END-TIME PROPHECY E-NEWSLETTER

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ISSUE NUMBER 20

THE LIFE AND MINISTRY OF JESUS THE MESSIAH

AS PROPHESIED IN THE ANCIENT FEASTS OF ISRAEL 

“For many will come in My name, saying, 'I am the Christ,' and will deceive many.”

The Fall Feasts Begin this Week 

COMMENT: You may also be on my Sunday School lesson mailing list. If so, you received this newsletter last week as a lesson. My two mailing lists are mostly composed of different recipients. If you are on both lists and have already received this teaching, please just delete this newsletter and accept my apology for sending a duplicate message.

INTRODUCTION: Through Moses, God commanded His people to observe certain feasts or special holy days. These events, part of Mosaic Law, are included in Exodus 12; 23:14-17; Leviticus 23; Numbers 28 and 29; and Deuteronomy 16.

In earlier lessons, we have discussed some of these feasts, including:

Weekly Holy Day– Shabbat (The Sabbath). As one of the Ten Commandments (Exodus 20:8-11), God commanded His people to keep the seventh day of the week holy: [God spoke] "Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is the Sabbath of the LORD your God. In it you shall do no work: you, nor your son, nor your daughter, nor your male servant, nor your female servant, nor your cattle, nor your stranger who is within your gates. For in six days the LORD made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested on the seventh day. Therefore the LORD blessed the Sabbath day and hallowed it." On this holy day, God's people were commanded not to work. The day memorialized the creation account (Genesis), in which God rested (did no work) on the seventh day after working six days to create the Universe.

Jews in times past and now strictly adhere to the seventh day of the week as the Sabbath. The Jewish Sabbath begins at sundown on Friday and ends at sundown on Saturday. Some Christians also observe the seventh day as the Sabbath, e.g., Seventh Day Adventists, Seven Day Baptists, and Messianic Jews.

Most Christians observe Sunday as their day of worship. Why? Most denominations  reason that Jesus arose from the tomb (was resurrected) on Sunday, and worshiping Him on Sunday honors that day and that most important event.

Jesus made an interesting comment about the Sabbath. As the scribes and Pharisees were watching carefully and criticizing the activities of Jesus and His disciples, they were critical that the hungry disciples plucked heads of grain as they walked and ate the grain (activities that would violate Jewish law of doing no work on the Sabbath). Read Jesus’ response to them (Mark 2:27): He [Jesus] said to them, "The Sabbath was made for man, and not man for the Sabbath."

Questions for discussion: Is the purpose of the Sabbath to cause us to rest one day of the week and to direct our attention to God, rather than the world? Does it matter whether we keep holy (worship God) on Saturday, Sunday, Thursday, or any other day? Is working on the Sabbath a violation of God’s intention for us to keep the day holy (provided your work is not an unholy endeavor)? If you think no work should be done on the Sabbath, are non-work or recreational activities (for example, hiking in the mountains, watching a sporting event, or vactioning at the beach or river bank) on the Sabbath acceptable? Or, is cooking meals for the family on the Sabbath acceptable work? Or, is eating out and causing restaurant staff to work on the Sabbath acceptable work? Or, if work is critical to the well-being of the community (for example, policemen, firefighters, or medical personnel), is this work on the Sabbath acceptable? I suspect God is pleased, if His children take Saturday, Sunday, or any other day to keep it holy and to remember Him. I believe we can become obsessed on issues that make little difference, and overlook far greater issues.

Annual Holy Days discussed in earlier lessons: Earlier this year, I issued newsletters on spring and summer holy days. These prophecy e-newsletters, which  summarized these feasts, include:

Passover: www.prophecyfulfillment.com/en011a.html

Spring feasts: www.prophecyfulfillment.com/en012a.html

Shavuot: www.prophecyfulfillment.com/en014a.html .

Spring feasts…

Passover (Pesach):

** Representative Scriptures for Passover: Exodus, chapter 12, and Leviticus 23:4-5.

** Significance for Israelites/Jews: Passover commemorated God’s leading the Israelites from bondage in Egypt, when His might and power passed over the land, killing the firstborn of the Egyptians but saving the firstborn of the Israelites (provided they had the faith to perform a seemingly strange commandment– the painting of their doorframes and lintels with the blood of lambs).

