SEVEN JEWISH HOLIDAYS – PART I
Many Christians are unfamiliar with the nature and number of holidays God allotted to Jewish people. God provided them seven holidays. They are also called seven feasts of God. Some readers may find more interest in acquiring this kind of information. These seven feasts of Lord also called the Lord’s appointments. Lets us try to understand the prophetic value of these critical days and their basic importance lying behind them. These feasts were systematically celebrated by the Jewish people in those days. It is strange to think about them how they ran with perfect provision to chronology or prophetic events appointed by God to bring about His redemption plan to the world. Among these seven feasts the first four would come during the spring season. The epic events of God redemption work but no human kind is depicted. These four feasts occur during the first coming of Jesus Christ. The feast of the Lord will provide us with a clear and compelling view of God’s prophetic time line from Calvary to the kingdom.
We may get some encouragement to spend a few hours to explore the topic in a proper way. This prophetic provision was written in two parts as two articles. There are about 206 countries in the world and each country has its own importance politically and religiously. Generally, every country has its own holidays over the death of some topmost political leaders or some holidays in connection with the historical background of that country. There might be various reasons for the holidays of a particular country. But our eternal God provided to his chosen people just seven holidays specially established holidays. They might have some other holidays apart from them but these feasts are completely concerned to God because they are instituted by God himself. And those holidays are chronologically discussed in the book of Leviticus 23rd chapter of the Old Testament and also in the New Testament. These feats are introduced by God for Himself and to be observed for Himself. Those holidays have nothing to do with the other holidays enjoyed by the Jews. Therefore these feasts are called
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The Redemption Plan of God literally the feasts of God. This world “Feast” is Hebrew word which means the “Appointed time.” These seven feasts can prophetically tell the story of redemption plan and the feasts are also called “Holy communications” because they are intended for the meeting of God and men for the holy purpose. As per the Biblical history the seven feasts have appointed timings and God only designed them for holy purposes. Those significant feasts carry with them some soundness and unparalleled importance. God gave these seven prominent feasts to Hebrew nation only because they were His chosen covenant people. The seven feasts are given by God systematically setup to spring season and for agricultural timings. In such conditions Israel became an agricultural nation completely dependant upon the previsions it would get out of agricultural cultivation.
The timings of these seven feasts were based on the Jewish “Lunar” (Jewish calendar which has only 354 days) of the year. Our calendar is called solar year calendar with 365 days. It is very strange to know that for every 19 years they will have seven years with 13 months regularly. If this is not true then winter months in Jewish calendar would occur in summer after a few years and summer months in winter. So these holidays would not follow on the same day on the “Gregorian calendar” (the calendar commonly used today) that we are using every year. The seven holidays fundamentally typify timings and importance of the events of our Lord’s redemptive carrier. As said in the scripture the first feast commences with the “Passover” festival and at that critical movement he was crucified for the sins of the entire humanity. The next important feast according to chronological order is the seventh feast called the feast of “Tabernacle.” Jesus would return to establish His thousand year Messianic kingdom (Revelation 20:4). In this context, no truth can be manipulated to make the appointed feasts to confirm major events in the life of Jesus Christ. They are all clearly specified in the scripture. The scriptural realities which the feasts openly pointed out or exactly fulfilled in Jesus. Then all men and everywhere people are kept in order. The entire humanity has been invited to approach God according to His times through Christ. All men will be put in to a reconciled position. Hence, the divine invitation – “come unto me all that ye labor and are having laden and I will give you rest” (Mathew 11:25).
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If we turn down the unprecedented and glorious invitation under any circumstances to meet the sovereign authority who is universal at the appointed timings and if we do not accept the invitation with our humility and wisdom it is nothing but our foolishness and pride. If we are sane we must accept the invitation whole heartedly because it came from our eternal father God Almighty. The blessings of gentiles and their participation was clubbed with the feasts and is no surprised to Israel. It is constant with Gods unconventional covenant to the patriarch Abraham the principal provision of which is “in thy seed shall all the nations of the world” (earth) be blessed (Genesis 22:18). The Messiah also said the same in (John 4:22) that “Salvation is of the Jews.” Israel and other church are distinct entities with distinct promises. Every blessing that the church has been enjoying was the outcome of Abrahamic, Davidic, and the new covenant that God made with Israel at suitable times. There is an unforeseen and contagious relationship between the old and New Testament also between Israel and the church. Nobody should think seriously that the gentiles cannot have the blessings which are accomplished through the messiah in connection with seven feasts God planned with Israel. The Old Testament is revealed in the New Testament and the New Testament was concealed in the Old Testament.
