A PROPHETIC OVERVIEW OF THE FEASTS OF ISRAEL Written by David Allen Rivera (2001)

When I began my studies about the pagan origin of the major holidays, I found out that there were only certain days which God's people were to honor, and they were contained in the Law of Moses. These were the Sabbath (7th day of the week), and the Feast Days. And then Jesus said we were to share communion in remembrance of Him, which actually occurred on Passover (one of the 7 Feast Days). Jews celebrate Passover in relationship to their calendar, while Christians partake of communion on what the pagan calendar calls Good Friday. However, the two are tied together by a divine mandate that is part of a prophetic message. One thing this study should show, is that the Old Testament is much more than a group of books detailing the history of God's people. It is a collection of books that contain prophecies so incredible that it will blow you away. The revelation of various Bible Codes has made this book more of a mystery than it ever was, however, if you are willing to do the research, and the detective work, you will be rewarded with an interpretation that reveals the truth of God's Word. Author and researcher Chuck Missler has said: "The New Testament is in the Old Testament concealed; the Old Testament is in the New Testament revealed."1 And we are told in the Scriptures (Romans 15:4): "For whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the scriptures might have hope."

HISTORICAL BACKGROUND The Holy Feast Days were included in God's law, and are related in Exodus 34:18-23: The feast of unleavened bread shalt thou keep. Seven days thou shalt eat unleavened bread, as I commanded thee, in the time of the month Abib: for in the month Abib thou camest out from Egypt. All that openeth the matrix is mine; and every firstling among thy cattle, whether ox or sheep, that is male. But the firstling of an ass thou shalt redeem with a lamb: and if thou redeem him not, then shalt thou break his neck. All the firstborn of thy sons thou shalt redeem. And none shall appear before me empty. Six days thou shalt work, but on the seventh day thou shalt rest: in earing time and in harvest thou shalt rest. And thou shalt observe the feast of weeks, of the firstfruits of wheat harvest, and the feast of ingathering at the year's end. Thrice in the year shall all your menchildren appear before the LORD God, the God of Israel. According to Deuteronomy 7:9, it says: "Know therefore that the LORD thy God, he is God, the faithful God, which keepeth covenant and mercy with them that love him and keep his commandments to a thousand generations;" and God said He would be with those who kept his commandments for 1000 generations (there were 42 generations from Abraham to Jesus). In addition to the weekly seventh day sabbath (Exodus 20:10-11, "But the seventh day is the sabbath of the LORD thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates: For in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and

Missler, Chuck. Cosmic Codes: Hidden Messages from the Edge of Eternity. Couer dAlene, ID: Koinonia House, 1999, pgs. 212, 409.

2 rested the seventh day: wherefore the LORD blessed the sabbath day, and hallowed it.") God established seven annual Sabbaths or Feast Days to memorialize God's dealing with His chosen people Israel. Since Israel was an agrarian society, they were set according to the harvest of crops throughout the year in the northern hemisphere, and form the foundation of God's calendar. His explicit reason for having Moses go to Pharoah, was to get His people released from Egypt so they could be free to keep His feasts and serve Him (Exodus 5:1, 8:1). The Feasts were intended to show how the Jewish people were set apart. In Exodus 31:13, it says: "Speak thou also unto the children of Israel, saying, Verily my sabbaths ye shall keep: for it is a sign between me and you throughout your generations; that ye may know that I am the LORD that doth sanctify you." One of Israel's problems is that they wanted to worship like the heathen nations around them who honored false gods and pagan observances. God said in Amos 5:21 - 23 "I hate, I despise your feast days, and I will not smell in your solemn assemblies. Though ye offer me burnt offerings and your meat offerings, I will not accept them: neither will I regard the peace offerings of your fat beasts. Take thou away from me the noise of thy songs; for I will not hear the melody of thy viols." In Jeremiah 10:2, God warns: "Thus saith the LORD, Learn not the way of the heathen, and be not dismayed at the signs of heaven; for the heathen are dismayed at them." The Feasts of God were not just intended for ancient Israel, so they are not exclusively Jewish. In Leviticus 23:2 ("Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them, Concerning the feasts of the LORD, which ye shall proclaim to be holy convocations, even these are my feasts."), God says to Moses that they are "my feasts," and that fact is emphasized in verses 4, 37, 44. If they were commanded for Israel, kept by Jesus, observed by the New Testament Church, and were to be kept as statutes in the coming kingdom, why should they be suspended now? In 1 Corinthians 5:7-8, ("Purge out therefore the old leaven, that ye may be a new lump, as ye are unleavened. For even Christ our passover is sacrificed for us: Therefore let us keep the feast, not with old leaven, neither with the leaven of malice and wickedness; but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.") Paul wrote about keeping the Passover, and the Feast of Unleaven Bread. The people of Corinth were Gentiles unfamiliar with Old Testament teachings, or the worship of God. Paul believed, and kept feasts (Acts 24:14 "But this I confess unto thee, that after the way which they call heresy, so worship I the God of my fathers, believing all things which are written in the law and in the prophets:" and 1 Corinthians 11:26 "For as often as ye eat this bread, and drink this cup, ye do shew the Lord's death till he come."). In Galatians 3:24-25, Paul said: "Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith." This statement shows that Paul knew the purpose of the Feasts. Many confuse the setting aside of animal sacrifices with the termination of the Law and Feast Days. Psalm 40 shows that from the beginning, God did not desire animal sacrifices, only obedience, which is better than sacrifice (1 Samuel 15:22, "And Samuel said, Hath the LORD as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the LORD? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams."). The seven annual observances were, according to Leviticus, verses 14, 21, 31, and 41, to be observed "for ever." In the Hebrew, this word is translated from owlam (Strong's # 5769),2 and refers to "the vanishing point," "time out of mind," or "eternal." Its root is the word alam

Strong, James. "A Concise Dictionary of the Words in the Hebrew Bible." The New Strong's Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible. Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Publishers, 1990, pg. 86.