** Prophecy of Jesus’ life and ministry: Father God sent His Son, Jesus the Christ, to provide all persons the opportunity for eternal life (John 3:16). Jesus was called "our Passover Lamb" (1 Corinthians 5:7). Any person who accepts the blood sacrifice of the Lamb (Jesus) will be saved from the second (eternal) death (John 3:1-21).

Feast of Unleavened Bread (Chag HaMatzot):

** Representative Scriptures for the Feast of Unleavened Bread: Exodus 12:15, 19-20; 13:6-10; 1 Corinthians 5:6-8.

** Significance for Israelites/Jews: This feast commemorated the day the Israelites had to eat in haste to leave Egypt hurriedly, without time for the leaven (yeast) to act and cause the bread to rise. Rabbis later used leaven (yeast) as a metaphor for sin (sin causes a person to become puffed up with pride, as yeast causes bread to rise; sin causes a person to become sour and bitter, as yeast causes bread to become sour [sourdough, for example]; and so forth.) Israelite/ Jewish families removed every trace of yeast and bread from their homes at this time of the year, symbolically removing sin from their lives.

** Prophecy of Jesus’ life and ministry: Manna rained from Heaven for forty years, while the Israelites wandered in the wilderness. Jesus was born in Bethlehem (pronounced in Hebrew: bate LEH-khem; translated: House of Bread). Jesus called Himself “the Bread of Life,” and anyone who partakes of Him will never hunger (John, chapter 6). Jesus used the unleavened bread of a Passover Seder, the matzo, as the symbol of His body broken for our sins (Matthew 26:26, and other Scriptures). Early Christian believers went from home to home and "broke bread daily," likely celebrating Communion after the example and teaching of the Lord (Acts 2:46).

Feast of Firstfruits (Sfirat HaOmer):

** Representative Scriptures for the Feast of Firstfruits: Leviticus 23:9-14.

** Significance for Israelites/Jews: This feast involved waving a sheaf of the first-harvested grain before God, as a statement of faith that God would provide for the physical needs of the people and as a thanksgiving for all of the bounty He had provided and will provide for His children.

** Prophecies for the coming Jesus: Jesus, our Bread of Life (John 6:35) rose from death three days after His burial (Luke 24:7). The Seed (Jesus) arose to become the First Fruit of God’s harvest of souls. Jesus also became the Firstfruit of God’s plan for resurrection and for the harvest of souls (1 Corinthians 15:20-23), as a sign and promise that all who follow Him in faith will similarly defeat death and be raised to eternal life.

Summer feast…

Pentecost, or Festival of Weeks (Shavuot):

** Representative Scriptures for Shavuot: Leviticus 23:15-16 and Deuteronomy 16:9-10.

** Significance for Israelites/Jews: This feast was an offering to God of newly harvested grain in thanksgiving to Him for the harvest and their daily food.

** Prophecy of Jesus’ life and ministry: This harvest– in reality a celebration of the harvest of souls– commemorated two events:

(1) Fifty days (Translation of Pentecost: fifty days) after the exodus from Egypt, God gave the Israelites the Torah– His law for mankind. Thus, the Old Covenant faith (Judaism) was born.

(2) Fifty days after Jesus’ crucifixion, God, through the Holy Spirit, birthed Christ’s church (His Body of believers) to save all mankind. Thus, the New Covenant faith (Christianity) was born. See Joel 2:28-29; John 14:16-20; Acts, chapter 2; and 2 Corinthians 5:17.

Fall feasts…

There were three fall feasts. These feasts begin at sundown the day before before the date shown:

Yom Teruah (Feast of Trumpets, Shouts/ Rosh HaShanah):

** Date: September 19, 2009. Yom Teruah always begins at the full moon. The feast was originally one day in length, but a second day was added during the time of the prophets.