There is no other theme loftier than the seven feasts of the God as they described the complete redemption carrier of the messianic moving from Calvary to His kingdom. According to Biblical history the number seven has its own importance in the Bible primarily in the book of Revelation. Some scholars after reading this book Revelation also called this “The book of seven” and the “Fifth gospel” because this number is mentioned more than 50 times in the book of revelation. These Biblical numbers indicate perfection and completion of God after creating everything and took rest on the seventh day that does not mean God is tired of His creation after six days. He never got tired of His creation because He is omnipotent and He wanted to take rest as He completed His work. He wished to take rest for His satisfaction.
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IMPORTANCE OF NUMBER SEVEN
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On the seventh day of the week the children of Israel would observe the Sabbath day of rest. Until fourth century A.D. all the people of the world observed Saturday as the Sabbath day. But in 325 A.D. a Byzantine roman emperor named “Constantine” embraced Christianity with his mother “Heliona” and changed that Saturday Sabbath to Sunday Sabbath day. As a matter of fact, emperor Constantine did many things for the spreading of Christianity. He built a good number of churches and the most important thing he did was abolition of cross punishment. He extended wonderful support to all churches in Jerusalem and other places both Jews and Christians were in complete rest during his reign. The seventh month of the Jewish calendar year as mentioned in the scripture is “Holy.” During that month three feasts out of seven will be observed. Every seventh year the nation is asked to stop the cultivation of land so that the ground would be also in rest. According to the law of Moses seven seasons of years are counted as (7 x 7 = 49 years) and the next one year will be taken from the Bible as a gift. With that clubbing the number becomes 50 and they called it “Jubilee year.” This jubilee year is welcomed to some people because whoever had debts would be forgotten and the slaves also set free.
The period of 77 years would determine the Jewish people and during that time God has to bring perfection completion and of his redemption prophesy to Israel. This text is the backbone for understanding prophesy. This book of revelation records the consummation of this age and in that book the number seven is used for more than 50 times. The entire book revolves around the seven seals, seven trumpets, seven bowls (vials)etc. The seven feasts are explained in the God appointed times. God wanted to make use of that time to meet His people for the holy purposes. The completion of seven holidays would bring a triumphant end and them a glorious messianic kingdom follows. During that age everyman will sit under his own fig tree. The idea here is not intended to suggest boredom or that of activity but of completion and satisfaction. And on that auspicious day all good things that the hearts desire would be fulfilled. The righteousness justice and holiness become a reality on the earth work. As
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Seven Jewish Holidays - Part 1 discussed above, four out of seven feasts occur in the spring season (March – April). The fulfillment of four feasts are holidays will be done properly according to the work of Almighty God.
The four feasts and events that occur in them during spring season and Lord typifying in the Hebrew scripture have been fulfilled in the messiah in connection with his first coming. It is crystal clear that the first four feasts had been accomplished during the first coming of Jesus Christ 2000 years ago. As far as Biblical reference is concerned people of Old Testament had enjoyed themselves what those four festivals and the blessings had been continued still among them. Then the final three priests will occur in the fall of the year in a brief period of time in the Hebrew month “Tishri” (which occurs in mid September – October). These final three feasts appointed timings are still in future in terms of literal fulfillment. Their Biblical faith must have been continued with renewed blessings even today. The final three feasts will directly lead to the second coming of Christ said in the book of Titus “The blessed hope of the church is the second coming of the Christ.” The first four feasts are explained briefly in 19 verses only in the book of Leviticus (Leviticus 23:4-22).
