Special Note: This Feast has already begun and takes place over 8 days. As there areso many important, pertinent and fascinating facts that point our focus to Jesus our Messiah; the post has been divided into 3 parts, which will be posted consecutively during the next few days.
These Appointed Times of The Lord follow the Calendar Cycle of the life giving harvests and Sukkot completes the 7th of the Holy festivals in the 7th month of Tishrei. (Deut. 16:13; Lev. 23:34)Fall is the end of the harvest seasons, its themes include:
The Return of Messiah,The sounding of the trumpets announcing His comingThe Ingathering (agriculture and souls.) (Chag haAsif) and
Re-gathering and return of His people to Israel.
The repentance,
God and man face to face,
The Judgment of the Nations\separation of the sheep and goats,
The redemption,
The Kingdom of God and everything returning back to Him.
It’s the closing. The finish line.
As the Spring Appointed Times speak prophetically of Jesus 1st coming, so the fall speaks of Jesus 2nd coming; in which the end will reveal God’s final chapter. The completion of the harvest of souls and culmination of His plan of the Ages.
Be patient therefore, brethren, unto the coming of the Lord. Behold, the husbandman waiteth for the precious fruit of the earth, and hath long patience for it, until he receive the early and latter rain. Jam. 5:7
The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance. 2Pet. 3:9
In the Spring cycle, we are reminded that Messiah is the Lamb of God, who came to seek, serve and save.
The Autumn cycle of Appointed Times (Mo’adiym) reveals that Messiah is also from the Lion of the Tribe of Judah, the King, the Great High Priest and The Lord of all.
We are in fact, living now in the time between the Lamb, His first coming and the Lion, His second coming. Let’s live with joy and excited anticipation for the return of the One we love, serve and worship. The One who has a plan to completely reveal the mystery of the Autumn/Fall Calendar Feasts.
The month of Tishrei is the most intense of the Hebrew calendar as it is during this month the closing end of the sacred spiritual year is celebrated.
As this month holds the secret mystery to the Autumn cycle, could it also hold the mystery to the closing of the age?The observance of Sukkot is the 15th-21st of Tishri (September/October). Most people consider it an 8 day holiday. The first 6 days are known as Sukkot. The 7th day takes upon itself a new name known as Hoshanna Rabba, (the huge water libation ceremony). The 8th day is known as Shemini Atzaret, Yom haSh’miyniy’Atzaret, The eighth day assembly. In Israel, the 8th day is also Simchat Torah (rejoicing in the Torah scriptures). Sukkot frequently called the Feast of Tabernacles. A better English translation would be the Feast of Booths, which is the meaning of Hebrew word Sukkot, celebrating the fall harvest with the third first fruits of the growing season. Leviticus 23:39
The Hebrew word chag comes from the Hebrew root word chagag, which means ‘to move in a circle, to march in a sacred procession, to celebrate or dance.’ The joy of Sukkot was so great that it became known as ‘THE Feast.’ The word tabernacle refers to a temporary dwelling place, which is the purpose of the sukkah.
Other names for this season are:
The Season of Our JoyThe Festival of Ingathering Hag HaAsif,
The Feast of the NationsThe Festival of DedicationThe Festival of Lights
(Ex. 23:16, 34:22; Num. 29:12-39; Neh. 8:14; Zec. 14:16-19; Heb. 2:2; 2:5; Jn 7:2-52) In contrast to the serious tone of Rosh HaShanah and the Day of Atonement, the 3rd feast in Tishrei was a time of joy because Israel had passed through the season of repentance and redemption. ISRAELITES Past FULFILLMENT: Celebrate the Harvest and Entering the Promised Land with Great Rejoicing to be Celebrated Yearly Forever.MESSIANIC Future FULFILLMENT: (Prophetic) The Messianic Era or Millennium. The Kingdom of God on Earth. (Athid Lavo.) The Two become One. SPIRITUAL APPLICATION: (Halacha) A daily rest (Shabbat) in the Messiah and having the rest, (menuchah) of His Kingdom in our hearts.Not coincidentally, the same time period marks the beginning of the construction of God’s sukkah, the mishkan, the sanctuary or tabernacle in the desert (Ex. 25:8-9). Tabernacle, is the word mishkan in Hebrew. According to tradition, Moses again ascended Mount Sinai for 40 days and nights to receive the second set of tablets and descended on Yom Kippur, carrying them as a sign of God’s forgiveness of Israel for the sin of the golden calf, and as a symbol of the lasting covenant between God and Israel (Ex.24:12-18; 34:1-2; 27-28).
The following day Moses relayed God’s instructions for building the mishkan, a dwelling place. Material for this portable structure was collected during the days before Sukkot, and work then began on it. (Ex. 35; 36:1-7). Sukkot is also called the ‘Season of Our Joy.’
It is also known as the Feast of our Rejoicing, the Season of our Rejoicing, and He-Hag (the Holiday).
One reason Sukkot was a time of joy was that after the season of repentance, (Teshuvah) and the redemption of Yom Kippur, came the joy of knowing your sins were forgiven, of walking, knowing, and being obedient to Him.
Historically, Sukkot also commemorates the days in the wilderness of Sinai, after coming out of Egypt (Mitzayim). According to all natural laws, the Israelites should have perished, but were instead divinely protected by God. Prophetically, Sukkot is the festival that teaches on the Messianic Kingdom and the joy of that Kingdom. Spiritual application in Messiah: a daily rest and having the rest, ‘menuchah’, of His Kingdom in our heartsSukkah is the Hebrew term for the temporary building that is constructed for this holiday. Sukkot(h) is the Hebrew name of the holiday, the moed and usually translated as booth or small hut and to tabernacle with someone, is to dwell with them.
God tabernacled with the children of Israel as they wandered in the desert for 40 years, manifesting Himself as a cloud by dayand a pillar of fire by night.
In order to make following God easier, the Israelites lived in simple booths.
It is also symbolic of the protection that the Israelites received from God in the desert after they were freed from bondage in Egypt (Lev. 23:43). It reminds us that our survival is dependent upon God.
The symbolism is intended to remind us of being homeless, the feeling of living somewhere on a temporary basis. It is to serve as a reminder to us not to become over confident with our wealth or influence and that we need to look to God for our provisions, not man and that this earth is not our permanent home.
The sukkah or booth, symbolizes man’s need to depend upon God for his provision of food, water, and shelter. This is true in the spiritual realm as well.
The booth is the physical body, which is a temporary dwelling place for our souls and spirits. (1 Cor. 6:19-20).
We need the food that the Word of God provides (Matt. 6:11; 4:4; John 6:33-35); the cleansing, rinsing, and washing that the Word of God brings to our lives (Eph. 5:26); and the shelter of God’s protection over our lives from the evil one (Matt. 6:13; Ps. 91). Our physical needs will be provided for by God if we seek Him spiritually (Matt. 6:31-33)The Hebrew word for tabernacle is sukkah. It means ‘a booth, a hut, a covering, a pavilion or tent.’ The Greek word for tabernacle is sk’en’e, which also means ‘a tent, hut, or habitation.’ and the context by which the word tabernacle is used in the New Covenant (Brit Hadashah).