** Representative Scriptures for Yom Teruah:

► Leviticus 23:23-25: Then the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, "Speak to the children of Israel, saying: 'In the seventh month, on the first day of the month, you shall have a sabbath-rest, a memorial of blowing of trumpets, a holy convocation. You shall do no customary work on it; and you shall offer an offering made by fire to the LORD.' "

► Numbers 29:1-6: [The LORD spoke to Moses] “'And in the seventh month, on the first day of the month, you shall have a holy convocation. You shall do no customary work. For you it is a day of blowing the trumpets. You shall offer a burnt offering as a sweet aroma to the LORD: one young bull, one ram, and seven lambs in their first year, without blemish. Their grain offering shall be fine flour mixed with oil: three-tenths of an ephah for the bull, two-tenths for the ram, and one-tenth for each of the seven lambs; also one kid of the goats as a sin offering, to make atonement for you; besides the burnt offering with its grain offering for the New Moon, the regular burnt offering with its grain offering, and their drink offerings, according to their ordinance, as a sweet aroma, an offering made by fire to the LORD.’”

** Significance for Israelites/Jews: Trumpet blasts announced God’s presence in the land, announced two major holidays that would occur later in the month, and signaled the finality of God’s plans for the year’s harvest. Jews had mixed emotions about this feast. It was joyous because it marked the beginning of hope for a better new year, but sad because it brought to mind moral failures that had occurred during the past year.

This time was for solemn reflection, preparing for the Day of Atonement and planning to be a better person during the next year. In this respect, it calls to mind our New Year’s resolutions, although the Jews were probably much more serious than we are. The day began with the blowing of the shofar, an animal's horn trumpet. The priest chosen for this honor was trained in shofar blowing from childhood. He stood in front of the temple with two other trumpeters and blew the penetrating notes of the shofar as a signal that the day had begun and as a call to each person’s conscience to awaken to God’s requirements for his or her life– literally, a call to repentance. One-hundred shofar notes were sounded during the day. Psalm 81 was reverently read on this day. Much of the day was spent in the synagogue. The ram was commonly chosen as the source of the horn trumpet, but other animals could be used. A popular choice today is the Yemenite shofar– the longer, straighter, gently curving shofar– made of the horn of a kudu, an antelope.

Apples, dipped in honey, were eaten as a wish for a sweet new year. (In the South, where I live, we eat blackeyed peas on New Year’s Day for "good luck" in the new year. Any day blackeyed peas, one of my favorite foods, are cooked, "good luck" has already appeared!) Israelites/ Jews practiced “casting off,” by walking along a stream of water and emptying debris out of their pockets into the flowing water– symbolically ridding their lives of any sin that they had committed during the past year. Persons greeted each other with the wish, “May you be inscribed and sealed for a good year,” which related to an old teaching about the Days of Awe.

** Prophecy of Jesus’ life and ministry: Jesus has promised that He will return in the clouds to resurrect (raise to life) those who died, believing in Him as Savior, and rapture (snatch away) those who live and believe in Him as Savior. Yom Teruah is a prophecy of Jesus’ return in the clouds to gather His church to Him (the Rapture/ Resurrection), at which time believers will hear the trumpet of God and the shout, “Come up here!” In the twinkling of an eye, all saints (believers) will be resurrected, if dead, or translated (raptured), if alive, to live in Paradise/ Heaven with Jesus forever. For your interest: Some prophecy teachers suggest that the Rapture may occur on the Day of the Trumpet, for several reasons including Paul’s teaching about the sound of God’s trumpet at the Rapture (1 Thessalonians 4:16a). Jesus warned us that no man will know the date and hour of His return, however. These teachers have a 1 in 365 chance of being correct, but do not make a false assumption that once Yom Teruah has passed, you can take life easy for a year before thinking about Jesus’ return in the clouds.

** Comment: This day marks the first fall feast and begins the Jewish civil calendar. The day is popularly called Rosh HaShanah (English: “head [first] of the year”), which is not a Biblical term. Yom Teruah is translated to “the day of the sounding of the shofar [trumpet].”