3 (Strong's # 5957),3 which means, "future or past indefinitely," or "everlasting."4 Understanding the Feasts means to understand the plan of God. The Feast Days are a shadow of things yet to come (Col 2:16-17, "Let no man therefore judge you in meat, or in drink, or in respect of an holyday, or of the new moon, or of the sabbath days: Which are a shadow of things to come; but the body is of Christ.") and a future prophecy of events yet to unfold. The first three Feasts were prophetic of the Lord's first coming, and the last three Feasts in the Fall are prophetic of the Lord's second coming, and await future fulfillment.5 The Gospel of John shows how Jesus fulfilled the Spring Feasts, and John wrote in Revelation how Jesus will fulfill the Fall Feasts. Donald Guthrie in his Introduction said that the Gospel of John is arranged to portray the life of Christ in the sequence of Jewish feast days. In the introduction to the Gospel in the Jerusalem Bible it says: "Moreover, this gospel is far more interested than the Synoptics (Matthew, Mark, and Luke) in worship and sacraments. It relates the life of Jesus to the Jewish liturgical year, and associates His miracles with the principle feasts..." In regard to its division and organization, it says: "In the first place there is no doubt that he attaches special importance to the Jewish liturgical feasts which he uses to punctuate his narrative. These are: three feasts of Passover, 2:13, 6:4, 11:55, etc....Secondly, the evangelist on several occasions very deliberately calculates the number of days with a view to divide the life of Christ into set periods." R. H. Lightfoot wrote in his St. John's Gospel A Commentary: "Finally, each of the sections is connected, more or less closely, with a Festival of the Jewish sacred year. From the first it was a recognized part of the tradition that the Lord's death had taken place at Passover time, and in thus spreading the incidents of the Jewish feasts throughout the ministry, St. John...invites the reader to see the Lord's whole work in close connection with the Jewish festival, especially the Passover...In St. John's view all these festivals in different ways have pointed forward to the coming of the Lord, and in that coming they have now been fulfilled." When Jesus went into the synagogue at Nazareth at the outset of his ministry (Luke 4:1618), He read from the first verse of Isaiah 61, and part of the second. He didn't finish the second verse, which was about the vengeance of God, because that wasn't His mission when He came the first time. It will be the second time. It is important to remember that Jesus said (Matthew 5:17): "Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil." He came right out and said that He came in fulfillment of the many prophecies in the Old Testament. The reason why Israel couldn't understand the prophetic nature of the Feasts was that if they could have, Satan would have also, and would have known God's plan, and would have known that the Messiah would come in fulfillment of the Feasts, so His blood would be shed for the atonement of sin. Then Jesus would have never been crucified. When the Fall Feasts are fulfilled, Israel's eyes will be open to the truth.

Strong, James. "A Concise Dictionary of the Words in the Hebrew Bible." The New Strong's Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible. Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Publishers, 1990, pg. 89.
4 5

YNCA. Biblical Holy Days. Kingdom City, MO: Yahweh's New Covenant Assembly, 1991, pg. 16-17. Jeffrey, Grant R. Armageddon: Appointment With Destiny. New York, NY: Bantam Books, 1990, pg. 46-47.

4 UNDERSTANDING THE JEWISH CALENDAR In 1 Thessalonians 5:1, Paul's statement about the times and seasons clearly indicates a knowledge of God's reckoning of time as stated in Genesis 1:14. The Hebrew day begins at sundown (approximately 6 PM), which stems from Genesis 1:5 which says that the, "evening and the morning were the first day."6 The 7th day Jewish Sabbath begins Friday at sundown and ends Saturday at sundown, after which the new week begins. In Genesis 1:14, God set into motion the heavenly bodies to establish the time and seasons. The word "seasons" comes from the Hebrew word moed (Strongs # 4150),7 and doesn't refer to the four seasons, but an "appointment" or "fixed time," and is also the word used for Feasts in Leviticus 23. Every 29 or 30 days (there are 29.530587 days in a lunar month), a thin, crescentshaped moon appears in the western sky, known as the visible "new moon." The Hebrew word chodesh (Strong's # 2320)8 means "new moon," which is translated as "month." Rosh Hodesh is the first day of every month and is announced through the blowing of the shofar or ram's horn (Psalm 81:3-5).9

THE FEAST DAYS A description of the Feasts are found in Leviticus 23:2-4 (as well as Numbers 28 and 29, Deuternomy 16): Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them, Concerning the feasts of the LORD, which ye shall proclaim to be holy convocations (from the Hebrew word miqra, Strong's # 4744, meaning "something called out," and "a rehearsal"),10 even these are my feasts. Six days shall work be done: but the seventh day is the sabbath of rest, an holy convocation; ye shall do no work therein: it is the sabbath of the LORD in all your dwellings. These are the feasts of the LORD, even holy convocations, which ye shall proclaim in their seasons.

FEAST OF LOTS Feast of Lots (Purim) Spring Feast, 14th day of 12th month (Adar), March 8 (2001), a joyful feast Not one of the appointed feasts

6 7

Miller, D.A. Forbidden Knowledge or is it San Juan Capistrano, CA: Joy Publishing, 1991, pg. 38.

Strong, James. "A Concise Dictionary of the Words in the Hebrew Bible." The New Strong's Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible. Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Publishers, 1990, pg. 63. Ibid., pg. 37. Jeffrey, Grant R. Armageddon: Appointment With Destiny. New York, NY: Bantam Books, 1990, pg. 47.

8 9

Strong, James. "A Concise Dictionary of the Words in the Hebrew Bible." The New Strong's Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible. Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Publishers, 1990, pg. 71.

10

5 This is a celebration of the deliverance of the Jews from a massacre that was planned by the Persian minister Haman (a shadow picture of the Antichrist). The Book of Esther, read during this Feast, details how Esther, the Jewish queen, risked her life and interceded with her husband, King Ahasuerus, to spare the life of her uncle, Mordecai; and Haman was himself hung on the same gallows. As part of the observance, participants write Haman's name on the bottom of their shoes, and when his name is read during the account in Esther, they stomp their feet on the floor.

PASSOVER Feast #1 - Passover (Pesach) Spring Feast (not an annual Sabbath) 14th day of first month (Abib or Nisan), April 6 (2001), a solemn feast Theme: Covenant relationship with God God makes the covenant with Abraham in regard to the Promised Land. The Passover Meal is eaten in preparation for the Exodus. The First Passover in Canaan where the Covenant is renewed. The Book of the Law was found and reaffirmed under Josiah. The Dedication of the Second Temple. John the Baptist was born. The Last Supper, where a New Covenant was offered by Jesus.11 This is referenced in Leviticus 23:5 (and Numbers 28:16): In the fourteenth day of the first month at even is the LORD's passover. In Deuteronomy 16:1, it says: "Observe the month of Abib (Strongs # 24 "green, or young ear of grain")12, and keep the passover unto the LORD thy God: for in the month of Abib the LORD thy God brought thee forth out of Egypt by night." Abib is the first month of the Hebrew year, and occurs in the Spring, around the time of the vernal equinox. It always falls on a full moon.13 God's year begins when the earth comes to life in the spring, with the greening of the barley. Animal sacrifices were not barbaric. God was making a prophetic point, which He initially made in the Garden of Eden (Genesis 3:21), when, upon evicting Adam and Eve, gave them clothing made out of animal skins. The point was, without the shedding of blood, there is no remission of sins (Leviticus 17:11, Hebrews 9:14, 22). The length of Israel's captivity in Egypt was given to Abraham by God (Genesis 15:1316), but it was through their eventual deliverance that God revealed his plan for mankind's redemption. In a prelude to the last plague on Egypt, Moses instructed the people to kill a lamb on the 14th day, take the blood and smear it on the doorposts and lintels for protection from the

11 12

Jeffrey, Grant R. Armageddon: Appointment With Destiny. New York, NY: Bantam Books, 1990, pg. 53.

