and have asked for your forgiveness), allows you to live in the true freedom of God's Love.

The fact is, it's impossible to really love anyone else while you're being the "judge with a grudge" against someone. Furthermore, unless you are able to truly let go of the unfairness of what someone did to you, and forgive them, your heart will remain darkened by the bondage of bitterness. Of course, the only way that you can truly release your bitterness is by first humbling your heart and giving that person and their offense to Christ - who is the TRUTH that makes you free (John 8:32).

BORN AGAIN - Through the Veil
We must die to live. ... (Luke 9:24-25)
The veil torn in the temple is a dramatic reminder of how we are "born again" As in Marriage in the private chamber, two spirits become one. We lose our old (single) life to enter a new combined life (2 Corinthians 5:17) through an intimate relationship with God. As a husband ultimately loves his wife ...with his life (Ephesians 5:25).

Child-Like Faith (John 3:1-21)
A child doesn't have to understand what atonement means, he just simply believes. That's why no matter how smart or dumb, great or small we are, we must let go of the pride in our intelligence (1 Corinthians 13:2) and humble ourselves to enter God's Kingdom. Because it is His kingdom, not ours. Yet when we accept Him as King of kings, He is pleased to not hold back all that His kingdom has to offer which is the fullness of LIFE, TRUTH and LOVE ... and pleasure forevermore (1 Corinthians 2:9; Isaiah 64:4).

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Reminder:
The key to NOT getting trapped in a religious ritual,
is to seek the meaning of what God is showing us,
and how He wants us to understand and carry in our hearts His Kingdom (Matthew 6:33).

At the root of all the feasts and commandments, the purpose is always the same:

Never stop seeking Him
(because He is our LIFE Colossians 3:4   John 14:6)

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The feast of Tabernacles remembers how the Hebrew people lived under God's care after their Exodus from Egypt. They lived in tabernacles (tents or temporary shelters) for 40 years in the wilderness (Exodus 16). The number 40 throughout the Bible refers to a time of testing.

This 1 week feast is one of the 3 pilgrimage feasts when all Jewish males were required to go to Jerusalem to "appear before the LORD" (Deuteronomy 16:16).

The following is from ARoodAwakening.TV

Hanukkah (Chanukah) means "Feast of Dedication".



Click for current 
25 Kislev - 2 Tevet   (FALL: November or December).
  {Ex: Sundown December 7-14, 2015}



Isaiah 29:18   Isaiah 35:5   Isaiah 42:7 John 1   John 10:22-23  

(Interestingly, in the Jewish synagogues, they read Isaiah 52 but skip over Isaiah 53 ... Read Isaiah 53)



This Feast celebrates the victory of the Maccabees over the Greeks during the re-dedication of the Temple (165 AD). This happened after Seleucid king Antiochus Ephiphanes defiled it by sacrificing a pig on the altar and pouring the blood on the Scripture scrolls. But the Maccabees gained a miraculous victory as God delivered them from this extremely evil tyrant king.
(An additional reference can be found in the Apocrypha Book of Maccabees)

Ironically, even though this festival is celebrated once a year, the prophecy that foretold of this abomination of desolation by Daniel 9:27 is overlooked and even ignored. The ultimate fulfillment of the prophecy and this feast that foretells of the AntiChrist and the return of Christ, is yet to come (but not too far away).

During the dedication of the Temple, a large Menorah (candlestick) is lit over the 7 day observance. Significantly, the candle represents the eternal presence of God, and happily, the feast of Hanukkah is also known as the festival of Lights. (For us Western Christians, the lights of Christmas can now have a deeper meaning as we know Christ is the Light of the World who dwells within us).


From Michael Rood: "The point of Hanukkah is to celebrate the power of the Almighty’s people over those who want to destroy our faith. It is an expression of the fact that the Almighty will not be outlawed and his Word will not be subverted. It is a reminder to dedicate ourselves to him, to remain faithful, and to stand strong for him. This feast is a beautiful reminder that as faithful servants, we can come together and do amazing things. We are strong because our strength comes from the LORD. Hanukkah is a feast for all of the Almighty’s faithful!"

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Shimini Atzeret - The 8th Day = New beginnings
Re-membering the reclaim-ation and re-dedication of the temple

Purim (Purim) means "Lots" {Esther 3:7}



Click for current 
14 or 15 Adar   (SPRING: February or March).
  {Recent Example: Sundown March 24-25, 2016}



Esther 1-10



This Feast celebrates how the Jewish people were preserved from Annihilation.

From Michael Rood: Though Purim does not hold the stature of a “commanded” feast like Passover or Sukkot, it does have significance for modern believers.

Purim is the celebration of victory over oppression thanks to Esther, an unlikely young woman (whose name at birth was Hadassah) who would be given a royal opportunity to be queen and save her people, the Jews, from a genocidal plan devised by one of the king’s advisors, Haman, whose people had been defeated by King Saul and King David.

In order to thwart the plan, Esther had to risk her own life by approaching the king uninvited — an action that could be punishable by death. For her bravery, the king granted Esther anything she wanted.

Esther’s request was that she and her people be spared from genocide — up to this point, the king was unaware that Esther, his beloved queen, was a Jew. Through a series of events that followed, Haman’s evil plan backfired and he was executed instead of the Jews.

The name of this Feast is named on an irony of how the lots were cast to determine the date of the annihilation of the Jews, yet was turned to be the time of their Salvation. This draws a parallel to the time of which is foretold, yet the date is unknown (Esther 4:14 Jeremiah 8:7 Mark 13:32).

From Michael Rood: The story of Purim illustrates the perils and provisions of the King’s bride — Esther’s story serves as an analogy of the bride of Messiah living under the death sentence of “Babylon” at the end of the age.

Like the king’s bride, Esther, the bride of Messiah (the true servants and disciples of Yeshua) will realize that they were born “for such a time as this”, the same words spoken over Esther regarding her opportunity as the king’s bride, a position in which she was able to save her people from a secret plan of genocide.

Ultimately, the celebration of Purim is prophetic foreshadow of the second coming of Messiah at the end of the Tribulation period when the devil incarnate (Anti-Christ) will for the last time attempt to annihilate The People of God. But his best laid efforts will again, and finally be turned against him by the true Prince of Peace.

The irony here is twofold because just as no-one knows when they will the end on the World will be, neither does each of know when we will die on the Earth. Just as the Persian king Ahasuerus had issued an irrevocable decree of death to those who would not submit to him as their king.

God has also issued an irrevocable decree of death to everyone (Genesis 2:17 Romans 3:23) who chooses their own pride over God as their King. The parallel is that neither Ahasuerus nor God are tyrant kings, and both provided a means of deliverance. King Ahasuerus granted the Jews the ability to fight for themselves. But ultimately, it is the Messiah (Jesus) who fought with His very Life for our deliverance from eternal death (Isaiah 53).

Salvation is only found when we put our trust and our life in YHWH through Yah-ushuah ha Messiah (Jesus Christ). {Romans 6:23}

It is an interesting fact that God's name is not mentioned in the book of Esther, yet we see His hand moved by the faith of His people. This is also a prophetic shadow picture, where even though God seems to be invisible Today, we still see His hand moved by those who house God's Holy Spirit in the re-newed temple of their heart.

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