FIRST FEAST PASSOVER:
The first feast is “Passover.” These are the holy convocation (feasts of the Lord) which ye shall proclaim in their seasons. It is founded with the day of first month as the day of Passover of the Lord. It has been explained with full details. It being the Lord’s first feast also called the foundational without which the other six feasts that follow are meaningless and there shall be no personal redemption. This Passover feast will come in the spring season of the year on 14 day for the Hebrew month called “Nisan” which arrives in (March- April) and it is said in the Bible as the beginning of the year (Exodus 12:2).
The Jewish people had been enjoying and celebrating this feast annually since the time of Moses in reality. But it was the only Passover feast that took place in Egypt about 3500 years ago. This Passover took place when the Israelites were about to leave Egypt once and for all for good to their promised land
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The Redemption Plan of God called Canaan. God wanted to liberate them from their slavery in Egypt. In that Passover in Egypt a lamb was sacrificed and blood applied to each door posts and lintels. This was done completely in faith and obedience. This they did simply because they heard the name of God and his word for the first time after 430 years of their stay in heathen country but these people became stiff necked and hard hearted in the wilderness wonderings. Before they left Egypt the result of their first sacrifice of the lamb was that the first born was saved from death. It remained as a memorial for centuries. Some renowned scholars expressed their opinions that it was the only Passover.
To say in brief there was only one occasion when the messiah’s flesh was pierced and His blood spilled on the cross of Calvary for the sake of sinners on the earth. Therefore the Lord supper is an ongoing memorial of that one for all sacrifices for sin. The events that led to the Passover are among the most dramatic in the entire scripture and Biblical history. The children of Israel enslaved under Pharaoh who was a hard task master. By that ill treatment the status of Hebrews had been shattered and degraded. As a result they finally cried unto God. This memorable event prompted God to make use of the services of Moses to liberate Israel the God chosen people from the bondage of Pharaoh as He used the services of Samson to liberate Israel from the ill treatment of philistines and he used the services of Gideon to liberate Israel from the penalization of midianits later. God talked with Moses first time at the burning bush and then planned everything.
It was a desert area without any day to day requirements of the people. Another note worthy point is that the bush was burning but not consuming. So Moses while feeding his sheep became curious and went to see that mysterious thing. Then from the bush God spoke with Moses, which surprised him and this burning bush story remained in the sweet memory of Israel for centuries. They would remember that hot flames of satanic fury other manifested in the form of vehement and Semitism. The burning bush would burn but not to consume as God spoke to Moses from its midst. But it was assumed God was speaking to the world. When holy men penned God’s word they were filled with the spirit of
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Seven Jewish Holidays - Part 1 God and wrote. They were no other than Jewish people namely Moses, Isaiah, St. John, Peter, Paul, etc. when a woman gave birth to the Messiah it was no other than a Jewish woman (Miriam) (Mary) if it is analyzed God told Moses that He had heard the cry of His people who were in bondage. God wanted to free them as they needed His help. Till that moment those Hebrews were unrecognized and uneducated slaves.
They did not know actually who they were or what their nationality was or what happened at the burning bush or who their God was and His name. When Joseph was in a very high position under pharaoh a famine came and caused all the sons of Jacob to come and settle in Egypt. Since then they remained in that place for more than 400 years as slaves. They mixed and mingled with the heathens and began to worship their heathen Gods and Goddesses. They totally forgot about the God of their ancestors like Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and turned to worship Egypt Gods and Goddesses who were about 80 in number. So these Hebrews knew only man made Gods but not the God Almighty of their fore fathers. They did not know ancestral patriarch Abraham who had a promise from the same God the land of Milk and Honey called Canaan for them to occupy in future as the descendants of Abraham and their nations shall be abundantly blessed like stars in heaven and sand in the sea.
Our merciful God is undoubtedly a covenant keeping God. These Hebrews did not know this God but He knew them and He wanted to save them. His chosen people with the help of Moses. He knew their affliction and cry and time had come for the Hebrews to pack up everything and get ready to leave that country forever with their kith and kin. And God said to Moses “I have surely seen the affliction of my people.” Cecil B. D Mille in his classic epic “The Ten Commandments” while using the best cinematography and special effects of his day did not overstate the reality of Exodus from Egypt nor the men today with all their technology could retake the miraculous nature of Exodus while he was producing that monumental movie. God was with him and worked with him. God intentionally hardened the heart of the pharaoh so that he would not allow the children of Israel to go. Then God sent 10 plagues one after another and the
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The Redemption Plan of God last plague was concerning the death of first born in every family. The Israelites could save their first born by applying blood of the lamb to their main door posts which the Egyptians could not do even pharaoh lost his only son in the tenth plaque which surprised his followers. This incident made pharaoh to admit the God of Israel as the real God and finally the Israelites left Egypt permanently.