Strong, James. "A Concise Dictionary of the Words in the Hebrew Bible." The New Strong's Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible. Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Publishers, 1990, pg. 7.
13

Jeffrey, Grant R. Armageddon: Appointment With Destiny. New York, NY: Bantam Books, 1990, pg. 51.

6 Death Angel who would come at midnight to strike all the firstborn (Exodus 12:1-14). The traditional celebration began on the 10th, when each family was to present a male lamb to the High Priest, for his approval. It had to be without blemish. They had to keep it inside their house, till it was slaughtered by the head of the house on the 14th day, as the sun went down, around 6 PM (or sunset, when their day began). The lamb, being innocent, was killed for the sins of the family. The entire lamb was to be consumed, with nothing to be left for the next day (Exodus 12:1-13, Leviticus 23:4-5). Passover represents personal redemption, while the Day of Atonement represents national redemption. After the Temple was built, the Passover ceremony was transferred from individual homes to the Temple, where the head of each family went and killed their own lamb, inside the temple court.14 Exodus 12:6 seemingly gives us a prophetic picture in regard to Christ, because even though each household is responsible, the wording of this verse suggests something else by saying "and the whole assembly of the congregation of Israel shall kill it in the evening," which points to a singular lamb being offered. During the time of Jesus, on the 10th day of Abib, the High Priest would go out the North Gate (or Damascus gate), and walk through a path made by two columns of Levite priests, standing shoulder to shoulder with palm fronds, facing each other. The High Priest and his entourage would go to Bethlehem and pick out a lamb for sacrifice. The priests would stand there and wait for him to return. When the High Priest would return, the priests would begin crying out: "Hosanna, in the highest; blessed is he that comes in the name of the Lord." Then when the people would hear this, they would all run out of their houses and rooms with their palm fronds, cedar and pine boughs, and yell the same thing. It was during this ceremony that Jesus rode into Jerusalem. There was a city that became known as the place where sacrificial lambs were raised, because Josephus, the first century Jewish historian wrote that on a particular Passover, there were 256,500 lambs slain.15 That city was Bethlehem the birthplace of Jesus.16 The night before He died, Jesus established a new covenant with His disciples in what is known as the Last Supper. The cup of wine was the symbol of His shed blood; and unleavened bread, represented His body. When Jesus was "cut-off," He became the perfect sacrifice, thus eliminating the need for animal sacrifices. In the 29th and 36th verse of the first chapter of the Gospel of John, John the Baptist identifies Jesus as the Lamb of God; and in Revelation 13:8, He is identified as the "Lamb slain from the foundation of the world." Paul, in 1 Corinthians 5:7, said: "For even Christ our passover is sacrificed for us:" The substitutionary death of Jesus was foretold in the 53rd chapter of Isaiah; as well as Psalm 22, the first sentence of which, were Jesus' first words from the cross. On the 10th day of Abib, in fulfillment of prophecy, Jesus was set apart for sacrifice when Mary anointed Him with perfumed oil. In the morning, still the same day, He made His triumphant entry into Jerusalem (in Matthew 21), where Jesus was being "presented," being observed and examined by the crowds and Pharisees. Daniel 9:20-27 foretold, to the day, the day Jesus entered into Jerusalem on a donkey, and was the only time He allowed Himself to be recognized as their king. When Pilate found no "fault in him," (John 19:4), which was after the four day inspection of the lamb by the High Priest, it was a fulfillment of the prophecy of being

14 15 16

Jeffrey, Grant R. Armageddon: Appointment With Destiny. New York, NY: Bantam Books, 1990, pg. 43. Ibid., pg. 43. Miller, D.A. Forbidden Knowledge or is it San Juan Capistrano, CA: Joy Publishing, 1991, pg. 45.

7 without blemish, which is why no bones were broken when He was on the cross (John 19:36, in fulfillment of Exodus 12:46, Numbers 9:12, Psalm 34:20).17 Peter acknowledged this fact In 1 Peter 1:19. Jesus was then crucified on Passover Day, while the Jews were actually killing the lambs in preparation for the celebration (John 19:14-15), and died at the moment the sacrificial killing began.18 The Jews, in not wanting the body to hang on the cross overnight, in adherence to the Law, were actually fulfilling the prophecy in regard to not keeping any of the sacrifice until morning.19 In a Passover seder they use the Matzah (unleavened bread), which is pierced, and striped. They always have three, in which the one in the middle is broken (Jesus hung between two thieves), and half of it is wrapped in a cloth and hidden. They don't know why they do this, nor do they realize the significance. In the formal Passover ceremony there are four cups of wine involved: "The Bringing Out (in reference to coming out of Egypt)," "Delivering (being delivered out of Egypt)," "The Cup of Redemption," and "The Taking Out."20 In 1 Corinthians 10:16, Paul talks about the Cup of Blessing in reference to the Lord's Supper, which references this third cup. Remember, Jesus said He would not drink of the fruit of the vine until they were together (Luke 22:15-18), and there are some scholars who believe that the Passover that night was unfinished since the fourth cup was not taken (called "The Taking Out"). It is believed that He will share this cup with the Body after the Rapture, because Jesus seems to refer to a later fulfillment in His kingdom. In the Mishna (the entire body of Jewish Biblical, Oral and Rabbinic Law which was developed before AD 200), Pescah 7:13, it says that the wine administered at Passover is to be mixed with warm water. Rabbis don't know why they have to do that, they just know that they are supposed to. This seems to have been fulfilled by Jesus when He was pierced in the side, and John 19:34 says that blood and water came out. The Mishna also calls the Passover Lamb "his body."

FEAST OF UNLEAVENED BREAD Feast #2 - Feast of Unleavened Bread (Hag-Ha-Matzot) Spring Feast (1st annual Sabbath) 15th day of first month (Abib or Nisan), April 7 (2001), a joyful feast (lasts for 7 days) One of the three feasts which were mandatory (Exodus 34:18, 22-23) Theme: Purging out the leaven of sin
17 18 19 20

The Exodus from Egypt The Crucifixion of Christ The End of the Jewish Resistance at Masada21

Miller, D.A. Forbidden Knowledge or is it San Juan Capistrano, CA: Joy Publishing, 1991, pg. 50. Ibid., pg. 51. Ibid., pg. 53. Muncaster, Ralph O. Does the Bible Predict the Future? Eugene, OR: Harvest House Publishers, 2000, pg. 26.

21

Jeffrey, Grant R. Armageddon: Appointment With Destiny. New York, NY: Bantam Books, 1990, pg. 58.