Yom Kippur (Day of Atonement):

** Date: September 28, 2009

** Representative Scriptures for Yom Kippur:

► Leviticus, chapter 16 (which is too lengthy to reprint in these notes)

► Leviticus 23:26-32: And the LORD spoke to Moses, saying: "Also the tenth day of this seventh month shall be the Day of Atonement. It shall be a holy convocation for you; you shall afflict your souls, and offer an offering made by fire to the LORD. And you shall do no work on that same day, for it is the Day of Atonement, to make atonement for you before the LORD your God. For any person who is not afflicted in soul on that same day shall be cut off from his people. And any person who does any work on that same day, that person I will destroy from among his people. You shall do no manner of work; [it shall be] a statute forever throughout your generations in all your dwellings. It shall be to you a sabbath of solemn rest, and you shall afflict your souls; on the ninth day of the month at evening, from evening to evening, you shall celebrate your sabbath."

► Parts of Numbers, chapter 29 (which are too lengthy to reprint in these notes)

** Significance for Israelites/ Jews: This day has always been the most solemn and important day of the year for Jews, because it was set aside for atonement of sins. Jewish thought was that any sin for which atonement was not made during the Days of Awe, which preceded Yom Kippur, would be sealed in God’s book on the Day of Atonement. The Day of Atonement was each person’s last chance to appeal to God for forgiveness.

On this day, no work could be done and complete fasting (no food, no water) was expected, with certain exceptions (pregnant women, children, and persons with health needs). Other restrictions were placed on this day: no bathing or washing, no use of cosmetics or deodorant, no wearing of leather shoes, and no sexual activity. White clothing (for purity) was traditionally worn. Much of the day was spent in the synagogue. The day ended after nightfall with the blowing of the shofar. Extensive liturgical readings and prayers were offered in the synagogue. Prayers of personal confession, repentance, and petition for forgiveness were offered to God. At the end of the service, the ark– a cabinet containing the Torah scroll– was opened before the congregation, and all members stood in reverence of God’s Word. When the shofar was blown and when the doors of the ark were closed, it was referred to as "the closing of the gates" (because the last chance to atone for the preceding year’s sins had passed).

After personal asking for forgiveness of sins and repentance through the shedding of blood of sacrificial animals, two goats were sacrificed for the nation. The blood of the LORD’s goat was sprinkled on the Mercy Seat of the Ark of the Covenant. The scapegoat– the goat for Azazel– was prayed over by the High Priest (symbolically transferring the nation’s sins onto the goat), and the goat was led away into the wilderness and pushed over a cliff in order that the transferred sins would not return to the people. These two goats represented God’s eternal promises to forgive and to forget sins, if we petition Him in the appropriate manner. (These goat sacrifices may seem naïve and crude to us, but remember that the Israelites did not have the benefit of the Bible, as we do today, and their understanding of God was in a somewhat primitive state.) Remember from an earlier newsletter about the three crimson (scarlet) cords. A cord was tied to each of the two goats and the third was affixed to the door of the temple or synagogue. If God accepted the nation’s pleas for forgiveness and the sincerity of their repentance, the crimson cords turned white. Jewish writings indicate that this sign from God always occurred every year except for the forty years (one generation) before the destruction of the Second Temple in AD 70. This forty-year period extended from the beginning of Jesus’ ministry until the destruction of the Second Temple. We now know the failure of the cords to change color was a sign from God that He no longer would accept the sacrifice of animals because He provided the perfect sacrifice for remission of our sins– the crucified Passover Lamb, Jesus.  

** Prophecy of Jesus’ life and ministry: Yom Kippur represents the two judgments during the Tribulation:

(1) Persons “left behind” will experience the worst times in history– a mix of God’s judgments and man’s inhumanity through the Unholy Trinity (Satan, Antichrist, False Prophet). The purpose of these cruel times is to break reprobate men and women, and cause them to seek God's offer of salvation. Untold millions of unsaved persons will be saved during this time due to the ministry of the 144,000 Jewish evangelists (Revelation, chapter 7). Paul promised that the Jews would finally be saved (Romans 11:26-27): And so all Israel will be saved, as it is written: "The Deliverer will come out of Zion, and He will turn away ungodliness from Jacob; for this is My covenant with them, when I take away their sins."