This Greek word, sk’enos, means ‘tabernacle, booth, shelter, or covering’ and also appears in Rev. 21:3. This same word, sk’enos, is used to speak of Yeshua during His first coming, (John 1:14). here we can see the protection provided in Rev. 7:16, corresponding to Isa. 4:5-6, and the fountain of living waters in Rev. 7:17 and 21:4.
In Isa. 4:3, it is written ‘And it shall come to pass, that he that is left in Zion, and he that remaineth in Jerusalem, shall be called holy…” (also see Zech. 14:4,6-9,16-17,20-21). Those who are called ‘holiness unto the Lord’ in Zech. 14:20 are the same people in Is. 4:3 who are called Holy.
The clouds in the wilderness are called ‘the clouds of glory’ and the wilderness experience is a picture of the future Messianic age, the Millennium.
The sukkah was built to teach and understand the thousand-year millennial reign of the Messiah, the Messianic age, the Millennium, or the Athid Lavo in Hebrew eschatology.
Jesus/Yeshua tabernacled (sukkot) among us (John 1:14).
Peter spoke about his body being a tabernacle (2 Peter 1:13-14).
The apostle Paul told us that our earthly bodies were earthly houses or tabernacles (2 Corinthians 5:1-5).
The tabernacle of Moses (Moshe) was a tent of habitation (Acts 7:44; Hebrews 9:2-8).
Abraham Isaac and Jacob lived in tabernacles (tents) (Hebrews 11:8-9).
The tabernacle of David was a tent or dwelling place (Acts 15:16; Amos 9:11). This tabernacle was the temple of Solomon (1 Kings 5:2-5; 8:1-21).
Jesus/Yeshua entered the temple on the Feast of Sukkot (Tabernacles) (John 7:2,27-29).The Bible speaks of a heavenly tabernacle (Hebrews 8:1-2; Revelation 13:6; 15:5). This heavenly tabernacle will come to earth (Revelation 21:1-3).
Jesus/Yeshua was the true tabernacle of God (Hebrews 9:11). The sukkah remain standing for the entire 8 days of the holiday.
On a clear night, a person can sit inside the Sukkah and look through the sparsely placed branches
to the stars and be reminded of the promise God told Abraham that his descendants would be as numerous as the stars in the heavens (Gen. 26:4).Sukkot is the plural of Sukkah (more than one hut or booth) and sometimes the holiday is referred to as Sukkot
This name reflects the final harvest of the year attributed of the holiday. Sometimes it is also referred to by the Hebrew name Shemhateinu. The Feast of Tabernacles has an agricultural meaning, because it reminds us of how the farm laborers in ancient days lived as they worked to bring in the harvest.
Sukkot is the time when the produce of the field, orchard, and vineyard is gathered in. The granaries, threshing floors, and wine and olive presses are full to capacity. Weeks and months of toil and sweat put into the soil have finally been amply rewarded. The farmer feels happy and elated. No wonder Sukkot is ‘The Season of Rejoicing.’ While all of the three pilgrimages are times of rejoicing, Sukkot (Tabernacles) is specifically designated as Zeman simchatenu, the season of our rejoicing.
Sukkot is also considered a harvest festival. One reason is because at harvest time something resembling a Sukkah would be built near the field that the crop pickers were working. This became a temporary place of refuge for them from the sun and even a place to sleep when necessary. The Sukkah is, therefore, symbolic of protection and peace. It also became the one time of the year when most farmers could relax since the crops were just harvested, and it was still too early to plant the next crop. Olive harvest.
There is also a Messianic meaning in which we find fulfillment in our Messiah.
Passover And Sukkot Connected:In some ways, the Feast of Tabernacles is considered an Exodus holiday.
This passage in Leviticus shows us that these two holidays are connected. Lev. 23:43; so your descendants will know that I had the Israelites live in booths when I brought them out of Egypt. I am the LORD your God.
Both holidays are related to Israel’s exodus from Egypt and are observed on the 15th of the month.
Passover marks the attainment of the end of bondage and the right of religious freedom.
Sukkot marks the attainment of national and territorial independence (except from God), the essential ingredients of the nations Sovereignty.
The Great Salvation
Hoshana Rabbah (literally, the great hosanna or the numerous hosannas) is the 7th day of Sukkot (Tabernacles). Hoshana Rabbah should have been a full festival day, but is not because of Shemini Atzeret, which follows it. However, it has some special customs that make the day more like a full festival day than any of the intermediate days.
The most important of these (ceremonies) are:
The circling of the altar seven times instead of once while carrying the four species and reciting the Hoshana prayers; and The beating of the willows.Messianic Understanding. In John 7:37-38, Jesus/Yeshua said, “If any man thirst, let him come unto Me, and drink. He that believeth on Me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water.”
At this season of Sukkot, Isa.12:3 was often quoted, as it is written, ‘Therefore with joy shall ye draw water out of the wells of salvation.’ Jesus/Yeshua in Hebrew means ‘salvation.’ The drama of the water drawing ceremony took on a new dimension of meaning when Jesus/Yeshua attended the Feast of Sukkot (Tabernacles). On the seventh day of the feast, Hoshana Rabbah, which literally means ‘the great hosanna, the great salvation’, the festival activities were different from those of each of the six previous days when the priests circled the altar in a procession, singing Ps. 118:25.
On the seventh day of the feast, the people circled the altar seven times. That is why the day is called Hoshanah Rabbah, as the cry, “Save now!” was repeated seven times. Jesus/Yeshua’s statement in John 7:37-39 was said on Hoshana Rabbah.Spiritually speaking, in the Bible, there is a link between water and the outpouring of the Holy Spirit (Ruach HaKodesh). Yeshua told the woman at the well to drink of living water (John 4:7-14; 6:35; Matt. 5:6). This relationship between water and the outpouring of the Holy Spirit is contained in the symbolism of pouring out water. Is. 44:3 links the pouring out of water with the pouring out of God’s Spirit and parallels the thirsty land again links water with the Holy Spirit.The link can also be seen in Joel 2:23,28; Acts 2:1-4,14-17; and Ezek. 39:22,27-29. Zech. 14:8 speaks of living waters. Is.12:2-3 speaks of drawing water out of the wells of salvation. Water and the Spirit are connected in Psalm 42:1-4; Zech. 13:1; and Rev. 7:17. It can also be seen in Ezek. 36:24-27.Jesus/Yeshua was trying to communicate this to Nicodemus in John 3:1-6.
He also was teaching this during the Feast of Sukkot (Tabernacles) in John 4:14, which concluded with His statements in John 7:37-39.At the ceremony of the water drawing, the people’s attention was focused on the pool of Siloam.(Pool full)
It was here that Jesus/Yeshua healed a man who had been blind from birth (John 9:1-7).
Notice again the statement in John 9:5. This is the last day of the feast (Hoshana Rabbah) (John 9:14; Lev. 23:34-36).
Animation above shows moons shadow cast on earths spinning surface.
The previous post focused on the smallest components and patterns in the most intricate of God’s creations.
Time to look up once more.
Our worldview is rooted in our limited comprehension of the earth around us and depends very much from what vantage point we are viewing everything. Many things affect our outlook, such as the position of our dwelling place, the location and calibre of our lifestyle, as well as how we observe and process information, and interact with the world around us.
