Jewish Feasts: Other feasts, Hanukkah

The story of Chanukkah begins in the reign of Alexander the Great. Alexander conquered Syria, Egypt and Palestine, but allowed the lands under his control to continue observing their own religions and retain a certain degree of autonomy. Under this relatively benevolent rule, many Jews assimilated much of Hellenistic culture, adopting the language, the customs and the dress of the Greeks.


More than 100 years later, the events that inspired the Hanukkah holiday took place during a particularly turbulent phase of Jewish history. Around 200 B.C., Judea—also known as the Land of Israel—came under the control of Antiochus III, the Seleucid king of Syria, who allowed the Jews who lived there to continue practicing their religion. His son, Antiochus IV Epiphanes, proved less benevolent: Ancient sources recount that he outlawed the Jewish religion and ordered the Jews to worship Greek gods. In 168 B.C., his soldiers descended upon Jerusalem, massacring thousands of people and desecrating the city’s holy Second Temple by erecting an altar to Zeus and sacrificing pigs within its sacred walls.


Led by the Jewish priest Mattathias and his five sons, a large-scale rebellion broke out against Antiochus and the Seleucid monarchy. When Matthathias died in 166 B.C., his son Judah, known as Judah Maccabee (“the Hammer”), took the helm; within two years the Jews had successfully driven the Syrians out of Jerusalem, relying largely on guerilla warfare tactics. Judah called on his followers to cleanse the Second Temple, rebuild its altar and light its menorah—the gold candelabrum whose seven branches represented knowledge and creation and were meant to be kept burning every night.


According to the Talmud, one of Judaism’s most central texts, Judah Maccabee and the other Jews who took part in the rededication of the Second Temple witnessed what they believed to be a miracle. Even though there was only enough untainted olive oil to keep the menorah’s candles burning for a single day, the flames continued flickering for eight nights, leaving them time to find a fresh supply. This wondrous event inspired the Jewish sages to proclaim a yearly eight-day festival. Note that the holiday commemorates the miracle of the oil, not the military victory: Jews do not glorify war.


• Observations
• Occurs during the 400 silent years (of scripture), between the testaments
• Occurs after Babylonian empire, during the Greek empire, and prior to the Roman empire
• The feast is far less significant than the other 7 major feasts, roughly on par with Purim
• Passages
• 1 Maccabees tells the story and celebration but omits the miracle of the oil
• Some people see 1 Macc as fulfilling the Daniel prophecy. Others see it as a kind of type, foreshadowing what Satan will do in the future
• Daniel 8:9–14 (RSV) 9 Out of one of them came forth a little horn, which grew exceedingly great toward the south, toward the east, and toward the glorious land. 10 It grew great, even to the host of heaven; and some of the host of the stars it cast down to the ground, and trampled upon them. 11 It magnified itself, even up to the Prince of the host; and the continual burnt offering was taken away from him, and the place of his sanctuary was overthrown. 12 And the host was given over to it together with the continual burnt offering through transgression; and truth was cast down to the ground, and the horn acted and prospered. 13 Then I heard a holy one speaking; and another holy one said to the one that spoke, “For how long is the vision concerning the continual burnt offering, the transgression that makes desolate, and the giving over of the sanctuary and host to be trampled under foot?” 14 And he said to him, “For two thousand and three hundred evenings and mornings; then the sanctuary shall be restored to its rightful state.”
• Revelation 13:5–8 (RSV)
5 And the beast was given a mouth uttering haughty and blasphemous words, and it was allowed to exercise authority for forty-two months; 6 it opened its mouth to utter blasphemies against God, blaspheming his name and his dwelling, that is, those who dwell in heaven. 7 Also it was allowed to make war on the saints and to conquer them. And authority was given it over every tribe and people and tongue and nation, 8 and all who dwell on earth will worship it, every one whose name has not been written before the foundation of the world in the book of life of the Lamb that was slain.
• Jesus is recorded as celebrating
• John 10:22-39 (RSV) It was the feast of the Dedication at Jerusalem; 23 it was winter, and Jesus was walking in the temple, in the portico of Solomon. 24 So the Jews gathered round him and said to him, “How long will you keep us in suspense? If you are the Christ, tell us plainly.” 25 Jesus answered them, “I told you, and you do not believe. The works that I do in my Father’s name, they bear witness to me; 26 but you do not believe, because you do not belong to my sheep. 27 My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me; 28 and I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish, and no one shall snatch them out of my hand. 29 My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all, and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father’s hand. 30 I and the Father are one.”
31 The Jews took up stones again to stone him. 32 Jesus answered them, “I have shown you many good works from the Father; for which of these do you stone me?” 33 The Jews answered him, “It is not for a good work that we stone you but for blasphemy; because you, being a man, make yourself God.” 34 Jesus answered them, “Is it not written in your law, ‘I said, you are gods’? 35 If he called them gods to whom the word of God came (and scripture cannot be broken), 36 do you say of him whom the Father consecrated and sent into the world, ‘You are blaspheming,’ because I said, ‘I am the Son of God’?37 If I am not doing the works of my Father, then do not believe me;38 but if I do them, even though you do not believe me, believe the works, that you may know and understand that the Father is in me and I am in the Father.”39 Again they tried to arrest him, but he escaped from their hands.
• Names
• Hanukkah
• Chanukah -- celebrates the triumph of light over darkness, of purity over adulteration, of spirituality over materiality
• Also called the Feast of Dedication, after the rededication of the temple
• Josephus called it the Festival of Lights
• Biblical Practice
• No OT
• Jewish Observance
• Jewish scholars have also suggested that the first Hanukkah may have been a belated celebration of Sukkot, which the Jews had not had the chance to observe during the Maccabean Revolt.
• Kindling of a nine branched menorah
• Major commercial phenomenon, largely because it falls near Christmas
• Always 25th day of Kislev
• Jewish Year 5777: sunset December 24, 2016 - nightfall January 1, 2017
  (first candle: night of 12/24; last candle: night of 12/31)
• Jewish Year 5778: sunset December 12, 2017 - nightfall December 20, 2017
  (first candle: night of 12/12; last candle: night of 12/19)
• Jewish Year 5779: sunset December 2, 2018 - nightfall December 10, 2018
  (first candle: night of 12/2; last candle: night of 12/9)
• No restriction on work, attending school, or other activities
• Messianic Significance
• None
• Summary thoughts
• None
APPLICATION: None