After pharaoh gave the permission Moses led the Israelites and it is said more than one and half million slaves with all their bag and baggage marched forward crossed the Sphinx of Egypt and entered into the desert. It was a remarkable seen to witness one and half million slaves were emancipated from their bondage. Generally all the cities in ancient days used to have walls around them but this Egypt had no such protection. The children of Israel marched towards the inhospitable wilderness. They were simply marching but did not know how or where they would get their food and water. Their destination was the promised land Canaan. They crossed the red sea where in the depth of the water was about 10 feet. Then they stayed at the mount Senai for sometime to receive the 10 commandments and to prepare the tabernacle the first mobile temple of God. They became hard nuts to crack and grumbled for everything in that desert. So God made them to wander in that wilderness as a punishment for forty years and finally reached their promised land under the leadership of Joshua.
Much must have been said about Israelites regarding their way of life in Egypt 3500 years ago but basing on the cry for their helpless condition we can use one word only “Redemption” as they suffered a lot innocently. The events that took place at that time were real, the miracles done by Moses were real and everything was done by God. Many things were done by God in favor of Hebrews and unquestionably our Almighty God is far superior to 80 Gods and Goddesses of Egyptians. The merciful God redeemed Israel with the hope they would worship Him as their true and living God but their redemption was not an ordinary one. It was so costly that the blood of Messiah had to shed the true lamb of God which took away all sins of the world. Apostle Paul while writing to 1 Corinthians said “Christ on a Passover is sacrificed for us low in the grave he lay.”
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SECOND FEAST UNLEAVENED BREAD:
The second feast is called the feast of unleavened bread. It was set on the fifteenth day of the same month Nisan fourteenth being Passover. This feast would continue for seven days during that week on the first day night and seventh night meeting would take place between God and His people. This is also called convocation. So both Passover and the unleavened bread would be observed by Jews as one holiday. This is strictly observed by them wherever they are throughout the world. “And on fifteenth day of the same month is the feast of unleavened bread unto the Lord seven days ye must eat unleavened bread” (Leviticus 23:6). In the Bible leaven symbolizes “Error or evil” as it causes fermentation therefore, the Lord said to His disciples “Beware of the leaven (evil doctrine) of the Pharisees. The Messiah was crucified on Passover. It was done by the Roman authorities and no way blocked the feast of Jews. Then He was buried according to Jewish custom in a borrowed tomb of Joseph of Arimathaea. His body would not decay in the grave or decompose like the bodies of other human beings. As it is said we come from dust and we go again into the dust will not apply to Jesus Christ. If the Passover feast or festival speaks about the death of our Lord on Calvary and if it is true then the feast of unleavened bread proclaimed that his physical body would not experience the ravages of death when His body was in the grave.
THIRD FEAST FIRST FRUIT
“And the Lord spoke unto Moses saying speak unto the children of Israel and unto them when you become unto the Lord which I gave unto you and reap the harvest there of then ye shall bring a sheaf of the first fruits of your harvest unto the priest. And he shall wave the sheaf before the Lord to be accepted for you on the marrow after the Sabbath” (Leviticus 23:9-11).
The third feast occurs on the second day of the seven day feast of unleavened bread. It is called the feast of “First fruits” so according to Jewish calendar their first month is “Nisan” as our first month of the year is January. In that month their first feast called Passover will take place on 14th of that month.