For one moment instead of thinking of ourselves standing on the earth looking up at the stars in the sky; embrace the reality that from any point on the surface, we are in fact actually staring down into the infinite abyss of the universe,with only gravity holding us to the surface of the earth.
(That’s where we instinctively reach for a seatbelt!) Every day we see the sun and almost every day we see the moon;this is because God said in Genesis 1:14 that He created the sun, (greater light) for day and the moon, (the lesser light) for night, for the seasons and for a way to measure and count the days, months and years.
After the Exodus God set the Israelites back on a lunar calendar to help them leave behind the Egyptian sun worship and solar based calendar.The size of our Earth and Moon in comparison to our Star, the Sun.
Today our calendar is again solar-based. It is named after Pope Gregory XIII, who introduced it in October 1582, (which is not all that long ago). The Gregorian calendar is internationally the most widely used civil calendar. It was adopted from the Julian calendar involving a correction to the length of a year. The reform was adopted initially by the Catholic countries of Europe. The last European country to adopt the reform was Greece, in 1923.
The Gregorian reform contained two parts: a reform of the Julian calendar as used prior to Pope Gregory XIII’s time and a reform of the lunar cycle used by the Church, with the Julian calendar, to calculate the date of Passover, (Easter).
From the lunar month cycle he extended the days of each of the 12 months and it is there that we lost the Lord’s original set days which were based on the lunar moon cycle.
The orbits of the Earth and Moon around our star can be accurately forecast and thus depended upon to give those observing it a specific time each year.
Until the printing press and almanacs became available, the phases of the moon were the only worldwide source of seasonal information for agricultural/farming and planning ahead. Nowadays we hardly notice the phases of the moon as we rely so much on modern technology.ECLIPSE FEVER IS TAKING AMERICA BY STORM AND EVERYONE IS, ‘SEEING STARS’ AND IN THIS CASE our moon is PASSING IN FRONT OF OUR VERY OWN STAR, the sun.In less than a month, on 21st August, the orbital paths of the earth and moon will converge during the daytime. As the moons orbit takes it between the earth and the sun, its relative distance will block out the sun for a short period of time as its shadow transverses the surface of the earth. It will only be seen along the mapped path above. There is much excitement about the upcoming heavenly spectacle. For the first time in 100 years (99 to be exact) that an eclipse can be seen over a 70 mile wide track by people living in the continental United States.Eclipses occur more frequently than every 100 years and are seen more commonly from other locations due to the orbital path of the moon.Having experienced several, it is indeed a unique experience and very strange, as the moons mass passes between earth and the sun and blocks the suns brilliant light from reaching our planet.
Then daylight turns to dusk and the birds stop singing.
All of nature thinks that it’s night-time and there is an eerie silence.
But it doesn’t last long!
The brevity is rooted in the movement of the dark shadow of the moon known as the umbra. When you are inside the umbra, the entire solar disk of the sun appears to be covered by the dark disk of the moon.
In short the moons umbral shadow will take a leisurely trek across the USA covering 2,496 miles (4,017KM)
It will take just 90.7 minutes for the moon to pass fully across the sun, whizzing by at an average speed of 1,651 mph (2657km)/h.
During its path across the sun, the moon allows the corona of the sun to glint briefly looking like a gigantic diamond ring in the sky. A corona is an aura of plasma that surrounds the sun and other stars.
The Sun’s corona extends MILLIONS of miles/kilometres into space and is most easily seen during a total solar eclipse, but it is also observable with a coronagraph.
The word “corona” is a Latin word meaning “crown”, from the Ancient Greek κορώνη.
The diamond-ring effect occurs both at the beginning and end of totality.Second diamond-ring effect at end of totality August 11, 1999 during a total solar eclipse.
Where the last rays of sunlight pass through the valleys on the moon’s limb, and the faint corona around the sun is just becoming visible, this is when it resembles a ring with glittering diamonds.It’s a most spectacular sight, which lasts only seconds.The highly transient diamond ring effect really shows that the universe is not as static as it appears to be.
There are other stunningly visual moments during transition called Bailys Beads.In itself the eclipse is nothing more than the heavens that God created doing exactly what He set them in place to do.
They have followed His directive for millennia and have been viewed by multiplied millions of human eyes over the centuries. The Scriptures speak of them and astronomers have mapped their orbits. All the visible constellations have names and tell the greatest story of all time. His-story.
The Scriptures tell us that God put the heavens that we see in place for signs and for seasons and Jesus reminded us of that in the book of Matthew.
In 1 Chron. 12:32 The tribe of Issachar and his children were noted for their knowledge and observations of the heavenly bodies and the times and seasons that their movements indicated. Maps were made of the heavens millennia ago, for they were a living calendar for agriculture and especially for God’s people Israel to follow His Appointed Times.
The birth of Jesus was written in the starry sky and led the Magi from the East to Him as they saw ‘His star’ in the constellations and understood it’s significance. They paid attention, should we be any less interested?
Jesus Himself told us of the signs to look for prior to His return in Matthew 24.
The Revelation of Jesus to John also speaks of many signs in the skies above.
In recent years there have been many unusual sights in the heavens. During the years 2014/5 there were four ‘blood moons’ and eclipses occurring ‘coincidentally’ on exact days of the Appointed Times of the Lord celebrated during the calendar year.
There is no specific Hebrew word meaning coincidence, as all things in the Hebraic mindset and Hebrew thought are designed and orchestrated by God/Hashem. In Hebrew nothing ‘just happens’ there is no luck, no chance, it is all by His co-ordinated design and planned from before the foundation of the world.
That being so, it may behoove us to pay attention to the skies above, look to the heavens for our redemption draws nigh. We are not told to look down and at our circumstances but encouraged to look up to where our Father exists in the heavens.
Shamayim in Hebrew (שָׁמַיִם).
In the Greek ouranos οὐρανός, οῦ, ὁ.
The Hebrew word shamayim a plural form meaning ‘heights’, ‘elevations’. It is constructed of two parts: sham (שָׁמַ) derived from Akkadian samu meaning “sky” or “lofty”, and Hebrew mayim (מַיִם) meaning “water”.
In Genesis 1:6 Elohim separated the “water from the water”. The area above the earth was filled by sky-water (sham-mayim) and the earth below was covered by sea-water (yam-mayim).
The Hebrew word for the sun is shemesh. It follows the same construction, where “shem” or “sham” (Akkadian: samu) means “sky” and esh (Akkadian: ish) means “fire”, i.e. “sky-fire”.
יָרֵחַ ‘yareach’ meaning ‘moon’ Phonetic Spelling: (yaw-ray’-akh)
אָ֫רֶץ ‘eretz’ meaning ‘earth’ Phonetic Spelling: (eh’-rets)
By some scholars calculations we are in the year 5778 and other scholars say that there are some 200+ years missing from the calendar having been miscalculated by some rabbis and scribes.
If that is correct we could be nearer the year 6000-16!
It is good to remember that it’s not just 2017 years that have passed in total, that it simply the number of years since Jesus came the first time and was on the earth physically. There is some 4000 years prior to that as the story contained in scripture from Genesis began approximately 6 thousand years ago. If this is correct and we look at the reference to a day as a 1000 years; we are right in the cusp of entering the 7000th year which is symbolic of His Rest, (Shalom) indicating the start of the prophesied 1000 year reign of Messiah as He returns.
