God’s Calendar-- Fulfilled in Messiah Pt. 7 -- Channukah and Purim
Category: Religion and Philosophy

Channukah

Channukah is a major Jewish holiday which was not instituted by God, nor is it in the Tanakh (Old Testament). It is based on historical events which took place in the inter-testamental period. It is mentioned briefly in the New Testament that Yeshua (Jesus) kept Channukah, which is called in John the Feast of Dedication (John 10:22). The story of Channukah is taken from 1 Maccabees and 2 Maccabees, which are Apocryphal books not included in the Jewish or Protestant canon (although Anglicans include them in their Bibles, but do not use them for doctrine). 2 Maccabees contains interesting supplemental information to 1 Maccabees, but is generally considered to be less historically accurate. With the previous Feasts we have discussed, we saw how God was showing us prophetic things about His Son Yeshua. This Feast is different, because it was instituted after the Tanakh was closed. However, there are still important spiritual lessons to be gleaned from this Feast and the rich history which surrounds it.

The History

1 Maccabees ¹ After Alexander the Macedonian, Philip's son, who came from the land of Kittim, had defeated Darius, king of the Persians and Medes, he became king in his place, having first ruled in Greece. ² He fought many campaigns, captured fortresses, and put kings to death. ³ He advanced to the ends of the earth, gathering plunder from many nations; the earth fell silent before him, and his heart became proud and arrogant. ⁴ He collected a very strong army and conquered provinces, nations, and rulers, and they became his tributaries. ⁵ But after all this he took to his bed, realizing that he was going to die. ⁶ He therefore summoned his officers, the nobles, who had been brought up with him from his youth, to divide his kingdom among them while he was still alive. ⁷ Alexander had reigned twelve years when he died. ⁸ So his officers took over his kingdom, each in his own territory, ⁹ and after his death they all put on royal crowns, and so did their sons after them for many years, causing much distress over the earth. ¹⁰ There sprang from these a sinful offshoot, Antiochus Epiphanes, son of King Antiochus, once a hostage at Rome. He became king in the year one hundred and thirty-seven of the kingdom of the Greeks. ¹¹ In those days there appeared in Israel men who were breakers of the law, and they seduced many people, saying: "Let us go and make an alliance with the Gentiles all around us; since we separated from them, many evils have come upon us." ¹² The proposal was agreeable; ¹³ some from among the people promptly went to the king, and he authorized them to introduce the way of living of the Gentiles. ¹⁴  Thereupon they built a gymnasium in Jerusalem according to the Gentile custom. ¹⁵ They covered over the mark of their circumcision and abandoned the holy covenant; they allied themselves with the Gentiles and sold themselves to wrongdoing.

¹⁶ When his kingdom seemed secure, Antiochus proposed to become king of Egypt, so as to rule over both kingdoms. ¹⁷  He invaded Egypt with a strong force, with chariots and elephants, and with a large fleet, ¹⁸ to make war on Ptolemy, king of Egypt. Ptolemy was frightened at his presence and fled, leaving many casualties. ¹⁹ The fortified cities in the land of Egypt were captured, and Antiochus plundered the land of Egypt. ²⁰ After Antiochus had defeated Egypt in the year one hundred and forty-three, he returned and went up to Israel and to Jerusalem with a strong force. ²¹ He insolently invaded the sanctuary and took away the golden altar, the lampstand for the light with all its fixtures, ²² the offering table, the cups and the bowls, the golden censers, the curtain, the crowns, and the golden ornament on the facade of the temple. He stripped off everything, ²³ and took away the gold and silver and the precious vessels; he also took all the hidden treasures he could find. ²⁴ Taking all this, he went back to his own country, after he had spoken with great arrogance and shed much blood...