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The Redemption Plan of God The second feast unleavened bread will come on 15th of that month and the third feast will take place on 16th in the same Nisan month. We call this feast of first fruits the “Harvest festival” and some churches would observe this festival. In Hebrew language it is called the first sheaf (sheaf means fruits) traditionally the Jews cut something in the fields on the mount of Olives and bring it for the Lord for the purpose of ceremony onto the mount Moria. Acceptance of this by God is an earnest or pledged in his part. After this was done people would get their harvest from their concerned fields. As far as the significance of this first fruit is concerned there is no room for any speculation. Among Corinthian church believers an error was cropping in their minds and apostle Paul wanted to correct it in his writings. It seemed some of the believers were infected by the deadly first century virus called “Gnosticism” According to their philosophy anything we touch or feel in this material world is evil. In the same way if a man raises physically from the grave it will be an evil body. They believed in spiritual resurrection but not in physical resurrection. Therefore, these Gnostic teachings in the church had in attraction to some believers. The final conclusion was that they accepted immortality of the soul but not physical resurrection.
Apostle Paul returned to the spot to set right that grave situation in its budding stage. He wrote to the Corinthian church believers in the following manner “Now if Christ be preached that he rose from the dead how some among you that there is no resurrection of the dead?” (I Corinthians 15:12). To reject the very concept of physical resurrection of humanity amounts to the physical resurrection of the Christ Himself indirectly. These believers did not have faith in the physical resurrection. The outcome of their opinion was that everything that is physical is evil. There was a strong opposition towards the preaching’s of Paul and finally believers called him a liar because it was he who taught them that Messiah rose from His grave. Apostle Paul also said if Christ did not arise from the dead their faith was vain and his preaching vain.
Again to deny the resurrection of the Messiah to consign the loved one’s who had died in Christ to eternal damnation. By using unquestionable logic Paul brought the dying body of resurrection down to the depth of despair waste
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Seven Jewish Holidays - Part 1 on their own reason. Paul’s argument was this if there is no bodily resurrection then Messiah did not rise from the dead. By his wonderful argument Paul could somehow come out of that controversial issue. He used just two words which not only saved him but also elevated him to a higher level. Those two words are but now Christ is risen from dead, it is said Paul used these two words for 18 times in the New Testament. For example, to the church in Ephesians he wrote you were without church as being aliens at that time and even from the commonwealth of Israel and their God but now you were with Christ cleaned in His blood. Paul’s triumphant response was that Christ had risen from the dead and become first fruit of them. When God accepted the first fruit it became an assurance that the rest of crop could be taken out of the land as Christ Himself was the first fruit.
FOURTH FEAST SHAVUOT
It is a Hebrew word. In English it is called feast of the week. God told Jewish people that they should count seven weeks from the day of the first fruits. It comes to 7 x 7 = 49 days and to that figure one more day will be added from the Bible then it would become 50 days and the fourth feast come after 50 days of the third feast. The feast is also called Pentecost (Acts 2:1) which means “Fifty” it is called so because the feast comes just after 50 days exactly as it depicts the Christ’s resurrection. On this happy occasion, the children of Israel were to bring to the temple not only wheat, the first fruits of the harvest but also two loaves of leavened bread made of fine flour. Two loaves of bread the sheaf of barley and two loaves with leavened wheat flour. All this is pointed to the coming of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost and the beginning of the church age. The son of God arose from the grave on the day of first fruits and from that very day Christ spent 40 days with His disciples in post resurrection ministry. He told this to His disciples that it was necessary to ascend to heaven to his father and consult Him as their representative high priest for their benefits by His sacrifice for the sins of humanity.
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In addition to that Christ told them He would send the Holy Spirit to be helpful to them in His absence. He commanded them to remain in Jerusalem even if they had to face some difficulties till they receive the Holy Spirit. He remained them that John the Baptist baptized people including Jesus Himself with the water in Jordon river but the disciples would use the Holy Spirit for such things after saying all this Jesus ascended to heaven to His father and sent the Holy Spirit in 10 days as the Holy Spirit came upon the disciples they immediately began to speak in strange languages. During the time of the feast of the week any two loaves of leavened bread was brought to the temple. Those two loaves represented Jews and gentiles. Apostle Paul while writing to the Ephesians said for He is our peace who had made both Jews and gentiles as one and had broken down the middle wall of partition to make for Himself of Twain one new man. There was leaven in those two loaves because the believes have not yet been glorified. So there was still sin during that time within the church. The church is glorified providentially in the savior. But in experience, it has a long way to go through before being glorified. Since the church is body of Christ, it has still leaven within her. Therefore leaven had to be included in the two loaves before they were presented to God to Pentecost.