8 This is referenced in Leviticus 23:6-8: And on the fifteenth day of the same month is the feast of unleavened bread unto the LORD: seven days ye must eat unleavened bread. In the first day ye shall have an holy convocation: ye shall do no servile work therein. 8 But ye shall offer an offering made by fire unto the LORD seven days: in the seventh day is an holy convocation: ye shall do no servile work therein. The Matzoh (unleavened bread) that is eaten is to remind Israel of the night when the Hebrews ate the sacrificial lamb and unleavened bread, and symbolizes the elimination of the sins of Egypt. As the Hebrews prepared to leave Egypt quickly, there wasn't enough time to wait for the dough to rise, so they had to take it in the unleavened state Matzoh. This became the symbol of their freedom from slavery by God. The leaven, or yeast, in bread, causes it to rise and become fluffy. Yeast is a live fungus, so when it is used, it will eventually become moldy and not be edible. Bread baked without leaven is flat, and does not spoil.22 Leaven represents sin, because it corrupts by puffing up. God hates pride, because it was through the pride in Lucifer's heart that sin originated. Leaven is also symbolic of sin in the New Testament (Matthew 16:6, Luke 12:1, 1 Corinthians 5:6-8, Galatians 5:7-9). Jews geared up for this celebration during the Passover preparation by removing all leaven from their homes. For seven days only unleavened bread is to be eaten, however today, only token amounts of unleavened bread is eaten which serves as a reminder of the price that Jesus paid for our past sins. The ceremony portrays a spiritual housecleaning. Leaven is representative of this doctrine and for seven days, one is feeding upon the pure unadulterated doctrinal bread of truth. We can actually find some interesting references earlier that are prophetic shadow pictures. When Abraham came back victorious from the battle with the 9 Kings, he gives tithes to a priest, Melchizedek king of Salem, who gives Abraham bread and wine. Christ is known as our High Priest, not out of the Levitical Order of Aaron, but of Melchizedek, which is promised in the Psalm 110 and explained in the book of Hebrews. When Joseph was imprisoned (Genesis 40:1-19), falsely accused of trying to seduce the Pharaoh's wife, he found himself with the chief butler, and the chief baker. They both had dreams which they asked Joseph to interpret. The butler's dream had to do with giving Pharaoh a cup of wine, while the baker's had to do with the preparation of baked goods for Pharaoh. Joseph interpreted the dreams, and they were fulfilled three days later, when the butler (wine) was restored, but the baker (bread) was beheaded (broken) and hung.23 In John 6:35, Jesus said He was the "Bread of Life," and prophetically tied himself to the manna in the wilderness to be partaken of. Jesus was made sin for us (2 Corinthians 5:21, 1 John 3:5), and Jesus parallels that in his conversation with Nicodemus in John 3, when He compares Himself to the brass serpent. The Hebrews had a plague of snakes and Moses hung a brass serpent on a staff, and everyone who looked at it would be saved. Just as Moses raised the snake, so the Son of Man was to be lifted up, on a cross. From Genesis 3, the serpent was a type of sin; and Brass was representative of judgement, because it was the type of metal that could sustain fire. So the brass serpent was sin judged.

22 23

Miller, D.A. Forbidden Knowledge or is it San Juan Capistrano, CA: Joy Publishing, 1991, pg. 59. Muncaster, Ralph O. Does the Bible Predict the Future? Eugene, OR: Harvest House Publishers, 2000, pg. 26.

9 FEAST OF FIRSTFRUIT Feast #3 - Feast of Firstfruit or Offering of the Wave-Sheaf (Bikkurim) Spring Feast 17th day of first month (Abib or Nisan), April 14 (2001), a joyful feast Theme: Resurrection Noah's Ark came to rest on Mount Ararat (Gen 8:4, see Exodus 12:2) Israel crossed the Red Sea Israel crossed the Jordan and ate of the Firstfruits of the Promised Land In the book of Esther, the Jews were saved from probable annihilation on this day. The resurrection of Jesus occurred.24 This is referenced in Leviticus 23:9-11: And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them, When ye be come into the land which I give unto you, and shall reap the harvest thereof, then ye shall bring a sheaf of the firstfruits of your harvest unto the priest: And he shall wave the sheaf before the LORD, to be accepted for you: on the morrow after the sabbath (or Sunday after Sabbath following Passover) the priest shall wave it. This was the time when the early crops of spring were harvested and God wanted Israel to remember that all they had came from Him, and the first fruits, a token of their crop, was to be given to God (Exodus 23:19). Jesus became the Old Testament symbol by presenting Himself as the wave sheaf offering in John 20:15-17, in fulfillment of Leviticus 23:9-11. By understanding mankind as wheat and tares in the parable of Matthew 13, we are given a deeper insight into Jesus' role as the wave sheaf. The harvest of grain could not begin until the special sheaf was waived before God. Jesus was the firstfruits unto God (according to Paul in 1 Corinthians 15:23), and since the grain harvest was symbolic of God's harvest of human souls, the Church could not be established until Jesus fulfilled the prophecy. He was the first to be resurrected to life, and those who follow Him will do likewise. In Job 19:25-26 Job talks about seeing God, and as the oldest book of the Bible (said to have been written around the time of Joseph), is the oldest reference to the Rapture and bodily resurrection. Other possible Old Testament references can be found in Isaiah 26:19-21, Genesis 18 (Sodom and Gomorrah), and Daniel 2 (Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego thrown in fiery furnace, and for whatever reason Daniel had been removed from the situation as to not be threatened possibly on state business).

24

Jeffrey, Grant R. Armageddon: Appointment With Destiny. New York, NY: Bantam Books, 1990, pg. 60.

10 FEAST OF WEEKS Feast #4 - Feast of the Harvest or Feast of Weeks (Shavuoth), Pentecost (or "fiftieth" in Greek, held 50 days from the weekly Sabbath of Unleavened Bread) Spring Feast Sivan 6, May 27 (2001), a joyful feast Second of the three feasts which were mandatory (Exodus 34:18, 22-23) Theme: The Unveiling of God's will Jewish oral rabbinical tradition says that this is the day that Enoch was born, as well as taken (raptured) into heaven. The giving of the Law to Moses on Mount Sinai (Israel born) Boaz and Ruth were married. Birth and death of King David. The giving of the Holy Spirit to the Church (Church born)25 This is referenced in Leviticus 23:12-22: And ye shall offer that day when ye wave the sheaf an he lamb without blemish of the first year for a burnt offering unto the LORD. And the meat offering thereof shall be two tenth deals of fine flour mingled with oil, an offering made by fire unto the LORD for a sweet savour: and the drink offering thereof shall be of wine, the fourth part of an hin. And ye shall eat neither bread, nor parched corn, nor green ears, until the selfsame day that ye have brought an offering unto your God: it shall be a statute for ever throughout your generations in all your dwellings. And ye shall count unto you from the morrow after the sabbath, from the day that ye brought the sheaf of the wave offering; seven sabbaths shall be complete: Even unto the morrow after the seventh sabbath shall ye number fifty days; and ye shall offer a new meat offering unto the LORD. Ye shall bring out of your habitations two wave loaves of two tenth deals; they shall be of fine flour; they shall be baken with leaven; they are the firstfruits unto the LORD. And ye shall offer with the bread seven lambs without blemish of the first year, and one young bullock, and two rams: they shall be for a burnt offering unto the LORD, with their meat offering, and their drink offerings, even an offering made by fire, of sweet savour unto the LORD. Then ye shall sacrifice one kid of the goats for a sin offering, and two lambs of the first year for a sacrifice of peace offerings. And the priest shall wave them with the bread of the firstfruits for a wave offering before the LORD, with the two lambs: they shall be holy to the LORD for the priest. And ye shall proclaim on the selfsame day, that it may be an holy convocation unto you: ye shall do no servile work therein: it shall be a statute for ever in all your dwellings throughout your generations. And when ye reap the harvest of your land, thou shalt not make clean riddance of the corners of thy field when thou reapest, neither shalt thou gather any gleaning of thy harvest: thou shalt leave them unto the poor, and to the stranger: I am the LORD your God. This was when God made covenant with Israel and His law was codified memorializing the events at Mount Sinai, which is actually commemorated later. In the New Testament, ten days after the Ascension, it was fulfilled when the Holy Spirit was given at Pentecost (Acts 2) to