Jewish Feasts: Other Feasts, Purim

Esther 3:7–11 (RSV)
7 In the first month, which is the month of Nisan, in the twelfth year of King Ahasu-erus, they cast Pur, that is the lot, before Haman day after day; and they cast it month after month till the twelfth month, which is the month of Adar. 8 Then Haman said to King Ahasu-erus, “There is a certain people scattered abroad and dispersed among the peoples in all the provinces of your kingdom; their laws are different from those of every other people, and they do not keep the king’s laws, so that it is not for the king’s profit to tolerate them. 9 If it please the king, let it be decreed that they be destroyed, and I will pay ten thousand talents of silver into the hands of those who have charge of the king’s business, that they may put it into the king’s treasuries.” 10 So the king took his signet ring from his hand and gave it to Haman the Agagite, the son of Hammedatha, the enemy of the Jews. 11 And the king said to Haman, “The money is given to you, the people also, to do with them as it seems good to you.”
Esther 4:13–14 (RSV)
13 Then Mordecai told them to return answer to Esther, “Think not that in the king’s palace you will escape any more than all the other Jews. 14 For if you keep silence at such a time as this, relief and deliverance will rise for the Jews from another quarter, but you and your father’s house will perish. And who knows whether you have not come to the kingdom for such a time as this?”
Esther 5:12–14 (RSV)
12 And Haman added, “Even Queen Esther let no one come with the king to the banquet she prepared but myself. And tomorrow also I am invited by her together with the king. 13 Yet all this does me no good, so long as I see Mordecai the Jew sitting at the king’s gate.” 14 Then his wife Zeresh and all his friends said to him, “Let a gallows fifty cubits high be made, and in the morning tell the king to have Mordecai hanged upon it; then go merrily with the king to the dinner.” This counsel pleased Haman, and he had the gallows made.
Esther 6:1–10 (RSV)
1 On that night the king could not sleep; and he gave orders to bring the book of memorable deeds, the chronicles, and they were read before the king. 2 And it was found written how Mordecai had told about Bigthana and Teresh, two of the king’s eunuchs, who guarded the threshold, and who had sought to lay hands upon King Ahasu-erus. 3 And the king said, “What honor or dignity has been bestowed on Mordecai for this?” The king’s servants who attended him said, “Nothing has been done for him.” 4 And the king said, “Who is in the court?” Now Haman had just entered the outer court of the king’s palace to speak to the king about having Mordecai hanged on the gallows that he had prepared for him. 5 So the king’s servants told him, “Haman is there, standing in the court.” And the king said, “Let him come in.” 6 So Haman came in, and the king said to him, “What shall be done to the man whom the king delights to honor?” And Haman said to himself, “Whom would the king delight to honor more than me?” 7 and Haman said to the king, “For the man whom the king delights to honor, 8 let royal robes be brought, which the king has worn, and the horse which the king has ridden, and on whose head a royal crown is set; 9 and let the robes and the horse be handed over to one of the king’s most noble princes; let him array the man whom the king delights to honor, and let him conduct the man on horseback through the open square of the city, proclaiming before him: ‘Thus shall it be done to the man whom the king delights to honor.’” 10 Then the king said to Haman, “Make haste, take the robes and the horse, as you have said, and do so to Mordecai the Jew who sits at the king’s gate. Leave out nothing that you have mentioned.”
Esther 7:8–10 (RSV)
8 And the king returned from the palace garden to the place where they were drinking wine, as Haman was falling on the couch where Esther was; and the king said, “Will he even assault the queen in my presence, in my own house?” As the words left the mouth of the king, they covered Haman’s face. 9 Then said Harbona, one of the eunuchs in attendance on the king, “Moreover, the gallows which Haman has prepared for Mordecai, whose word saved the king, is standing in Haman’s house, fifty cubits high.” 10 And the king said, “Hang him on that.” So they hanged Haman on the gallows which he had prepared for Mordecai. Then the anger of the king abated.
Esther 8:10–14 (RSV)
10 The writing was in the name of King Ahasu-erus and sealed with the king’s ring, and letters were sent by mounted couriers riding on swift horses that were used in the king’s service, bred from the royal stud. 11 By these the king allowed the Jews who were in every city to gather and defend their lives, to destroy, to slay, and to annihilate any armed force of any people or province that might attack them, with their children and women, and to plunder their goods, 12 upon one day throughout all the provinces of King Ahasu-erus, on the thirteenth day of the twelfth month, which is the month of Adar. 13 A copy of what was written was to be issued as a decree in every province, and by proclamation to all peoples, and the Jews were to be ready on that day to avenge themselves upon their enemies. 14 So the couriers, mounted on their swift horses that were used in the king’s service, rode out in haste, urged by the king’s command; and the decree was issued in Susa the capital.