SALIENT POINTS
1.Passover
– This feast speaks about the redemption of Messiah and the
lamb was sacrificed for the sins of humanity.
2.Unleavenedbread
– This feast speaks about the sanctification – Jesus
was set apart unlike all other men. His body was not decayed in the grave
or decomposed.
3.The first fruit -
This feast tells about the resurrection of Jesus Christ.
Death could not lay his hands on Jesus. He conquered death and rose
triumphantly from the grave.
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4.The feast of the week –
This feast speaks about the origin of the coming
of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost. A new covenant and church age were
inaugurated which were instituted by Christ Himself in the upper room.
The middle wall that separated both Jews and Gentiles was removed
then the Lord called out the church which was His body. The major events of the first coming of Messiah that occurred during the first four Jewish holidays
1.Christ was crucified on the day of Passover feast.
2.He was put in the grave on the day of feast of unleavened bread.
3.He was resurrected on the day of the feast of the first fruit.In ten days
after Jesus ascended to his father sent the Holy Spirit to his disciples. It
was called the day of Pentecost.
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SEVEN JEWISH HOLIDAYS – PART II
The redemption work of Jesus Christ was linked with his first coming 2000 years ago. This was promptly and clearly depicted in the first four spring holidays as feasts of Jewish people. There are no doubt both are historical and Biblical facts and they have their own importance in the life of Jews. The remaining three feasts will be discussed in detail as part second in this article. As pointed out already those three feasts are connected with the second coming of the Christ so the Jewish people must be anxiously awaiting their occurrance and the fulfillment of prophesy. The first four feasts that occurred in the spring fall holidays were fulfilled literally. Added to that they were celebrated properly in scheduled time in the first coming of Messiah. As a matter of fact, all the seven feasts were part and parcel of the life of Jesus. The Jews took these feasts to their hearts and enjoyed them whole heartedly.
FIFTH FEAST THE FEAST OF TRUMPETS
“And the Lord spoke unto Moses saying speak unto the children of Israel saying in the seventh month in the first day of the month shall ye have a Sabbath a memorial of blowing of trumpets an holy convocation ye shall do no service work there in ye shall offer an offering made by fire unto the Lord” (Leviticus 23:25). This is called the feast of fall season. And the Jews called it in Hebrew language “Rosh hoshanah” which means head of the new year or new year. This feast would be celebrated in the beginning of the new year or at the start of civil year. According to Jewish calendar the name of that month is “Tishri.” And in our calendar this month comes in between (September and October). One important thing we have to remember in this context that this designation “Rosh hoshanah” is not given to the feast of trumpets in the scripture. But in the Bible this holiday is referred to a memorial of the blowing of trumpets. It is also said “Yon Teruah” which means blowing of trumpets. This is one of the seven holidays which centers around a musical instrument. It is also pointed out by some eminent scholars that the feast of trumpets must have being associated with the
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Seven Jewish Holidays - Part II destruction of Jerusalem temple by the Roman ruler Titus in 70 A.D. The trumpets feast with this information will take us back to the days of prophet Moses who guided and led Israel in the wilderness wonderings for 40 years about 3500 years ago.