25

Jeffrey, Grant R. Armageddon: Appointment With Destiny. New York, NY: Bantam Books, 1990, pg. 66.

11 empower. In this celebration, the Jews offer two loaves of bread, baked with leaven (and is the only Feast that leavened bread is to be used), which in the light of the New Testament seems to symbolizing Jew and Gentile. This Feast Day ends with a dance which has come to be known as the "Dance of the Pierced One." The dancer goes through the streets of Jerusalem to the Temple, playing a flute with five holes. The five holes represent the five places that Jesus was pierced; and the playing of the instrument signifies the Holy Spirit being blown into the disciples. For this Feast, Jews read the book of Ruth, because Rabbis say it has to do with harvest. Yet, the book of Ruth, along with being a beautiful love story, also details the role of the Kinsman Redeemer, and is symbolic of the Church. Pentecost is predictive of the Church.

FEAST OF TRUMPETS Feast #5 - Day of Blowing (Yom Teruah), Day of Announcements, Feast of Trumpets (religious observance), Rosh Ha'shanah (civil New Year observance) Fall Feast (sabbath) 1st day of 7th month (Tishri, a significant number indicating completion and perfection), September 17 (2001), a joyful feast Theme: New Beginnings Ancient oral tradition leads us to believe that Adam and Eve were created on this day, and it was the date they were expelled from the Garden; the Flood waters were dried up and Noah removed the covering of the Ark; and Joseph was released after spending 16 years in an Egyptian jail. Joshua brought the first offering to the rebuilt Altar. Ezra read the Law to the returning exiles to reaffirm the Covenant. Believed to be the date for the commencement of the battle of Armageddon.26

Referenced in Leviticus 23:23-25: And the LORD spake 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 servile work therein: but ye shall offer an offering made by fire unto the LORD. At Mount Sinai, God told Moses that if His people would keep His commandments, they would become a royal priesthood, a holy people who would be priests to the world. They were to sanctify themselves for two days, and then on the third, when the trump blew, the people were to gather together. The trumpet blew so loud that the people were scared. When they got to Sinai, the trumpets stopped. Because the people were afraid to hear His voice, Moses became the spokesperson, and God called him up the mountain to give Him Law. Even though this actually occurred at what came to be known at Pentecost, it is commemorated on the 1st day of the 7th month. Although the term "trumpets" is used, which actually refers long silver horns; it actually refers to the shofar, or ram's horn. This takes you back to Genesis 22, when Abraham was commanded to offer Isaac (who the Talmud says was 27 years old, but some Bible scholars

26

Jeffrey, Grant R. Armageddon: Appointment With Destiny. New York, NY: Bantam Books, 1990, pg. 83.

12 believed was 30) as a sacrifice. It took them three days to get to the site. As you know, an angel stayed his hand, and a ram was given to be presented as a substitutionary sacrifice. The ram's two horns is given significance by the rabbis who say that the left horn is representative of the "first trump," and was blown at Sinai when the Law was given; and the right horn, is the "last trump." The sacrifice of Isaac, and the substitutionary ram are types and shadows of Jesus. The celebration of this Feast began a month before when they blew the shofar for 29 days, and on the last day of the month stopped. On first day of Tishri, one more blowing occurred, consisting of 3 distinct series of 30 blasts each, which then concluded with 10 blasts. At the end of all these blowings was one, last long sounding, called "Teki'ah Gedolah," which means the "Great Blowing." The last sounding is a long blast, which becomes louder and louder till it ended, indicating victory (as opposed to short blasts indicating alarm), and is called the "Last Trump," even though there are other blowings, yet to come in other Feasts, especially Yom Kippur. It is identified as such because of the Lord coming down to Sinai to speak to Moses,27 which is commemorated in this Feast; and also because of the ram (representing the Messiah) that replaced Isaac as a sacrifice. Paul also talks about this last trump (1 Corinthians 15:52). The sound of shofar has been associated with an admonishment against sin. Before the Day of Trumpets, people would have their garments washed and bleached, to be as white as possible; stretched out to eliminate wrinkles; and then folded to be ready for the High Sabbath. Women would get the feast ready, then go back to the millstone to grind, and the men would go back to the fields to harvest. At the first sliver of the new moon, a couple of men would rush up to the Temple Mount, from the field. The gate would be closed at sundown. They would yell to the Temple Guard: "We have seen the New Moon." When there was at least two witnesses, the Guard went up to the Temple Mount, to a member of the Sanhedrin, who would then go down and verify the two witnesses, and then tell an assembly of all the elders in the Hall of Hewn Stone (adjacent to the Temple), and then calls upon the High Priest to say that they have two witnesses. The High Priest stands on the Temple Mount (he is the only one who has the authority over the gate after the sun is set) and calls on the two witnesses to come up to the High Priest and the Elders to give a reckoning of the New Moon, after which the High Priest calls for the sounding of the shofar. The Trump sounds from Mount Moriah, and across the Kidron valley, on the Mount of Olives, a sentry standing there with a torch lights a pile of wood. When other sentries see this light, they light their fires and blow the shofar. This is a High Sabbath. Everything in Israel comes to a halt, everyone stops working, and stores close at the sound of the First Trumpet. They go home to wash and put on their white garments. Even though the Feast of Trumpets comes every year, nobody knows the day or hour, so if you have not prepared in advance by washing and setting aside your garment it was too late. After four months, the silence is broken by the sound of trumpets, an announcement of something important about to happen. The New Moon appears to have been the announcement of the birth of Jesus, and will be the announcement of the confirmation of the Covenant spoken by the prophet Daniel. In Revelation 8:7 - 11:15, seven trumpets sound to announce events which are similar to what the Egyptians experienced in Moses' day. The final trumpet announces God's victory over the kingdoms of this world (Revelation 11:15). Jesus will return at the sound of a trumpet (1 Thessalonians 4:16), and God's angels will gather His people (Matthew 24:31). Since people in Jerusalem wanted to kill Jesus, He didn't go there, because it was not

27

Miller, D.A. Forbidden Knowledge or is it San Juan Capistrano, CA: Joy Publishing, 1991, pg. 83.