The only question is, are we ready, are we prepared for His return? Where are our hearts Focused?
It may not be in our lifetime that He returns, but what If it is?
Are these heavenly signs pointing to His soon return? Will He fulfill ‘the appointed times’ this coming September?
Even if it’s not this year, being ready and prepared spiritually is up to each individual and to make certain we have shared the good news of salvation and forgiveness through Jesus blood with everyone we can.
We looked at Israel, 70 years the nation. 50 years with Jerusalem as its capital and the significant date recently, when Jews were once again able to pray freely on the Temple Mount. We are now counting down to the first of the 3 fall Appointed Times dates and the 40 days of Teshuvah. Teshuvah is a time of repentance and soul-searching in preparation for the time of repentance that immediately precedes Rosh Hashanah.
It is always good to remember that numbers are important to the Lord and that every Hebrew letter has a numerical value. Nothing is insignificant or coincidental in God’s plan of the ages. Let as keep our eyes on the Lord and on the heavens where He is and on the apple of His eye, His beloved Israel.
Perhaps it is significant that 21st day August, day of the eclipse, is exactly one month to 21st September, which this year is Rosh Hashanah.
Jesus said no man knows the day nor the hour of his return but the Father only. Does this indicate it’s possible to know the season or the year?
All we can know for certain is what the scripture says
One thing is sure, it’s time for us to look up and away from the things that so easily draw us away from the Lord and from His presence. It’s time to focus on Him and not ourselves. We need to be as Jesus said, ‘about our father’s business’, pleasing Him by our lifestyles and our obedience to His commandments.
There’s only one sunset and its been going around the earth since God created the sun. (Gen.1:14-19)
and as you are watching that sun set…someone on the other side of the earth is watching the exact same sun rise!It takes the whole ocean and the moon to erase one footprint in the sand
and everything we eat is processed sunshine…
Your shadow is a confirmation that light has travelled nearly 93 million miles without interruption…
only to be prevented from reaching the ground in the last few feet by your presence! Consider that we have never actually been in the same place twice, as the earth and the solar system we are part of and even the entire known galaxy, are all in constant motion through space.
Not all starlight that we see is the same age, some of it possibly millions of years apart even though it reaches our eyes at the same moment.
Many of the stars we see in fact no longer exist, so we are literally looking back through time.
This being true, the night sky isn’t simply a single moment in the universe but rather a patchwork, a compendium, a compilation of countless years in the breadth of eternity. The Song of Solomon speaks of the bride as the moon but finishes by speaking of her as the sun. The final picture and mystery of the bride goes from moonlight to sunshine.The moon and the sun are two different kinds of light.
The moon is a light that shines conditionally. There has to be nothing blocking its face, nothing hiding it from the sun.
The sun shines regardless of where it’s facing, or anything blocking it, because its nature is to shine.We are the ‘bride’ and we are still in the moon phase, reflecting our Saviour’s glorious light.We’re rejoicing, but oftentimes our joy is conditional. The real victory comes when you move from the moon stage to the sun stage. Then the light of the glory of God is coming from within our being and we have completed the transition from glory to glory.
It’s when your joy moves from being conditional to becoming unconditional, then you truly praise Him, not just when things are good, but when things look terrible – at all times.You shine not just because things are shining around you, you shine because you are a light to the world.That’s what a light does – it shines.
You’re the bride, and the bride begins as fair as the moon, but ends as bright as the sun.Commit to being the light of Messiah today and shine like the sun!(The above image of a partial eclipse in 2012 was taken by NASA’s Solar Dynamics Observatory satellite.)
Final caveat.. although it’s tempting to stare at the sun during a solar eclipse, if you try to do so without protection, you could damage your eyes.
Shalom family and friends, be safe as you continue to enjoy the wonders of our Fathers Creation.
God commanded the people to bring a sheaf of the harvest (Leviticus [Vayikra] 23:10).
The Hebrew word for ‘sheaf’ is omer. An omer is defined as ‘a measure of dry things, containing a tenth part of an ephah.’
The definition of an omer being a tenth part of an ephah is found in Exodus (Shemot) 16:36. An ephah contains 10 omers of grain.
It is usually translated as ‘sheaf’, a bundle of stalks of grain.
An omer is a dry measure of ancient Israel, one tenth of an ephah.
The value of an Omer.
An Ephah is an ancient Hebrew unit of dry volume measure, equal to a bath or to one-tenth of a homer. It is approximately equal to 22 litres, supposed to be equal to two pecks and five quarts. (Ten ephahs make one homer.)
Strongs #6016 AHLB#2554 (g) 1358 (a) Nm
Here is a picture of an ephah container
Three times a year God commanded the people to come to Jerusalem (Yerushalayim) to celebrate the festivals of Passover (Pesach), Pentecost (Shavuot), and Tabernacles (Sukkot).
All three of these festivals are agricultural harvest festivals. Passover (Pesach) is the barley harvest. Pentecost (Shavuot) is the wheat harvest. Both of these festivals are first fruits harvests before the final harvest that was to come at the end of the year during the festival of Tabernacles (Sukkot), which is the fruit harvest.
The OMER LINKS PASSOVER TO SHAVUOT
Leviticus/Vayikra 23:15 And ye shall count unto you from the morrow after the Shabbat, from the day that ye brought the omer of the wave offering; seven Shabbatot shall be complete:
Counting The Omer refers to the forty-nine day period between the second night of Passover, (Pesach) and the holiday of Pentecost, (Shavuot). This period marks the beginning of the barley harvest when, in ancient times, the Israelites would bring the first sheaves to the Temple as a means of thanking God for the harvest. The word, ‘omer’, literally means ‘sheaf’ and refers to these early offerings.
While Passover/Pesach celebrates the initial liberation of the Israelites from slavery in Egypt, Pentecost/Shavuot marks the culmination of the process of liberation, when the Israelites became an autonomous community with their own laws and standards.
Counting up to Shavuot/ Pentecost, which is also the date of receiving of the 10 commandments at Sinai and the infilling of the Holy Spirit, reminds us of this process of moving from a slave mentality to a more liberated one.
Make each day count..
Teach us to number our days that we might gain a heart of wisdom.
Every day counts, if we count every day! The seven weeks between Passover and Shavuot provide for us an ideal time for introspection and spiritual progress. An opportunity to reflect upon our own souls and burnish our divine image, a time of inner transformation.
The great illumination of ‘instant’ freedom that was experienced on the Passover/Seder night so often seems to pass us by. Slaves yesterday, free men today, we simply haven’t the vessels to be able to absorb the great chesed – loving kindness – and enlightenment that God had blessed us with. For this we have Sefirat HaOmer – the counting of the days of the Omer, that prepares us gradually for the great re-illumination of God’s light – receiving Torah on Mount Sinai.
Forty-nine days that can change your world: The forty-nine days between Passover and Shavuot, (between leaving Egypt and receiving Torah at Sinai), are days laden with challenging spiritual potential. The opportunity for growth and transformation is ours for the taking. We must count our days and make our days count!