As per the historical evidence the Jews gave more importance to this trumpet feast than all other feasts and equal importance to Yonkippur or the day of atonement. In Jerusalem this feast trumpet festival is not simply holiday but a highly holy day also. The gap between last feast of the spring season the feast of Pentecost and this trumpet feast is too long. That is we are now living in between Israelites fulfilled four feast and yet to be fulfilled fifth feast trumpets. The church age started with the commencement of Holy Spirit on that Pentecost day. The fifth feast trumpets will indicate the blowing of trumpets regarding the second coming of Messiah to rapture church and to judge the wicked ones. And that is the end of church age. During the time of Israelites rituals two types of trumpets were used one was long made of seamless silver and the second was a ram’s horns. The Israelites in their wanderings for forty years used those trumpets on different occasions. The silver trumpet was to be blown for the purpose of gathering Israel for an assembly whenever God wished to see and speak to them from the tabernacle. Moses wanted to give them some instructions with the blowing of other trumpet. The children of Israel were summoned to the presence of God. God asked Moses to get prepared two trumpets of silver as single pieces. They would be used for the purpose of calling Israel for their assembly and for giving instructions on the journey of the camp. When the trumpet was blown the congregation gathered before the door of tabernacle. When they blew only one trumpet the princess who were heads of thousands of Israelites gathered themselves. The second main reason for blowing the trumpet was when Israelites had to get ready for war under divine direction. “And if ye go to war in your land against enemy that opposeth you then ye shall blow an alarm with the trumpets and ye shall be remembered before your Lord thy God and ye shall be saved from your enemies” (Jeremiah 4:19-21) (Joel 2:1).
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Basing on this information about the importance of trumpets Joshua after Moses took the responsibility of leading Israelites to the promised land used the trumpet of war when he had to attack Jericho city. With divine blessing and direction he compassed the city and went round it for six days. And on the seventh day seven priests with the arch of covenant and with seven trumpets of rams horns went round the city along with warriors shouting loudly that God had given them Jericho city. All those incidents on the seventh day caused the city walls fall flat to the ground. In the same way, God used the services of Gideon to save His people Israelites from the menace of Midianites. These Midianites caused constant headache to Israel God was with him and guided him all the time. He divided his 300 men in two three companies and put trumpets in everybody’s hand with empty pitchers and lambs horns within them. Then Gideon advised them to look at him to follow his instructions. He also told them to say the word “The sword of the Lord and of Gideon.” Then they had to blow trumpets and break the empty pitchers that were in their hands.
Nehemiah also followed the same method when he was constructing the walls of Jerusalem city he asked his builders to blow the trumpets as and when any untwoword thing happens. As he anticipated some trouble shooters like Samaritans tried to disturb the progress of work. In such condition, he entrusted the construction work only to half of the workers and the remaining were ready with spears, shields, bows and arrows to fight any sudden attack. The builders also kept one hand on the wall for work and the other with a sword. God was with Nehemiah and so he could finish the construction on time. The prophets of Israelites spoke about the future day when God would directly involve in the affairs of man. The prophet called that auspicious day as “The day of the Lord” (Isaiah 13:6). The day of the Lord begins with the blow of trumpets. Then two events will follow quickly. The first one is the deliverance of the righteous by rapture and the second event will be deliverance of judgment about wicked people. Again the trumpets will be blown and the Messiah call his redeemed children to Himself through resurrection of rapture and then go to war against His enemies. The covenant of David was made with Israel king and this is on the
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Seven Jewish Holidays - Part II basis of Messiah’s return as the son of David and lion of the tribe of Judah to take His rightful throne as the king of kings and the Lord of Lords.
The new covenant was made with Israel but the church has written into its provision for salvation. The Lord’s table was the main source of Jewish Passover and with Jewish disciples but it is one of the ordinances of the church. The apostles were Jewish, the disciples were Jewish and the savior was also Jewish. Jesus Christ commanded his eleven Jewish disciples to evangelize the word of God even at the nook and corner of the world but it was known to people as the commission of the church. The church is built upon the foundation of apostles and prophets. Of course, the chief person for building of church is Jesus Christ himself. Israel and church are quite different to each other. Church is not Israel and Israel is not church. There are promises made for both yet there is contagious relationship between them. All blessings the church has been enjoying came out of the covenants and promises God made with Israel. So it should not appear strange or wonderful regarding the feast of trumpets. God gave to Israel as the fifth festival. It is meant to describe the rapture of church. It was made up of both Jews and Gentiles just before the out pouring of wrath of God during the day of the Lord.
Another important point we have to remember in this context is that the feast of trumpets occurs in the seventh month according to Jewish calendar “Tishri.” It comes on the first day of the month with the indication of new moon at that time the slightest crescent can be seen also. Sometimes the slightest crescent might become obscure even the small clouds around it. This particular condition might cause the rabbis to add another day for that feast so that they could have the correct assessment of the crescent moon.