• Observations
• Haman is very superstitious
• The king was no friend of the Jews (he was unaware of Esther's status)
• Incredible story of twists and irony
• Passages
• Only in the book of Esther
• Some scholars think John 5:1 might be Purim, but there is nothing to indicate that to be true
• Names
• Feast of Purim
• Feast of Lots
• Jewish Observance
• Fast of Esther, observed before Purim, usually the 13th of Adar
• Book of Esther is read
• Everyone in the synagogue shouts and boos when Haman is mentioned (occurs 54 times)
• Exchanging reciprocal gifts of food and drink
• Donating to charity
• Eating a festive meal
• Other customs: Drinking wine or any alcoholic beverage; the wearing masks and costumes; public celebration (Purim 2012 Guide)
There is a longstanding custom of drinking wine at the feast. The custom stems from a statement in the Talmud attributed to a rabbi named Rava that says one should drink on Purim until he can "no longer distinguish between arur Haman ('Cursed is Haman') and baruch Mordechai ('Blessed is Mordecai')."
• Messianic Significance
• None noted
• Summary thoughts
• Even when God's name is not mentioned, does not mean that God is not working
APPLICATION:
1. God is aware of what is happening in our life. In Esther, God intervened on behalf of the nation. God may or may not intervene on the behalf of an individual, but Rom 8:28 promises that "28 We know that in everything God works for good with those who love him, who are called according to his purpose." We need to recognize that while we live in a fallen world that is not as God intended, he is aware of our struggles and has promised to use them for good in our life

Jewish Feasts: (7) Feast of Tabernacles, Succoth

                   Special thanks to Arnold Fruchtenbaum. Most of the notes here are from his article on the seven feasts

Leviticus 23:39–43 (RSV)
39 “On the fifteenth day of the seventh month, when you have gathered in the produce of the land, you shall keep the feast of the Lord seven days; on the first day shall be a solemn rest, and on the eighth day shall be a solemn rest. 40 And you shall take on the first day the fruit of goodly trees, branches of palm trees, and boughs of leafy trees, and willows of the brook; and you shall rejoice before the Lord your God seven days. 41 You shall keep it as a feast to the Lord seven days in the year; it is a statute for ever throughout your generations; you shall keep it in the seventh month. 42 You shall dwell in booths for seven days; all that are native in Israel shall dwell in booths, 43 that your generations may know that I made the people of Israel dwell in booths when I brought them out of the land of Egypt: I am the Lord your God.”