The Waving of the Omer
Likewise, the Scriptures also reveal that the offering of the Firstfruits: ‘the Waving of the Omer’ is a picture of the resurrection of the Messiah, as well as our own future resurrection. (1Cor 15:20-23; Rom 8:23; James1:18).
During the feast of unleavened bread, barley was the crop that was being harvested, so that is what would have been brought. What was significant was that this was the very first of the crop and expresses commitment to God and thanksgiving to Him for His provision.
As they waved the omer before the Lord and began counting the days between this firstfruit offering and the next firstfruit of the 2nd harvest at Pentecost/Shavuot It became known as counting the omer.
The One Redeemed by the Passover Lamb is maturing and counting the days until her betrothal to Messiah.
A OMER IS A TENTH OF AN EPHAH Exodus 16:36 Now an omer is the tenth part of an ephah.
A SHEAF REPRESENTS a person or a group of people – Genesis 37:5; Genesis 37:7
The journey from leaving Egypt (a type of the world) consists of a time of preparation to meet with the Elohim of Israel at Mount Sinai.
COUNTING THE OMER REPRESENTS GROWING IN SPIRITUAL MATURITY – to as believers Ephesians 4:14; Ephesians 4:15
The spiritual journey consists of:
THE OMER WAS THRESHED (BEATEN) REPRESENTS HUMILITY Isaiah 41:14; Isaiah 41:15
MOUNT SINAI REPRESENTS HUMILITY
THE HUMBLE WILL BE EXALTED
Isaiah 57:15; Matthew 18:4, Matthew 23:12; Philippians 2:8; James 4:10; 1 Peter 5:6
Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of Elohim, that he may exalt you in due time:
FIRE REPRESENTS REFINEMENT AND PURIFICATION Psalm 12:6; Zechariah 13:9, Malachi 3:3
FIRE REPRESENTS THE TRIALS OF OUR FAITH – 1 Peter 1:7, James 1:2 James 1:3, James 1:12
THE OMER WAS TOSSED IN THE WIND – OMER TOSSED TO THE WIND REPRESENTS EVERY KIND OF DOCTRINE – Ephesians 4:8; Ephesians 4:11; Ephesians 4:13; Ephesians 4:14
THE OMER WAS GROUND INTO FINE FLOUR: REPRESENTS REFINEMENT, PURIFICATION AND BEING MADE WHITE (RIGHTEOUS)- Isaiah 48:10; Daniel 12:10; Revelation 3:5
John 13:16-17 ‘And I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Comforter (Counselor, Helper, Intercessor, Advocate, Strengthener, and Standby), that He may remain with you forever. The Spirit of Truth, Whom the world cannot receive (welcome, take to its heart), because it does not see Him or know and recognize Him. But you know and recognize Him, for He lives with you [constantly] and will be in you.’
After the Children of Israel left Egypt, 49 days passed before they received the Ten Commandments at Mount Sinai. Tradition teaches that each of these days was necessary for the Children of Israel to refine themselves and be worthy of this gift. On each day they examined and corrected another of their inner traits and qualities. There were 49 in all.
These forty nine traits were comprised of seven basic attributes. Each of the seven contained all of the other seven, thus comprising forty nine.
Hebraic sources tell us that the soul of man includes these seven Basic Attributes: * Love/Kindness (Chessed) * Vigor/Discipline (Gevurah) * Beauty/Harmony/Compassion (Tiferet)* Victory/Endurance/Determination (Netzach) * Humility/Devotion (Hod) * Foundation/Bonding/Connection (Yesod) * Majesty/Dignity (Malchut)
The above are also found in the New Testament/Brit HaDasha, these same virtues were spoken about in 1 Peter and Galatians and 1 Corinthians 13, Galatians 5:22-26 22
The Ruach HaKodesh/The Holy Spirit will only reside in clean holy vessels. This is the time where we need to examine ourselves and prepare ourselves to be filled or refilled by the Ruach HaKodesh. A time to reflect on our relationship with Him and prepare our hearts for The Feast Of Pentecost/Shavuot.
When Yeshua told the disciples/talmidim to wait in Jerusalem for the Holy Spirit/Ruach HaKodesh. The disciples/talmidim, were waiting for the promise of the Father and preparing themselves to receive the Holy Spirit/Ruach HaKodesh, they were also preparing themselves to receive the Torah in their hearts, just as the children of Israel received the Torah at Mt. Sinai. They were preparing to become vessels for the Holy Spirit/Ruach HaKodesh and to receive the power of Messiah in their lives for the purpose of being witnesses of Messiahs love to the World .
While they were waiting the disciples were not just sitting around doing nothing, they were counting the Omer, as they had done every year, examining their lives in preparation to receiving the gift of the Ruach Ha Kodesh on Shavuot that Yeshua promised them would come. This year would be the literal fulfillment of the Feast.
All of Jesus’s/Yeshua’s post resurrection appearances occurred within the days of the Omer count.
God is looking for FRUIT to abound in our lives. Galatians 5:22.
Our place, like Mary, is to be sitting At The Feet Of Our Master Jesus/Yeshua receiving His teaching.
These 7 virtues are a perfect picture of Jesus/Yeshua our Messiah and it is His desire that we be conformed to His image by the power of Holy Spirit/Ruach HaKodesh. A blessed time for us to grow more spiritual fruit in our lives and die more and more to the works of the flesh so that He will be glorified in the Life He Has given us.
Developing some of the attributes of God in our lives, e.g. Loving kindness, Justice, Beauty and Harmony. Constancy, Splendor, Sovereignty, Foundation and Connection.
We are to count 50 days, including the Day of Firstfruits, to the day after the 7th weekly Sabbath, which is Shavuot (Pentecost) (Leviticus 23:15-16).
Notice the scriptures deal mostly with the Holy days of Yom Habikkurim, the ‘counting of the omer,’ and Shavuot.
The counting of the omer can only be understood in the context of the Biblical calendar that is lunar based.
We are given more detail as the scriptures say “begin to count the seven weeks from the time you begin to put the sickle to the grain,” (Deuteronomy 16:9). This further illustrates the theme of the Day of Firstfruits being the day when the firstfruits of barley is reaped from the field using a sickle.
Pentecost is the Greek word for 50. In Hebrew it is Shavuot pronounced Sha-voo-ote. In (Luke 6:2 and John 5:1) it is also called the feast of weeks because of the counting.
Counting the days between them ties the two first fruits harvests together, just as Jesus ties His resurrection, as sentient and the giving of the immersion of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost/ Shavuot /the feast of weeks.
In one respect, the 50th is the uncountable number. The Omer period lasts for 50 days – yet only 49 are to be counted. The counting of 49 automatically leads to the arrival of the 50th. This elevated state was reached at Sinai. It truly surpassed everything that came before it. It was on the 50th day, Shavuot, that the union between Israel and God, like a marriage, (a covenant), was solemnized.
With this act the Israelite nation supernaturally transcended worldly existence to become one with God. Israel achieved this unity when they arrived at Sinai to encamp in a unified state: like a single person with a single heart. The names of the 12 Tribes of Israel, which were engraved upon the Stones worn by the High Priest/Kohen Gadol, have a total of 50 letters, merged as one entity with their Creator. Such amazing grace!