13 required to go to the Temple for the Feast. He was at Galilee, and then afterwards He went to the synagogue at Capernium, where He taught about the Resurrection and the Last Days. This Feast day is a picture of the Resurrection in the Last Days. Because of the mention of the trump in 1 Thessalonians 4:16-18, and 1 Corinthians 15:51-52, some scholars believe that the Rapture will take place during this Feast, representing a harvest of souls being taken up to heaven The Jewish custom of 10 Days of Awe (or Teshuvah, which encompasses the 7 Days of Affliction or "Yomim Noraim", believed to be a shadow picture of the 7 year Tribulation) takes place from Tishri 1 to Tishri 10, leading up to the Day of Atonement. During this period, the grain is brought into the garner. The wheat was separated from the chaff. The chaff was put at one end of the threshing room floor, and at the end of the 10 days was burned. These were days of introspection when you looked back at what you planted, how much you watered it, how you worked the land, if you did what you were supposed to do, and what kind of harvest you got. It is the time when you consider the different things you could have done to have a better harvest. You could have planted earlier, spent more time, or prepared the ground better. But you can't go back, and there's no way to go back. And likewise, spiritually, represents a time of intense introspection when the person thinks about their sin, confesses it in repentance to never do it again, in preparation for the Day of Atonement. Those who don't atone are judged on that day.

DAY OF ATONEMENT Feast #6 - Day of Atonement (Yom Kippur, Hebrew for "day of covering") Fall Feast (fast day) 10th day of 7th month (Tishri), September 26 (2001), a solemn feast Theme: Mourning and Atoning for sin Aaron, the Hebrew's first High Priest, made atonement for the sins of Israel. Transfiguration took place Israel divinely saved from Arab attack in Yom Kippur War in October, 1973. Believed to be the time Messiah will return, to incinerate the armies coming against Israel.28 This is referenced in Leviticus 23:26-32: And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, Also on the tenth day of this seventh month there shall be a day of atonement: it shall be an holy convocation unto you; and ye shall afflict your souls, and offer an offering made by fire unto the LORD. And ye shall do no work in that same day: for it is a day of atonement, to make an atonement for you before the LORD your God. For whatsoever soul it be that shall not be afflicted in that same day, he shall be cut off from among his people. And whatsoever soul it be that doeth any work in that same day, the same soul will I destroy from among his people. Ye shall do no manner of work: it shall be a statute for ever throughout your generations in all your dwellings. It shall be unto you a sabbath of rest, and ye shall afflict your souls: in the ninth day of the month at even, from even unto even, shall ye celebrate your sabbath. We find the Old Testament type for atonement in the mercy seat on the Ark of the

28

Jeffrey, Grant R. Armageddon: Appointment With Destiny. New York, NY: Bantam Books, 1990, pg. 88.

14 Covenant. The phrase "mercy seat" is translated from the Hebrew word kapporeth (Strong's # 3727), whose root is kaphar (Strong's # 3722),29 which means "to cover," "make atonement," "cleanse," "forgive," or "pardon." This was the only day that the High Priest was able to enter the Holy of Holies, and only after numerous ceremonial washings, offerings, and associated rituals. Hebrews 9:4 tells us that the tablets of the Law were placed in the Ark of the Covenant, covered by the lid or mercy seat. When the high priest made a sin offering for himself, he sprinkled blood before and on the mercy seat (Leviticus 16:6, 14-15). This symbolized a blood covering for his acts of lawbreaking (sins). Two goats were chosen, one as a sacrifice offering for the sins of the nation of Israel, and its blood was sprinkled on and in front of the Mercy Seat; while the other (known as azazel or "scapegoat") had the sins of the nation confessed over it, and a priest led it out to the wilderness to be released. This was a prophetic picture of Christ, who had to die for our sins; and as our living Savior, takes away our sins. By the time of the Second Temple period (after 515 BC), the people began shouting at the scapegoat, and pulling out it's hair as it was led past them, ironically mirroring the crowd's angry reaction to Jesus. Years later, the scapegoat, marked with a crimson thread, was led to a ravine 12 miles out of town, where one end of the thread was tied to a rock, and the other to the two horns, and then it was pushed down, till the Mishna said it was, "broken to pieces."30 There is also trumpet blowing during this Feast. While the trumpet is blowing, and the High Priest is prostrate on the floor, this is the only time he is allowed to speak the name of God. This celebration is ended by the blowing of the shofar called "Shofar haGadol," or the "Great Trumpet," which acknowledged that the sacrifice had been accepted.31 The Day of Atonement is the holiest day of the year. On that day, Jews do not eat, drink, or brush their teeth; they don't drive and they don't fly. They completely deny themselves personal pleasure, and are to spend the time confessing the sins they have committed during the past year. Jews believe that on this day, God seals the book of accounting which had been opened on Tishri 1. The Day of Atonement represents national redemption, while Passover represents personal redemption. It was not required to go to Jerusalem for this Feast day, because on this day, Jesus was out in the mountains with James, Peter, and John when Moses (representing the Torah) and Elijah (representing the Prophets) appeared with Jesus on the Day of Atonement. At the beginning of every official state function, or marriage feast, there has to be two witnesses. Their appearance in the Transfiguration was necessary because five days later, when he was 30, Jesus could be placed in the priesthood of Melchizedek and appointed as High Priest. The seven days preceding the Day of Atonement are called the "Days of Affliction," or "Days of Awe."32 The Jews believe that this Feast will be fulfilled some time in the future, when, after the seven days of Awe, God will fight for His people, and incinerate the armies of Gog and Magog (believed to be Russia) to show that the Jews are His people. These seven days have
29

Strong, James. "A Concise Dictionary of the Words in the Hebrew Bible." The New Strong's Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible. Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Publishers, 1990, pg. 57.
30 31 32

Miller, D.A. Forbidden Knowledge or is it San Juan Capistrano, CA: Joy Publishing, 1991, pg. 99. Ibid., pg. 104. Ibid., pg. 92.