• Requirements / Observations
• Seven day festival
• Silva 15: always (7th month, 15th day)
• Ex 23:17 and 34:23: one of the three feasts requiring attendance in Jerusalem
• Num 29:12-34: describes offerings
• 70 bulls
• Representing the 70 nations of Genesis 10
• This feast connects the Gentiles; something not true of the other feasts
• Deut 16:13-15 Places special emphasis on rejoicing
• Neh 8:13-18. In the story, amazingly, this feast is kept for the first time since the time of Joshua
• The data of dedication of the first temple coincides with the feast of tabernacles, the feast was not observed, only the dedication of the temple
Nehemiah 8:1–3 (RSV)
1 And all the people gathered as one man into the square before the Water Gate; and they told Ezra the scribe to bring the book of the law of Moses which the Lord had given to Israel. 2 And Ezra the priest brought the law before the assembly, both men and women and all who could hear with understanding, on the first day of the seventh month. 3 And he read from it facing the square before the Water Gate from early morning until midday, in the presence of the men and the women and those who could understand; and the ears of all the people were attentive to the book of the law.
Nehemiah 8:9–12 (RSV)
9 And Nehemiah, who was the governor, and Ezra the priest and scribe, and the Levites who taught the people said to all the people, “This day is holy to the Lord your God; do not mourn or weep.” For all the people wept when they heard the words of the law. 10 Then he said to them, “Go your way, eat the fat and drink sweet wine and send portions to him for whom nothing is prepared; for this day is holy to our Lord; and do not be grieved, for the joy of the Lord is your strength.” 11 So the Levites stilled all the people, saying, “Be quiet, for this day is holy; do not be grieved.” 12 And all the people went their way to eat and drink and to send portions and to make great rejoicing, because they had understood the words that were declared to them.
• Zech 14:16-19: Messianic significance (discuss later)
• John 7:1-10:21 records Jesus' observance of the feast
• Names for the feast
1. First name is simply the "feast." A lot of unusual pomp and ceremony connected with it
2. Called "Succot" or the "Feast of Booths" or the "Feast of Tabernacles" because Jews were obligated to live in a succah, a booth, or a tabernacle
3. Called the "Feast of Ingathering" in Ex 23:13 because it marks the end of the summer harvest
4. Called the "Eight Day of Assembly." This is actually an independent holiday from the feast of Tabernacles, but is connected because it immediately follows
5. Called "Simchat Torah," which means "the rejoicing over the Law." The name is given to the added eight day (based on Num 29:25-28) because the cycle of reading the law begins anew this day
• Rabbis divided the five books of Moses into 52 parts. Each part is read in the morning synagogue service
• The entire Mosaic law is read every year and finishes on this feast
• Biblical Practice
1. Seven day festival with an eighth day added
2. Observed by building of booths or tabernacles to commemorate 40 years of wandering in the wilderness
3. It is celebrated with for things: a fruit, the citron, and three branches, the palm branch, the myrtle branch, and the willow branch
4. It is a time of rejoicing, especially after the Day of Atonement
5. It was also a time of firstfruits (again), it was the firstfruits of the fall harvest\
• Jewish Observance
• Three key symbols
1. The booth or tabernacle. It is a symbol of a future restoration based on Amos 9:11. Booth is made of flimsy material with a covering of branches. Some shade but be able to see stars at night. Inside decorated with fruits and nuts
2. The "lulav." The lulav combines the three types of branches. It is carried in one hand and waved in every direction. It is also used during the prayer for rain (beginning of rainy season in Israel)
3. The citron, a citrus fruit symbolizing the promised land. It is both a fragrance and a fruit. The palm branch has fruit but no fragrance. The myrtle has fragrance but no fruit. The willow has neither fragrance of fruit
• Two key ceremonies
1. "The pouring out of the water." Priests march from the temple mount down to the Kidron Valley and filled pitchers in the pool of Siloam. They marched back singing the Psalms of Ascent (Ps 120-134) as the ascend the 15 steps of the temple mount. They then pour the water into the large laver. This is followed by great rejoicing. The Rabbis interpret the pouring out of the water as a symbol of the outpouring of the Holy Spirit upon the whole nation of Israel in the last days (in fulfillment of prophecy)
2. Kindling of Lights. Large golden lampstands each with 4 cups were set up in the temple compound near sunset. The light was a symbol of  the Shechinah Glory light
• The reading of the book of Ecclesiastes
• It tends to follow the mood of the people after the long season characterized by repentance and affliction
• The prayer for rain
• Jewish tradition is to pray for rain at this time. It precedes the rainy season
• The time of rejoicing
• It is a time of great rejoicing
• A time when Jewish people sing and dance
• Dances in circuits are very common
• Special foods
• Kreplach. Jewish ravioli filled with beaten meat and onion
• Messianic Significance
• The Messiah's response to the ceremonies
• At the pouring of the water, Jesus gave an invitation in John 7 :38-39
John 7:37–39 (RSV)
37 On the last day of the feast, the great day, Jesus stood up and proclaimed, “If any one thirst, let him come to me and drink. 38 He who believes in me, as the scripture has said, ‘Out of his heart shall flow rivers of living water.’”39 Now this he said about the Spirit, which those who believed in him were to receive; for as yet the Spirit had not been given, because Jesus was not yet glorified.
• At the second key ceremony, the lighting of the lampstands, Jesus gave another invitation in John 8:21
John 8:12 (RSV)
12 Again Jesus spoke to them, saying, “I am the light of the world; he who follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”
• The fulfillment of the feast
• It is practiced in the coming Messianic kingdom
Zechariah 14:16–19 (RSV)
16 Then every one that survives of all the nations that have come against Jerusalem shall go up year after year to worship the King, the Lord of hosts, and to keep the feast of booths. 17 And if any of the families of the earth do not go up to Jerusalem to worship the King, the Lord of hosts, there will be no rain upon them. 18 And if the family of Egypt do not go up and present themselves, then upon them shall come the plague with which the Lord afflicts the nations that do not go up to keep the feast of booths. 19 This shall be the punishment to Egypt and the punishment to all the nations that do not go up to keep the feast of booths.
• Suggestive that this will be a special day for Jew and Gentile in the future. This will be a time of rejoicing having gone through the Great Tribulation
• This is either the day Jesus returns, the day the people cry out in tears for having not believed, or the day the kingdom is established
• APPLICATION:
• Prayer. I think it emphasizes the importance of remembrance and thanksgiving. What has it taken for God to bring you where you are today? Do we ever spend time praying about what we have gone through in our life and thanking him for bringing us through it?
• Jesus is the living water. Jesus is the light of the world. And Jesus will be the ruler in the Messianic kingdom. So now is the time to let Jesus rule in our lives, not later. We can practice being kingdom subjects now, and in fact we are. We need to bring our decisions to God in prayer