2 other alternative ways to count the Omer are: every day read one of the 49 parables in the gospels: see
or simply count each day and remember to count our blessings and name them one by one.
Count your blessings, name them one by one,
Count your blessings, see what God has done!
Count your blessings, name them one by one,
And it will surprise you what the Lord has done.
(Full text of song at bottom of page.)
Yet how often do we really do that?
In today society counting blessings is often more related to the things we own, worldly possessions etc., however, Jesus tells us in Luke 12:15 that a man’s success is not measured by such. Our sophisticated society and culture has altered our thinking and reasonings and in doing so has dulled our sensitivity to how to keep a childlike quality in our relationship with our Heavenly Father. Remaining simple in a childlike faith and humble in attitude is a key to total trust in Him and His ability to provide for us, instead of our puffed up declarations of, I did it my way in my own strength.
The devastating weather this spring has brought sadness, loss and suffering to many around the world, while praying for those affected by the storms, it’s comforting to remember that whatever happens, we are in His hands and that our souls/spirits ultimately belong to Him; Ecc 12:7; and that we should not neglect to: Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all His benefits:
Psalms 103:2 – and to give thanks unto the LORD; for [He is] good: because His mercy [endureth] for ever. Psalms 118:1-18 for when we go through hardships; Is 43:2 confirms He is with us. As we trust in the Lord with all our heart and lean not to our own natural understanding. Prov 3:5 He will never leave us nor forsake us and He will restore those whose trust is in Him.
~
This post is part of the 4 Spring Festivals of Gods Appointed Seasons and should be read in conjunction with the previous posts all available at https://www.minimannamoments.com/ More Post links at the bottom of page.
When upon life’s billows you are tempest-tossed,
When you are discouraged, thinking all is lost,
Count your many blessings, name them one by one,
And it will surprise you what the Lord has done.
Refrain: Count your blessings, name them one by one,
Count your blessings, see what God has done!
Count your blessings, name them one by one,
*Count your many blessings, see what God has done.
[*And it will surprise you what the Lord has done.]
Are you ever burdened with a load of care?
Does the cross seem heavy you are called to bear?
Count your many blessings, every doubt will fly,
And you will keep singing as the days go by.
When you look at others with their lands and gold,
Think that Christ has promised you His wealth untold;
Count your many blessings—*money cannot buy [*wealth can never buy]
The 3rd Feast is called First Fruits. It is the barley harvest (Bikkurim) and is observed during the week of Unleavened Bread (Hag HaMatzah).
It will always be the day following the weekly sabbath, the first day of the week (Yom Rishon), which we call Sunday (Leviticus [Vayikra] 23:9-11). On this day, sheaves of barley were waved before the Lord in a prescribed ceremony.
Biblical/Hebrew Name – Bikkurim
English Name – First Fruits of Barley Harvest
Time of Observance – The morrow after the sabbath during Hag HaMatzah
The HISTORICAL APPLICATION OF THE FEAST of First Fruits – Crossing the Red Sea (Bikkurim)
Probable MESSIANIC APPLICATION & FULFILLMENT OF THE FEAST First Fruits – Resurrection of Yeshua (Bikkurim)
SPIRITUAL APPLICATION ( Halacha) of First Fruits – Walking (Halacha) in newness of life (Bikkurim)
Leviticus [Vayikra] 23:9-14
Then the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, “Speak to the sons of Israel and say to them, ‘When you enter the land which I am going to give to you and reap its harvest, then you shall bring in the sheaf of the firstfruits of your harvest to the priest. And he shall wave the sheaf before the Lord for you to be accepted; on the day after the sabbath the priest shall wave it.
Now on the day when you wave the sheaf you shall offer a male lamb one year old without defect for a burnt offering to the Lord. Its grain offering shall then be two tenths of an ephah of fine flour mixed with oil an offering by fire to the Lord for a soothing aroma, with its libation, a fourth of a hin of wine. Until this same day, until you have brought in the offering of your God, you shall eat neither bread nor roasted grain nor new growth. It is to be a perpetual statute throughout your generations in all your dwelling places’ “
First Fruits (Yom Habikkurim). “On the morrow after the Sabbath” following Unleavened Bread, Leviticus 23:11 schedules First Fruits, the feast for acknowledging the fertility of the land He gave the Israelites. They were to bring the early crops of their spring planting and “wave the sheaf before the Lord.”
Understanding the Festival Ceremony
When the standing ripe harvest of barley and wheat was ready to be reaped one sheaf from the standing harvest was brought to the priest. The lone sheaf was called “the sheaf of the first fruits.” The priest was then to take this one sheaf and wave it before the Lord in His house. (Where His Presence was in The Temple in Jerusalem.) This was to be done “the day after the sabbath.” Prescribed offerings were also to be presented along with the sheaf.
The Sheaf of First Fruits in the Bible
God commanded the people to bring a sheaf of the harvest (Leviticus [Vayikra] 23:10). The Hebrew word for “sheaf” is omer.
Just what is the “wave sheaf” offering, anyway? The original Hebrew word translated “sheaf” is omer. This word means “a heap” or “sheaf”, a dry measure. Says Gesenius Hebrew Chaldee Lexicon, it means “a measure of dry things, containing the tenth part of an ephah.” An omer, according to Unger’s Bible Dictionary, held about 5.1 pints.
Though one ephah, or ten omers, of barley was cut down, only one omer of flour, or about 5.1 pints of our measure, was offered in the Temple on the second Paschal, or 16th day of Nisan
This is a WHOLE SHEAF of barley — consisting of 5.1 pints, or a little over two quarts, at least! How many individual “grains” of barley would that be? There are multiple thousands of barley grains in one omer. The “omer” then was not one grain, or the grain from one plant, but many barley plants — many grains!
Three times a year God commanded the people to come to Jerusalem (Yerushalayim) to celebrate the festivals of Passover (Pesach), Pentecost (Shavuot), and Tabernacles (Sukkot).
All three of these festivals are agricultural harvest festivals. Passover (Pesach) is the barley harvest. Pentecost (Shavuot) is the wheat harvest. Both of these festivals are first fruits harvests before the final harvest that was to come at the end of the year during the festival of Tabernacles (Sukkot), which is the fruit harvest.
The harvest represents all who would put their faith, trust, and confidence (emunah) in the Messiah Yeshua (Matthew [Mattityahu] 13:39; Mark 4:26-29; Luke 10:1-12; Revelation 14:14-16). So, the sheaf is the first of the first fruits. Since a sheaf in the Bible is used to typify a person or persons (Genesis [Bereishit] 37:5-11), a sheaf seems to spiritually represent people who accept the Messiah into their hearts both Israelite and gentile.
The nation of Israel was familiar with the concept of first fruits or the firstborn. The first fruits were always the choicest, the foremost, the first, the best, the preeminent of all that was to follow.
They were holy to the Lord.
The concept of first fruits or firstborn is a major theme in the Bible. This can be seen by the following Scriptures: Exodus (Shemot) 23:16,19: 34:26; Lev. (Vayikra) 2:12,14; 23:20; Numbers (Bamidbar) 18:12-15,26; Deut. (Devarim) 18:1-5; 26:2-4,10; 2 Chronicles 31:5; Nehemiah 10:35-39; Proverbs (Mishlai) 3:9; Jeremiah (Yermiyahu) 2:3; Ezekiel (Yechezekel) 44:30; 48:14; Malachi 3:8-14; Hebrews 6:20; 7:1-8.