(2) Persons who are raised to Paradise to be with Jesus forever (the Rapture/ Resurrection) will be judged at their Bema Judgment.

► Romans 14:10c: For we shall all stand at the judgment seat [Greek = bema] of Christ.

► 2 Corinthians 5:10: For we must all appear before the judgment seat [Greek = bema] of Christ, that each one may receive the things done in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad.

Read a prophecy newsletter concerning the bema judgment that I emailed earlier this year. This newsletter may be accessed at www.prophecyfulfillment.com/en004a.html .

Rewards for good works in each person’s earthly life will be given or withheld, depending upon Jesus’ judgment as to the worth of these works. There are at least five crowns which may be awarded: Crown of Glory for Faithful Servants (1 Peter 5:4); Crown of Rejoicing for Soul Winners (1 Thessalonians 2:19); Crown of Righteousness for Those Who Love His Return (2 Timothy 4:8); Incorruptible Crown for a Victorious Life of Purity (1 Corinthians 9:25); and Crown of Life for a Christian Martyr (Revelation 2:10).

Sukkot (Feast of Tabernacles, Feast of Indwelling):

** Date: October 3, 2009

** Representative Scriptures for Sukkot:

► Leviticus 23:33-43: Then the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, "Speak to the children of Israel, saying: 'The fifteenth day of this seventh month shall be the Feast of Tabernacles for seven days to the LORD. On the first day there shall be a holy convocation. You shall do no customary work on it. For seven days you shall offer an offering made by fire to the LORD. On the eighth day you shall have a holy convocation, and you shall offer an offering made by fire to the LORD. It is a sacred assembly, [and] you shall do no customary work on it. 'These are the feasts of the LORD which you shall proclaim to be holy convocations, to offer an offering made by fire to the LORD, a burnt offering and a grain offering, a sacrifice and drink offerings, everything on its day— besides the Sabbaths of the LORD, besides your gifts, besides all your vows, and besides all your freewill offerings which you give to the LORD. 'Also on the fifteenth day of the seventh month, when you have gathered in the fruit of the land, you shall keep the feast of the LORD for seven days; on the first day there shall be a sabbath-rest, and on the eighth day a sabbath-rest. And you shall take for yourselves on the first day the fruit of beautiful trees, branches of palm trees, the boughs of leafy trees, and willows of the brook; and you shall rejoice before the LORD your God for seven days. You shall keep it as a feast to the LORD for seven days in the year. It shall be a statute forever in your generations. You shall celebrate it in the seventh month. You shall dwell in booths for seven days. All who are native Israelites shall dwell in booths, that your generations may know that I made the children of Israel dwell in booths when I brought them out of the land of Egypt: I am the LORD your God.' "

► Deuteronomy 16:13-15: [The LORD said] "You shall observe the Feast of Tabernacles seven days, when you have gathered from your threshing floor and from your winepress. And you shall rejoice in your feast, you and your son and your daughter, your male servant and your female servant and the Levite, the stranger and the fatherless and the widow, who [are] within your gates. Seven days you shall keep a sacred feast to the LORD your God in the place which the LORD chooses, because the LORD your God will bless you in all your produce and in all the work of your hands, so that you surely rejoice.

** Significance for Israelites/ Jews: As somber as was Yom Kippur, Sukkot was the opposite. It was a week of joy, laughter, feasting, thanksgiving, and sharing happiness with families and friends. Sukkot was like a seven-day American Thanksgiving. Indeed, some scholars believe the Pilgrims may have been inspired by and incorporated some practices for the American Thanksgiving from Sukkot celebrations they observed in England prior to their journey to New England.

Sukkot served as a reminder to the Jews of the time their ancestors lived in booths (tents) in the wilderness, while they tabernacled (lived) with Jehovah and basked in His Shekinah (Glory).

During their forty-year sojourn in the wilderness, Jewish families lived in temporary shelters. For centuries (and even today) many Jews have built temporary huts out of natural materials (tree saplings, corn stalks, etc.). Such a hut, often little more than a lean-to shelter, is called a sukkah (plural: sukkot). Families lived and slept in their sukkot for one week, looking at stars through somewhat open roofs; enjoying each others’ company; and reflecting upon the good lives they now enjoy, thanks to the blessings of God and the sacrifices of their ancestors.