Jewish Feasts: (6) Day of Atonement, Yom Kippur

Leviticus 23:26–32 (RSV)
26 And the Lord said to Moses, 27 “On the tenth day of this seventh month is the day of atonement; it shall be for you a time of holy convocation, and you shall afflict yourselves and present an offering by fire to the Lord. 28 And you shall do no work on this same day; for it is a day of atonement, to make atonement for you before the Lord your God. 29 For whoever is not afflicted on this same day shall be cut off from his people. 30 And whoever does any work on this same day, that person I will destroy from among his people. 31 You shall do no work: it is a statute for ever throughout your generations in all your dwellings. 32 It shall be to you a sabbath of solemn rest, and you shall afflict yourselves; on the ninth day of the month beginning at evening, from evening to evening shall you keep your sabbath.”


• Observations
• Day of Atonement is not a festival, but better described as a "holy season"
• Characterized by afflictions
• Very serious undertone -- "whoever is not afflicted on this same day shall be cut off"
• Passages
• Lev 16:1-34 details biblical practices
• Lev 25:8-12 spells out special rules for Sabbatical year (every seventh year) and the year of the jubilee (every 50th year)
• Num 29:7-11 emphasizes special offerings and sacrifices
• Heb 9:11-10:28 compares the blood-sacrifice of the animal to the blood of the Messiah and shows the superiority of the blood of the Messiah
• Heb 13:10-16 draws a comparison between the sacrifices being burned outside the camp and the Messiah's dying outside the gate and walls of Jerusalem
• Names
• Most common: Yom Kippur, which means "the day of atonement"
• Yom Hakippurim means "the day of atonements." The plural form is because, in Jewish tradition, atonements are mad for both the living and the dead
• Shabbat Shabbaton, which means "the Sabbath of Sabbaths" because it is by far the holiest of the "rest days"
• Biblical Practice
1. It was to be a time of the affliction of soul, a day of individual and national atonement
2. The details of biblical practice are given in Lev 16:1-34
1. Vs 1-2 restrictions  concerning the Holy of Holies. Only the High Priest may enter and only on that day
2. Vs 3-5 preparation of the sacrifices. An offering (a bull) for the high priest who wears special clothing and an offering (two goats) for the people
3. Vs 6-10 presentation of the sacrifices. First, lots are cast for the goats to determine the scapegoat. Then atonement is made for the high priest
4. Vs 11-14 concern atonement for the high priest. The priest enters the Holy of Holies with the blood of the bull for himself.
5. Vs 15-19 the goat select to die was sacrificed. The priest enters the Holy of Holies for a second time with the blood of the goat for the people
6. Vs 20-22 concern the second goat. Hands are laid on the head and the sins confessed. The goat is driven out into the wilderness picturing the removal of sin. Principal is: following the shedding of blood is the removal of sins
7. Vs 23-28 concern the cleansing of the participants
8. Vs 29-34 contain further restrictions and specifications
3. Two key elements:
1. A time of affliction of the soul
2. Two goats offered: one to die and one to live to remove sins
• Jewish Observance
• Modern Judaism teaches that man can achieve atonement for his sins by his own efforts. This is NOT a biblical teaching
• Substitution for the biblical practices
• Instead of affliction of the soul, Judaism practices the affliction of the body
• This is a day of fasting
• Common practice for some Jews to have themselves flogged on the Day of Atonement
• Since the temple with its sacrificial system is not standing, no blood-sacrifice
• Teaching of the rabbis is that repentance, prayer, and charity are valid subsitutes
• Ultra-orthodox Jews still practice a form of blood-sacrifice