The Seventeenth of Nisan — Resurrection and Salvation
The theme of the festival of First Fruits is resurrection and salvation. There are several important events that happened on this day in the Bible.
Noah’s (Noach) ark rests on Mount Ararat (Genesis 8:4).
Israel crosses the Red Sea (Exodus [Shemot] 3:18; 5:3; 14).
Israel eats the first fruits of the Promised Land (Joshua 5:10-12)..
Haman is defeated (Esther 3:1-6
The resurrection of Jesus/Yeshua, the Messiah (John 12:24; 1 Corinthians 15:16-20).
Yeshua celebrated the festival of First Fruits by offering Himself as the first fruits to all future generations (Matthew [Mattityahu] 27:52-53).
Jesus/Yeshua The First Fruits of the Barley Harvest
Jesus/Yeshua is the firstborn of Miryam (Mary) (Matthew 1:23-25).
Jesus/Yeshua is the first-begotten of G-d the Father (Hebrews 1:6).
Jesus/Yeshua is the firstborn of every creature (Colossians 1:15).
Jesus/Yeshua is the first-begotten from the dead (Revelation 1:5)
Jesus/Yeshua is the firstborn of many brethren (Romans 8:29).
Jesus/Yeshua is the first fruits of the resurrected ones (1 Cor.15:20,23)
Jesus/Yeshua is the beginning of the creation of God (Revelation 3:14).
Jesus/Yeshua is the preeminent One (Colossians 1:18).
Jesus/Yeshua indeed the Most Holy One of God and is sanctified by the Father.
Jesus/Yeshua is the first, the choicest, the preeminent One. He is both the firstborn of God and the first fruits unto God.
Jesus/Yeshua is the sheaf of the first fruits.
First Fruits Is Prophetic of the Resurrection of the Messiah
The festival of the sheaf of the first fruits is prophetic of the resurrection of Jesus/Yeshua.
Jesus/Yeshua prophesied that He would rise after He was slain on the tree (Matthew [Mattityahu 12:38-40; 16:21; Luke 24:44-46).
This was foreshadowed to happen in the Tanach (Old Testament) by type and shadow (Genesis [Bereishit] 22:1-6; Exodus [Shemot] 3:18; 5:3; 8:27; Esther 4:15-17; Jonah 1:7; 2:1-2).
Jesus/Yeshua arose from the grave on the seventeenth of Nisan, the day of the festival of First Fruits. This day would be the day after the weekly sabbath during the week of Passover (Mark 16:1-6). In fact, Jesus/Yeshua is called the first fruits of those who rise from the dead.
But now Christ has been raised from the dead, the first fruits of those who are asleep. For since by a man came death, by a man also came the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ all shall be made alive. But each in his own order: Christ the firstfruits, after that those who are Christs’ at His coming (1 Corinthians 15:20-23 NAS).
It was prophesied that Jesus/Yeshua, the Messiah, would be buried in the tomb of the rich (Isaiah [Yeshayahu] 53:9; Matthew [Mattityahu] 27:57; Luke 23:51). Why was Jesus/Yeshua placed in the tomb of Joseph of Arimathea? Arimathea was another name for Ramah, where Samuel dwelt. It is five miles north of Jerusalem (Yerushalayim). In fact, this place is still called Ramah today. In ancient times, it was customary for Jews to be buried in Jerusalem (Yerushalayim). In fact, this practice is still done today because it is a traditional belief in Judaism that the resurrection of the dead will take place in Jerusalem
“For Christ, OUR PASSOVER also has been sacrificed. LET US therefore CELEBRATE THE FEAST, not with the old leaven, nor with the leaven of malice and wickedness, but with the UNLEAVENED BREAD of sincerity and truth.” (1 Corinthians 5:7-8)
The way the feast days were set up by the Lord, the chief priests would have to offer up the sheaf of the first fruits of the harvest with a torn Veil.
Later they would hear that the Lord Jesus resurrected on the day of first fruits and would have to look at and eat unleavened bread up until the day they crucified him.
At the moment of Jesus death the veil in the temple was torn in two!
It must have made them think.
“On the morrow after the Sabbath” following Unleavened Bread, Leviticus 23:11 schedules First Fruits, the feast for acknowledging the fertility of the land He gave the Israelites.
They were to bring the early crops of their spring planting and “wave the sheaf before the Lord.”
The Spiritual Understanding of First Fruits
Spiritual Application (Halacha). A sheaf in the Bible is used to typify a person or persons (Genesis [Bereishit] 37:5-11). Yeshua will return to earth (Zechariah 14:4) during His second coming as King over all the earth. He also will bring the sheaves (the believers in Yeshua as the Messiah) with Him (Psalm (Tehillim) 126; Jeremiah (Yermiyahu) 31:9-14; Joel 3:11-13; Zechariah 14:3-5; Matthew [Mattityahu] 13:37-39; Mark 4:26-29; Hebrews 12:1; Jude 14; Revelation 1:7).
The 144,000 Jewish witnesses who witness of Yeshua during the Chevlai shel Mashiach, the birthpangs of the Messiah (also known as the tribulation/Jacobs trouble) are first fruits to God during the tribulation (Revelation 14:1-4).
Because of the blood covenant God made with Abraham when God asked if he was willing to sacrifice his only son so then reciprocally God was able to offer His only Son for everyone who will believe.
The modern church has come to call this feast “Easter,” named after Ishtar, the pagan goddess of fertility. In searching the Scriptures there is no reference to Easter as their name in the text, only to Passover Seder. Luke 22:1–24.
So here is a Brief explanation and meaning: In the fourth century 196A.D. the church leaders for various reasons brought about the changes by introducing Easter which was the celebration of the fertility goddess Ishtar in Syria and Babylon. (Todays Iraq.)
The name Ishtar was written in Greek as Istar because there is no’sh’ sound in the Greek language. Also the Greek and Latin letters for the letter I are pronounced EE, Istar became Easter when spelt with English letters. The celebration of Ishtar brought with it symbols of reproduction example eggs and rabbits. This was done to separate from Jewish groups and to make it easier for heathens to become ‘Christians’, by letting them retain the pagan customs.
The First Fruits celebration was to be over God’s replanting of the earth in the spring. It quickly became traditional and could be seen as something to be thought about in light of Jesus’s comment in Mark 7:13
‘Thus you are nullifying and making void and of no effect [the authority of] the Word of God through your tradition, which you [in turn] hand on. And many things of this kind you are doing.’
Rabbits and eggs are not bad in themselves but we know only the sacrifice of Jesus will bring salvation, indeed Jesus became our Passover Lamb and was raised from the dead on First Fruits.
And today these spring feasts celebrate that which actually occurred and also eventually, the resurrection of the entire Body of Jesus our Messiah when He returns as King! For He is neither in a crib nor on the cross or in a grave for..