15 been accepted by some as a prophetic picture of the seven-year tribulation.33

FEAST OF TABERNACLES Feast #7 - Feast of Tabernacles or Feast of Booths (Succoth) Fall Feast 15th day of 7th month (Tishri), October 1 (2001), a joyful feast Third of the three feasts which were mandatory (Exodus 34:18, 22-23) Theme: The coming of the presence of God The dedication of Solomon's Temple. Believed by some to be birthdate of Jesus Christ (Zechariah 14:16, succoth, Strong's # 5521, "tabernacle, tent";34 word "dwelt" in John 1:14, skenoo, Strong's # 4637 means to "tent or encamp"35). Believed to be the date of the ushering in of the Kingdom Age when the Messiah will rule for 1000 years. This is referenced in Leviticus 23:33-44: And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, Speak unto the children of Israel, saying, The fifteenth day of this seventh month shall be the feast of tabernacles for seven days unto the LORD. On the first day shall be an holy convocation: ye shall do no servile work therein. Seven days ye shall offer an offering made by fire unto the LORD: on the eighth day shall be an holy convocation unto you; and ye shall offer an offering made by fire unto the LORD: it is a solemn assembly; and ye shall do no servile work therein. These are the feasts of the LORD, which ye shall proclaim to be holy convocations, to offer an offering made by fire unto the LORD, a burnt offering, and a meat offering, a sacrifice, and drink offerings, every thing upon his day: Beside the sabbaths of the LORD, and beside your gifts, and beside all your vows, and beside all your freewill offerings, which ye give unto the LORD. Also in the fifteenth day of the seventh month, when ye have gathered in the fruit of the land, ye shall keep a feast unto the LORD seven days: on the first day shall be a sabbath, and on the eighth day shall be a sabbath. And ye shall take you on the first day the boughs of goodly trees, branches of palm trees, and the boughs of thick trees, and willows of the brook; and ye shall rejoice before the LORD your God seven days. And ye shall keep it a feast unto the LORD seven days in the year. It shall be a statute for ever in your generations: ye shall celebrate it in the seventh month. Ye shall dwell in booths seven days; all that are Israelites born shall dwell in booths: That your generations may know that I made the children of Israel to dwell in booths, when I brought them out of the land of Egypt: I am the LORD your God. And Moses declared unto the children of Israel the feasts of the LORD.

33 34

Ibid., pg. 103.

Strong, James. "A Concise Dictionary of the Words in the Hebrew Bible." The New Strong's Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible. Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Publishers, 1990, pg. 82.
35

Strong, James. "A Concise Dictionary of the Words in the Greek Testament." The New Strong's Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible. Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Publishers, 1990, pg. 65.

16 For this celebration, the priests divided up into three groups. One went to Bethlehem to procure animals for the days sacrifice, another group to a town called Motza to cut off willow branches (who when returning waved them back and forth), while the third went out the water gate to Pool of Siloam (where the blind man was instructed by Jesus to wash the clay from his eyes and was healed) where the High Priest would dip out three measures of water into a golden flagon. At the end of the day, as the three groups of priests would converge on the altar, the sacrifices were placed there, and the group with willows placed the cut branches around the altar forming a canopy over the animals, and the High Priest climbed the steps leading to the altar. There were 2 plaster funnel-shaped bowls with tubes that ran into the altar, and each day's ceremony ended with the High Priest pouring his water into one bowl, while an assistant poured wine into the other. This is another prophetic picture of the wound in the side of Jesus.36 In addition to the water pouring ceremonies, there were special offerings on the altar, and the lighting of four huge elevated lamps, which shot beams of light across the whole city. These elements were symbolic of God's provision of water in the wilderness, and the pillar of fire that guided them by night.37 We find that Jesus went to the Temple on the last day of the Feast and announced that He was the Living Water (John 7:37-39); and in John 8:12, Jesus said that He was the "light of the world," another prophetic fulfillment. Celebration participants carried the lulav, which consists of weaving together a willow (which bears no fruit, and has no smell),38 myrtle (fragrance and fruit),39 palm (no fragrance, but bears fruit),40 and they also add to that a citrus stem, called the ethrog (has fragrance and fruit).41 Some believe that this represented Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and Joseph. But another prevailing thought has been, that because in Psalms 1:3 and Daniel 4:22, trees are symbolic of men, this seems to be a parallel to the four types of soil in the Parable of the Sower (Matthew 13:3-9): 1) Some fell by the way and eaten by birds. 2) Some fell upon rocks, and having no ground to root into, were dried up by the sun. 3) Some fell among thorns and were choked off. 4) Some fell upon good soil and were productive. On each of the 7 days, they were to offer 14 lambs without blemish (Numbers 29:15, 32). The genealogy of Jesus given in Matthew offers an interesting fact. There are 14 generations from Abraham to David; 14 from David to the Babylonian captivity, and from the captivity to

36 37 38

Miller, D.A. Forbidden Knowledge or is it San Juan Capistrano, CA: Joy Publishing, 1991, pg. 109. Ibid., pg. 107.

Shewell-Cooper, W.E. Plants, Flowers and Herbs of the Bible. New Canaan, CT: Keats Publishing, Inc., 1977, pg. 160. Ibid., pg. 147. Ibid., pg. 165.

39 40 41

Moldenke, Harold N. and Alma L. Moldenke. Plants of the Bible. New York, NY: Dover Publications, Inc., 1952, pg. 187.

17 Jesus 14. On the first day they sacrificed 13 bullocks, the next day 12, and so on, adding up to 70, which is the number of nations listed in Genesis 10. So this seems to be a prophetic indication that this is an offering for the nations. A month before Rosh HaShanah, and 40 days before Yom Kippur, there was worship and study of the Scriptures, with an emphasis on studies relating to water and light, which led up to this celebration. During this 7-day Feast, occurring at the end of the fruit harvest, the people were to live in a succoth ("booth"), a temporary dwelling made from the branches of the willow tree.42 The "booth" have to be open so that the wind can blow through, and the stars can be seen through the roof. This structure offers little protection from the elements, because it is intended to commemorate their wanderings in the wilderness, and living in tents for 40 years, and thus, it is not supposed to be comfortable. Today, they are generally made in the backyard, or at the synagogue for apartment dwellers. The Jewish family eats the feast meal in the succoth, and even sleeps in it if weather permits. During this Feast, Jewish synagogues around the world read the passage of Scripture from Zechariah 14:1-21 about the Day of the Lord, which outline their final deliverance through the Messiah, and the beginning of His kingdom. On the eighth day, on the 22nd day of the 7th month (Tishri), is a joyful Fall Feast called the Eighth Day Feast, Eighth Day of Assembly (Shmeni Atzeret), Last Day Feast, or Last Great Day (Simhath Torah). Some sources identify it as the last day of the Feast of Tabernacles, and point out that it was when Jesus was circumcised. This could possibly be the date when Armageddon will commence. 43

FEAST OF HANUKKAH Feast of Hanukkah or Feast of Dedication (Festival of Lights) Fall Feast, 25th day of 9th month (Chisleu), December 9 (2001), a joyful feast Not one of the appointed feasts Theme: Cleansing and Rededication Foundation of the Second Temple is laid in 520 BC. (occurred on Chisleu 24) Elimination of the Temple sacrifice by Antiochus in 168 BC. (occurred on Chisleu 24) The recapture and cleansing of the Temple in 165 BC. (occurred on Chisleu 24) Jerusalem is freed from Turkish rule in 1917. (occurred on Chisleu 24) The possible date for the defeat of Gog and Magog (Russian) invasion of Israel. The possible date for the reinstitution of animal sacrifice. Possible dedication of the Messiah's Temple on Earth.