• Jewish practice of self-denials in keeping with motif of physical affliction
• No eating or drinking
• No washing or bathing
• No anointing of oil. Includes modern day hand and face creams
• No cohabitation with spouse
• Not to enjoy luxury, meaning no leather shoes or sandals. Rubber or canvas is okay
• Book of Jonah is read, teaching that man cannot run away from God. Also teaches the effectiveness of repentance since Nineveh was spared
• Messianic Significance
• Technically, the Day of Atonement was fulfilled by the Messiah. Concept is taught in Isa 52:13-53:12
• Key element affliction, biblically the affliction of the soul. Today, Jewish practice is the affliction of the body
• The Great Tribulation fulfills both types of affliction


• The Great Tribulation is often referred to in scriptures by the term, affliction


Hosea 5:15–6:1 (RSV)
15 I will return again to my place,
until they acknowledge their guilt and seek my face,
and in their distress they seek me, saying,
6:1 “Come, let us return to the Lord;
for he has torn, that he may heal us;
he has stricken, and he will bind us up.


Zechariah 13:8–9 (RSV)
8 In the whole land, says the Lord,
two thirds shall be cut off and perish,
and one third shall be left alive.
9 And I will put this third into the fire,
and refine them as one refines silver,
and test them as gold is tested.
They will call on my name,
and I will answer them.
I will say, ‘They are my people’;
and they will say, ‘The Lord is my God.’”


Zechariah 12:10–11 (RSV)
10 “And I will pour out on the house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem a spirit of compassion and supplication, so that, when they look on him whom they have pierced, they shall mourn for him, as one mourns for an only child, and weep bitterly over him, as one weeps over a first-born. 11 On that day the mourning in Jerusalem will be as great as the mourning for Hadadrimmon in the plain of Megiddo.


• Summary thoughts
• The Feast of Trumpets is fulfilled by the Rapture of the Church
• The Day of Atonement is to be fulfilled by the Tribulation
• Just as the Feast of Trumpets precedes the Day of Atonement, so the rapture of the church will precede the Great Tribulation
APPLICATION:
1. Jesus had made atonement for our sins. There is no further atonement required
1. To believe otherwise is to negate the work of Christ on the cross
2. For those who refuse to believe in Jesus, they are guilty of not believing in God's only son and will suffer the wrath of his anger. There will be a great affliction of body and soul during the Great Tribulation
1. For that reason, we must be witnesses of Jesus during these last days
2. We should pray for boldness and confidence so that we don't shrink back when questioned about our faith

Jewish Feasts: (5) Feast of Trumpets, Rosh Hashanah

• Note: Again, as in every week, I need to give special acknowledgment to Dr. Arnold Fruchtenbaum, whose notes / article on the Feasts of Israel I used in this presentation


Leviticus 23:22 (RSV)
22 “And when you reap the harvest of your land, you shall not reap your field to its very border, nor shall you gather the gleanings after your harvest; you shall leave them for the poor and for the stranger: I am the Lord your God.”


• Looking in your bibles, where does this statement take place and how long is the period of time?
• It takes place between the first Festival season and the Second Festival season
• It is approximately four months in length
• It is also a picture of life between the festivals. Normal life would continue between the festivals. The passage has nothing to do with either festivals. It is a distinct pause between the festivals, made more so by the mention
• So what is the meaning? If the first set of festivals are fulfilled by the first coming. And the second set of festivals are fulfilled by the second coming, what is the pause?