In Leviticus 23:40, the Israelites/ Jews were commanded to prepare and worship with the fruit if the beautiful tree, branches of palm trees, boughs of leafy trees, and willow branches– the four species. The Jews use an etrog and a lulav. The etrog is a green or yellow fruit (citron), with a strong, pleasant lemon smell. The lulav branches are bundled together. On the first day of Sukkot, the etrog is gently scraped to release its pleasing, citrus aroma. The lulav is shaken in four directions. Rabbis teach that the lulav is shaken toward the four corners of the earth. Christians recognize that the celebrants unwittingly make the sign of the cross.

** Prophecy of Jesus’ life and ministry: Sukkot represents the Millennial Kingdom. During the thousand-year reign of Messiah, He will live with us on Earth, preparatory to the descent of New Jerusalem (Heaven) to the Earth for our eternal use. We will not live in make-shift huts during this time. Rather, Jesus, the Carpenter for Galilee, has promised that He will prepare mansions for us (John 14:2): [Jesus said] "In My Father's house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you."

One more observance (Hanukkah, Chanukah)…

 In December, I will send a newsletter about Hanukkah (Chanukah). Hannukah is not a Mosaic feast. This Festival of Dedication (Festival of Lights) will begin on December 12, 2009. Hanukkah celebrates the miracle that happened less than two centuries before Jesus’ birth, when a one-day supply of oil for the menorah was sufficient to keep the menorah’s lamps burning for eight days, while the Second Temple was being cleansed following the abomination caused by the blasphemous worship of Antiochus IV, Epiphanes. Although not a Mosaic Feast, it was observed by Jesus (John 10:22-23): Now it was the Feast of Dedication in Jerusalem, and it was winter. And Jesus walked in the temple, in Solomon's porch. I wish to teach about this holiday for two reasons:

**  Antiochus and his defilement of the Second Temple were types (prophecies) of the future Antichrist and his defilement of the Third Temple.

** If Passover is counted as a start date, Hanukkah completes a ten-month period of time. When the wife of the late Zola Levitt was pregnant, he connected the seven Mosaic feasts and Hanukkah with pregnancy to show that God foretold the ministry of Jesus’ life in the milestones of fetal development and their positioning in the Jewish feast calendar. The beauty of God’s loving plan for us before our birth is another example to show why a Christian should be pro-life– must be pro-life– if he or she follows God’s teachings.

Statutes forever for all generations? Note that several feasts contain a command that generations will observe these statutes forever. Are we remiss in not observing these feasts at the present time? We are told that we will meet three times each year for certain feasts (Deuteronomy 16:16): [The LORD said] "Three times a year all your males shall appear before the LORD your God in the place which He chooses: at the Feast of Unleavened Bread, at the Feast of Weeks, and at the Feast of Tabernacles; and they shall not appear before the LORD empty-handed.”

QUESTIONS FOR THOUGHT: Will these Scriptures still apply during the Millennial Kingdom? Are they for all generations forever? Will these commandments only apply to the “sheep” living during the Millennium, or will saints be included? Will these feasts be changed (will the emphases be changed), or will they be observed as in ancient times? I am as confused by these questions as you probably are. I will continue to study about these questions, as I hope you will, too.

Maranatha! Can the return of our Lord to take us home be far away?  Even so, come, Lord Jesus! (Revelation 22:20b)

Unless otherwise noted, all Scriptures are quoted from the New King James Version (NKJV), © 1979, 1980, 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc., Nashville, Tennessee.

CONTACT ME:

Raymond Finney

raymondfinney@ymail.com  –  (865) 984.1424

2119 Middlewood Drive  –  Maryville, Tennessee 37803-6375 USA

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Get excited about our future! We Christians are preparing to witness the return of Jesus the Christ, and to prepare for the destruction of evil. Tell others about what is ready to happen. The late Karl Malden, an advertising icon for American Express credit cards, advised: “Don’t leave home without it [the credit card].” Let’s not leave our home here on Earth, unless we take others with us to Heaven.