Feast of the Tabernacles 
Fall is the end of the harvest seasons, its themes include: 
The sounding of the trumpets announcing His coming
The Ingathering (agriculture and souls.) (Chag haAsif) and 
We are in fact, living now in the time between the Lamb, His first coming and the Lion, His second coming. Let’s live with joy and excited anticipation for the return of the One we love, serve and worship. The One who has a plan to completely reveal the mystery of the Autumn/Fall Calendar Feasts.
The observance of Sukkot is the 15th-21st of Tishri (September/October). Most people consider it an 8 day holiday. The first 6 days are known as Sukkot. The 7th day takes upon itself a new name known as Hoshanna Rabba, (the huge water libation ceremony). The 8th day is known as Shemini Atzaret, Yom haSh’miyniy’Atzaret, The eighth day assembly. In Israel, the 8th day is also Simchat Torah (rejoicing in the Torah scriptures). 
Sukkot frequently called the Feast of Tabernacles. A better English translation would be the Feast of Booths, which is the meaning of Hebrew word Sukkot, celebrating the fall harvest with the third first fruits of the growing season. Leviticus 23:39 
The Festival of Ingathering Hag HaAsif,
The Festival of Dedication
The Festival of Lights
In contrast to the serious tone of Rosh HaShanah and the Day of Atonement, the 3rd feast in Tishrei was a time of joy because Israel had passed through the season of repentance and redemption.
ISRAELITES Past FULFILLMENT: Celebrate the Harvest and Entering the Promised Land with Great Rejoicing to be Celebrated Yearly Forever.
MESSIANIC Future FULFILLMENT: (Prophetic) The Messianic Era or Millennium. The Kingdom of God on Earth. (Athid Lavo.) The Two become One. 
SPIRITUAL APPLICATION: (Halacha) A daily rest (Shabbat) in the Messiah and having the rest, (menuchah) of His Kingdom in our hearts.
Not coincidentally, the same time period marks the beginning of the construction of God’s sukkah, the mishkan, the sanctuary or tabernacle in the desert (Ex. 25:8-9). Tabernacle, is the word mishkan in Hebrew. 
According to tradition, Moses again ascended Mount Sinai for 40 days and nights to receive the second set of tablets and descended on Yom Kippur, carrying them as a sign of God’s forgiveness of Israel for the sin of the golden calf, and as a symbol of the lasting covenant between God and Israel (Ex.24:12-18; 34:1-2; 27-28). 
Sukkot is also called the ‘Season of Our Joy.’ 
Spiritual application in Messiah: a daily rest and having the rest, ‘menuchah’, of His Kingdom in our hearts
Sukkah is the Hebrew term for the temporary building that is constructed for this holiday. Sukkot(h) is the Hebrew name of the holiday, the moed and usually translated as booth or small hut and to tabernacle with someone, is to dwell with them.
and a pillar of fire by night.
It is also symbolic of the protection that the Israelites received from God in the desert after they were freed from bondage in Egypt (Lev. 23:43). It reminds us that our survival is dependent upon God.
The Hebrew word for tabernacle is sukkah. It means ‘a booth, a hut, a covering, a pavilion or tent.’ The Greek word for tabernacle is sk’en’e, which also means ‘a tent, hut, or habitation.’ and the context by which the word tabernacle is used in the New Covenant (Brit Hadashah).
The Bible speaks of a heavenly tabernacle (Hebrews 8:1-2; Revelation 13:6; 15:5). This heavenly tabernacle will come to earth (Revelation 21:1-3).
The sukkah remain standing for the entire 8 days of the holiday.
Sukkot is the plural of Sukkah (more than one hut or booth) and sometimes the holiday is referred to as Sukkot
The Feast of Tabernacles has an agricultural meaning, because it reminds us of how the farm laborers in ancient days lived as they worked to bring in the harvest.
Olive harvest.
In some ways, the Feast of Tabernacles is considered an Exodus holiday.
The Great Salvation
Messianic Understanding. In John 7:37-38, Jesus/Yeshua said, “If any man thirst, let him come unto Me, and drink. He that believeth on Me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water.”
The drama of the water drawing ceremony took on a new dimension of meaning when Jesus/Yeshua attended the Feast of Sukkot (Tabernacles). On the seventh day of the feast, Hoshana Rabbah, which literally means ‘the great hosanna, the great salvation’, the festival activities were different from those of each of the six previous days when the priests circled the altar in a procession, singing Ps. 118:25. 
Spiritually speaking, in the Bible, there is a link between water and the outpouring of the Holy Spirit (Ruach HaKodesh). Yeshua told the woman at the well to drink of living water (John 4:7-14; 6:35; Matt. 5:6). 
This relationship between water and the outpouring of the Holy Spirit is contained in the symbolism of pouring out water. 
Is. 44:3 links the pouring out of water with the pouring out of God’s Spirit and parallels the thirsty land again links water with the Holy Spirit.
The link can also be seen in Joel 2:23,28; Acts 2:1-4,14-17; and Ezek. 39:22,27-29. Zech. 14:8 speaks of living waters. 
Is.12:2-3 speaks of drawing water out of the wells of salvation. 
Water and the Spirit are connected in Psalm 42:1-4; Zech. 13:1; and Rev. 7:17. It can also be seen in Ezek. 36:24-27.
Jesus/Yeshua was trying to communicate this to Nicodemus in John 3:1-6. 
At the ceremony of the water drawing, the people’s attention was focused on the pool of Siloam.
(Pool full)
Notice again the statement in John 9:5. This is the last day of the feast (Hoshana Rabbah) (John 9:14; Lev. 23:34-36).
Every day we see the sun and almost every day we see the moon;
this is because God said in Genesis 1:14 that He created the sun, (greater light) for day and the moon, (the lesser light) for night, for the seasons and for a way to measure and count the days, months and years.
ECLIPSE FEVER IS TAKING AMERICA BY STORM AND EVERYONE IS, ‘SEEING STARS’ AND IN THIS CASE 
In less than a month, on 21st August, the orbital paths of the earth and moon will converge during the daytime. As the moons orbit takes it between the earth and the sun, its relative distance will block out the sun for a short period of time as its shadow transverses the surface of the earth. It will only be seen along the mapped path above.
Eclipses occur more frequently than every 100 years and are seen more commonly from other locations due to the orbital path of the moon.
Second diamond-ring effect at end of totality August 11, 1999 during a total solar eclipse.
It’s a most spectacular sight, which lasts only seconds.
The highly transient diamond ring effect really shows that the universe is not as static as it appears to be.
It takes the whole ocean and the moon to erase one footprint in the sand
The Song of Solomon speaks of the bride as the moon but finishes by speaking of her as the sun. The final picture and mystery of the bride goes from moonlight to sunshine.
We are the ‘bride’ and we are still in the moon phase, reflecting our Saviour’s glorious light.
We’re rejoicing, but oftentimes our joy is conditional. The real victory comes when you move from the moon stage to the sun stage. Then the light of the glory of God is coming from within our being and we have completed the transition from glory to glory.
You shine not just because things are shining around you, you shine because you are a light to the world.
Commit to being the light of Messiah today and shine like the sun!
(The above image of a partial eclipse in 2012 was taken by NASA’s Solar Dynamics Observatory satellite.)
The value of an Omer.
You must be logged in to post a comment.