John 4:35–38 (RSV)
35 Do you not say, ‘There are yet four months, then comes the harvest’? I tell you, lift up your eyes, and see how the fields are already white for harvest. 36 He who reaps receives wages, and gathers fruit for eternal life, so that sower and reaper may rejoice together. 37 For here the saying holds true, ‘One sows and another reaps.’ 38 I sent you to reap that for which you did not labor; others have labored, and you have entered into their labor.”


• So Jesus statement here is not just some off-handed comment about seasons. A Jew would have immediately recognized the relationship to the OT verse. So what is happening here and what is the context?
• Story of the woman at the well
• The disciples went to get some food
• Jesus begins a discussion with the Samaritan woman
• As the disciples are returning, the crowd is coming to the well
• The harvest are people coming to Jesus Christ to believe in him, and not just Jews
• This is the church age and the church mission. It is bringing in the harvest prior to the second coming


Leviticus 23:23–25 (RSV)
23 And the Lord said to Moses, 24 “Say to the people of Israel, In the seventh month, on the first day of the month, you shall observe a day of solemn rest, a memorial proclaimed with blast of trumpets, a holy convocation. 25 You shall do no laborious work; and you shall present an offering by fire to the Lord.”


• These are the three primary verses describing the Feast of Trumpets. The offerings are described in Num 29:1-6. It is also mentioned in Neh 8:1-12 where Ezra read the Law of Moses before the people during the Feast of Trumpets
• Names for the Feast (5)
• First name is Yom Truah, means "the day of the blowing of the trumpets." Modern Judaism teaches that it is a call to Jews to remember their sins on this day
• Second name is the "Memorial of Triumph" or the "Shouting of the Joy." The name is based on Job 38:7
Job 38:4–7 (RSV) 4 “Where were you when I laid the foundation of the earth?
Tell me, if you have understanding.
5 Who determined its measurements—surely you know!
Or who stretched the line upon it?
6 On what were its bases sunk,
or who laid its cornerstone,
7 when the morning stars sang together,
and all the sons of God shouted for joy?
• There is a Jewish tradition that the world was created on the Feast of Trumpets
• That would also seem to argue against a literal view of days (but that is another discussion)
• Third name is the "Day of Remembrance." Jewish theology teaches Jews to remember their sins before the next holy festival, which is Yom Kippur or the Day of Atonement
• Fourth name is the "Day of Judgment." A Jewish tradition teaches that on that on this day all Jews pass in judgment to see if their sins will be forgiven or not
• One could see how the rapture could be an eye opening experience for Jews who have heard the gospel, have a loved one or Friend who has disappeared, and begin to wonder what is happening
• Fifth name is the most common today, Rosh Hashanah, which means "the head of the year." Technically, the Jewish calendar has two New Years. The religious New Year begins in the spring with the Feast of Passover. The civil year begins in the fall with the Feast of Trumpets. It also gets this name based on the Jewish tradition that it was on this day that God created the heavens and the earth
• Biblical Practice
1. It is a one-day festival only
2. It was a day on which there was no labor, similar to a Sabbath
3. It was celebrated by the blowing of trumpets
4. The trumpet is not a long silver trumpet like religious pictures often show. The trumpet is the horn of a ram called the shofar. By Jewish law, any horn of a kosher animal is permitted (except for bulls), but the ram's horn has been preferred because of its symbolic link with Isaac in Gen 22
1. Remember Isaac, Abraham's firstborn, was to be sacrificed in a test of obedience and faith
2. God stopped Abraham, and God provided a ram, whose horns were caught in a thicket. Later God would provide his firstborn son as a substitutionary atonement for our sins.
• Jewish Observance
• The blowing of the Shofar
• Trumpet is blown in the synagogue. Three reasons
• Call to remembrance and repentance (call to Jews to return to Judaism because on this day they will pass in judgment)
• Reminder of Israel's covenant-relationship with God
• Third reason is to confuse Satan on the day he accuses Israel (Zech 3:1)
• Meaning of the blowing of the Shofar
• First, it is a symbol of the regathering of Israel (Isa 27:12-13)
• Second, it is a symbol of the resurrection of the dead, for a trumpet will sound when the dead are raised
• Third, three books are opened in Heaven
• The Book of Righteousness. The righteous have their name inscribed and are therefore in the book of life and will survive another year
• The Book of the Wicked. The names of wicked are inscribed, also known as the Book of the Dead. These are people who are completely wicked and will die within the year
• The Book of the In-Between. Since most Jews are neither totally righteous nor totally wicked, they are in this book. They have ten days between the Feast of Trumpets and the Day of Atonement to repent. Since no one can know what book they are in, the Jews teach that you should assume your name is in this book and repent during these ten days