The Persians conquered the Babylonians, and Cyrus, the Persian king, allowed 50,000 Jews to return to Jerusalem in 538 BC. In 537 BC, under the direction of King Cyrus, Zerubabbel (a descendant of King David), supervised a contingent of Phoenician workers who laid the foundation stones for the second Temple. All of the Temple vessels had been returned,

Shewell-Cooper, W.E. Plants, Flowers and Herbs of the Bible. New Canaan, CT: Keats Publishing, Inc., 1977, pg. 160.
43

42

YNCA. Biblical Holy Days. Kingdom City, MO: Yahweh's New Covenant Assembly, 1991, pg. 28.

18 the altar built, and the sacrifices resumed. Opposition by the Samaritans (descendants of Israelite and Assyrian intermarriage) in the north, who had a temple at Mount Gerizim, caused construction to be discontinued until 520 BC, when Darius, the Persian king, instituted taxes to pay for its construction. The Temple was dedicated sometime between 516-514 BC. Another Persian king, Artaxerxes, appointed a Jew named Nehemiah as governor of Jerusalem, and he repaired the walls to protect the Temple, and began rebuilding the city. Judea soon came under the control of the Greeks (Alexander the Great); and the Egyptian Greeks (or Ptolemies), who allowed governorship by the high priests. A third ruler, a Syrian Greek (Seleucid) known as Antiochus IV (Epiphanes), who sided with the Jewish faction known as the Hellenists, appointed a high priest who initiated pagan worship in opposition to the Orthodox faction. An attack in 170 BC killed many Jews, and again Temple treasures were taken. Antiochus (shadow picture of the Antichrist) desecrated the Temple by sacrificing a pig on the altar, placing a pagan idol of Zeus in the Holy of Holies, and burning copies of the Torah. An Orthodox priest named Mattathias Maccabee ("the hammerer") began a revolt, which ended in 165 BC, when his third son, Judas took control of Jerusalem, purified the Temple, and resumed the daily offerings. However, their control ended in 63 BC when Rome invaded. The Talmud says that a one-day's supply of sacred oil was found hidden in a Temple wall by a priest, and when it was brought out to be used to light the lamp, it miraculously lasted for the full 8 days of the celebration. In Jewish homes, a light is lighted each night thus growing brighter every day. The Feast represents the undying nature of the Jewish faith in God. It was observed by Jesus (John 10:22). It is believed that on the eighth day, Gabriel appeared to Mary with the announcement that she would give birth to the Savior of the world, and Jesus was conceived. Then it is believed by some that He was born on Tishri 15. The events described in Haggai 2:18-22, which are similar to events described in Ezekiel 38, actually give the date of Chisleu 24, and it is believed that this will be the time when God strikes against the invading Russian armies.

THE MENORAH Exodus 25:31-39, and 37:17-23, contain details about one of the Temple furnishings known as the "candlestick" (menorah, Strong's # 4501).44 Made out of gold by the craftsman Bazalel from the directions given to him by Moses, it was a huge lamp stand consisting of a central branch, with three branches coming out of each side, for a total of seven sources of light. The Scriptures are silent as to any spiritual significance it has, and maintains that its purpose is to provide light. Today, this significant Jewish symbol is a constant reminder that we must not walk in the light of man's wisdom, but in the light of God's Word and His will. It is a light, and a light-bearer, a symbol of faith and hope, and a symbol that God's people are to be light bearers (Matthew 5:15, Luke 12:35, and Philippians 2:15). Chuck Missler in his tape set about the Feasts, used a picture of the Menorah on the cover, and indicated that the 7 branches of the Menorah are a prophetic representation of the 7 Feasts. However, I am going to go a step further and say that the Menorah is actually a prophetic representation of Christ. We have established that the first 3 Feasts prophesied His initial coming; which led to the establishment of the Church after He had ascended to His
Strong, James. "A Concise Dictionary of the Words in the Hebrew Bible." The New Strong's Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible. Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Publishers, 1990, pg. 68.
44

19 Father, prophesied by the 4th Feast, and represented by the central branch; while the last 3 Feasts are prophetic shadow pictures of the Last Days when Christ will return.45 So, even though the Jews have never accepted Jesus as their Messiah, their use of the Menorah as a religious symbol is actually a prophetic representation of Jesus, the Messiah, which personifies the statement that Jesus made in John 8:12: "I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life."

BIBLIOGRAPHY & ADDITIONAL SOURCES CONSULTED

Hagee, John C. His Glory Revealed: A Devotional. Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Publishers, 1999, 174 pgs. Jeffrey, Grant R. Armageddon: Appointment With Destiny. New York, NY: Bantam Books, 1990, 248 pgs. Miller, D.A. Forbidden Knowledge or is it San Juan Capistrano, CA: Joy Publishing, 1991, 175 pgs. Missler, Chuck. Cosmic Codes: Hidden Messages from the Edge of Eternity. Couer dAlene, ID: Koinonia House, 1999, 510 pgs. Missler, Chuck. The Feasts of Israel. Couer dAlene, ID: Koinonia House, 1994, 2-tape Briefing Package. Moldenke, Harold N. and Alma L. Moldenke. Plants of the Bible. New York, NY: Dover Publications, Inc., 1952, 363 pgs. Muncaster, Ralph O. Does the Bible Predict the Future? Eugene, OR: Harvest House Publishers, 2000, 48 pgs. Rood, Michael John. Prophecies in the Fall Feasts of the Lord. Topeka, KS: The Prophecy Club, 2000, 2 video tapes. Rood, Michael John. Prophecies in the Spring Feasts of the Lord. Topeka, KS: The Prophecy Club, 2000, 2 video tapes. Shewell-Cooper, W.E. Plants, Flowers and Herbs of the Bible. New Canaan, CT: Keats Publishing, Inc., 1977, 221 pgs. Spier, Arthur. The Comprehensive Hebrew Calendar. Nanuet, NY: Feldheim Publishers, 1986. Strong, James. The New Strong's Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible. Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Publishers, 1990, 1798 pgs. YNCA. Biblical Holy Days. Kingdom City, MO: Yahweh's New Covenant Assembly, 1991, 55 pgs. Zodhiates, Spiros. The Complete Word Study: New Testament (KJV). Iowa Falls, IA: World Bible Publishers, Inc., 1991, 1336 pgs. Zodhiates, Spiros and Warren Baker. The Complete Word Study: Old Testament (KJV). Iowa Falls, IA: World Bible Publishers, Inc., 1994, 2609 pgs.

45

Jeffrey, Grant R. Armageddon: Appointment With Destiny. New York, NY: Bantam Books, 1990, pg. 46.