• The Trumpet Blasts. There a total of one hundred blasts divided into four types
• First type is tekiah, a long, single blast, straight, plain, smooth, continuous note, symbolizing the expression of joy and contentment
• Second type is the shevarim, three short blasts, a combination of three broken notes
• Third type is the truah, which are extremely short blasts consisting of nine staccato notes, symbolizing trepidation and sorrow
• The first three types are intermixed back and forth until a total of ninety-nine blasts are sounded
• Fourth type is the tekiah gedolah, which means "the great tekiah," "the great blast," and "the last trump." This is a long, single, sustained note that concludes the blowing of the trumpets, the one hundredth trumpet blast
• The Tashlich Ceremony
• Based on Micah 7:19 where Micah prophesied that the day will come when God will cast the sins of Israel into the depths of the sea
• Done in the afternoon by a body of water (lake, river, ocean beach).
• Jewish people empty their pockets into the water symbolizing the Micah passage
• The Legends of the Feast of Trumpets
• Day the world was created
• Day that Adam fell
• Day that Cain was born with a twin sister, and Abel was born with a twin sister
• Day that Cain killed Abel
• Day the flood waters dried up
• Day that Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob were born and all subsequently died
• Day that Sarah, Rebecca, and Hannah all gave birth
• Day that Elisha blessed the woman of Shumen with a child
• Day the sacrifices were resumed after the Jews returned from Babylonian captivity
• Special Foods
• Eat bread dipped in honey to symbolize the hope of a new year
• A hot dish known as "honey carrots" is eater
• Some type of head meat. Could be a ram's head or a fish head. Fruits for the occasion include apples, grapes, and pomegranates
• Messianic Significance (2)
• The Regathering of Israel
• The regathering of Israel is signaled by the blowing of a trumpet in Isa 27:13. One significance of the Feast is that Israel will become a state before the Great Tribulation
• The Rapture of the Church
1 Thessalonians 4:13–18 (RSV)
13 But we would not have you ignorant, brethren, concerning those who are asleep, that you may not grieve as others do who have no hope. 14 For since we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so, through Jesus, God will bring with him those who have fallen asleep. 15 For this we declare to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, shall not precede those who have fallen asleep. 16 For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the archangel’s call, and with the sound of the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first; 17 then we who are alive, who are left, shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air; and so we shall always be with the Lord. 18 Therefore comfort one another with these words.
• We see that on that day, Jesus gives a shout, then the archangel will repeat the shout, and then a trumpet will be blown, setting in motion the events of the rapture
1 Corinthians 15:51–57 (RSV)
51 Lo! I tell you a mystery. We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, 52 in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we shall be changed. 53 For this perishable nature must put on the imperishable, and this mortal nature must put on immortality. 54 When the perishable puts on the imperishable, and the mortal puts on immortality, then shall come to pass the saying that is written:
“Death is swallowed up in victory.”
55 “O death, where is thy victory?
O death, where is thy sting?” 56 The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. 57 But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.
• Actually, the entire passage 15:15-58 deals with death and resurrection
• Since Revelation had not been written, the only "last trumpet" that would have made sense is the Feast of Trumpets' last trumpet, the great tekiah, also called the last trump
• The rapture precedes the tribulation in a pre-tribulation view. These verses and the very nature of the feasts argue for a pre-trib view


APPLICATION:
1. Obviously this argues for a pre-tribulation view of scripture, but that is not an application, so …
1. Christians have always suffered and been persecuted in history. In no way is a pre-tribulation point of view arguing against the reality of suffering and persecution in this age. We should expect hard times, we are not immune. The passages do argue against suffering and persecution because of God's wrath on mankind during the tribulation, BUT only that
2. In day-to-day living, while a pre-trib offers hope (because it will be a terrible time), it is not necessary to believe for salvation. And it is not worth arguing about because it does nothing for our character. Therefore avoid arguments with those who disagree. Be gentle and kind with other believers, it is not important
2. We are living in the "four months" or the "church age" right now. Our focus needs to be on the harvest.
1. Put up a flag or make it clear to others in speech that you believe the Christian message
2. Share your faith in phrases -- it doesn't have to be a 20 minute gospel presentation. Wait for the questions to go into details
3. Don't confuse politics and faith. And don't allow others to confuse politics and faith on the basis of your life