⁴¹ Then the king wrote to his whole kingdom that all should be one people, ⁴² each abandoning his particular customs. All the Gentiles conformed to the command of the king, ⁴³ and many Israelites were in favor of his religion; they sacrificed to idols and profaned the sabbath. ⁴⁴ The king sent messengers with letters to Jerusalem and to the cities of Judah, ordering them to follow customs foreign to their land; ⁴⁵ to prohibit holocausts, sacrifices, and libations in the sanctuary, to profane the sabbaths and feast days, ⁴⁶ to desecrate the sanctuary and the sacred ministers, ⁴⁷ to build pagan altars and temples and shrines, to sacrifice swine and unclean animals, ⁴⁸ to leave their sons uncircumcised, and to let themselves be defiled with every kind of impurity and abomination, ⁴⁹ so that they might forget the law and change all their observances. ⁵⁰ Whoever refused to act according to the command of the king should be put to death. ⁵¹ Such were the orders he published throughout his kingdom. He appointed inspectors over all the people, and he ordered the cities of Judah to offer sacrifices, each city in turn. ⁵² Many of the people, those who abandoned the law, joined them and committed evil in the land. ⁵³ Israel was driven into hiding, wherever places of refuge could be found. ⁵⁴ On the fifteenth day of the month Chislev, in the year one hundred and forty-five, the king erected the horrible abomination upon the altar of holocausts, and in the surrounding cities of Judah they built pagan altars. ⁵⁵ They also burnt incense at the doors of houses and in the streets. ⁵⁶  Any scrolls of the law which they found they tore up and burnt. ⁵⁷ Whoever was found with a scroll of the covenant, and whoever observed the law, was condemned to death by royal decree. ⁵⁸ So they used their power against Israel, against those who were caught, each month, in the cities. ⁵⁹ On the twenty-fifth day of each month they sacrificed on the altar erected over the altar of holocausts. ⁶⁰ Women who had had their children circumcised were put to death, in keeping with the decree, ⁶¹ with the babies hung from their necks; their families also and those who had circumcised them were killed. ⁶² But many in Israel were determined and resolved in their hearts not to eat anything unclean; ⁶³ they preferred to die rather than to be defiled with unclean food or to profane the holy covenant; and they did die. Terrible affliction was upon Israel.

We then read about a man named Mattathias and his sons, one of which would be called Yehudah (Judas) the Hammer (Maccabeus):

1 Maccabees 2:7 [Mattathis] said: "Woe is me! Why was I born to see the ruin of my people and the ruin of the holy city, and to sit idle while it is given into the hands of enemies, and the sanctuary into the hands of strangers?"... ¹⁴ Then Mattathias and his sons tore their garments, put on sackcloth, and mourned bitterly. ¹⁵ The officers of the king in charge of enforcing the apostasy came to the city of Modein to organize the sacrifices. ¹⁶ Many of Israel joined them, but Mattathias and his sons gathered in a group apart. ¹⁷ Then the officers of the king addressed Mattathias: "You are a leader, an honorable and great man in this city, supported by sons and kinsmen. ¹⁸  Come now, be the first to obey the king's command, as all the Gentiles and the men of Judah and those who are left in Jerusalem have done. Then you and your sons shall be numbered among the King's Friends, and shall be enriched with silver and gold and many gifts." ¹⁹ But Mattathias answered in a loud voice: "Although all the Gentiles in the king's realm obey him, so that each forsakes the religion of his fathers and consents to the king's orders, ²⁰ yet I and my sons and my kinsmen will keep to the covenant of our fathers. ²¹ God forbid that we should forsake the law and the commandments. ²² We will not obey the words of the king nor depart from our religion in the slightest degree." ²³ As he finished saying these words, a certain Jew came forward in the sight of all to offer sacrifice on the altar in Modein according to the king's order. ²⁴ When Mattathias saw him, he was filled with zeal; his heart was moved and his just fury was aroused; he sprang forward and killed him upon the altar. ²⁵ At the same time, he also killed the messenger of the king who was forcing them to sacrifice, and he tore down the altar... ⁴²  Then they were joined by a group of Hasideans, valiant Israelites, all of them devout followers of the law. ⁴³ And all those who were fleeing from the disaster joined them and supported them. ⁴⁴ They gathered an army and struck down sinners in their anger and lawbreakers in their wrath, and the survivors fled to the Gentiles for safety. ⁴⁵ Mattathias and his friends went about and tore down the pagan altars; ⁴⁶ they also enforced circumcision for any uncircumcised boys whom they found in the territory of Israel. ⁴⁷ They put to flight the arrogant, and the work prospered in their hands. ⁴⁸ They saved the law from the hands of the Gentiles and of the kings and did not let the sinner triumph.

Soon after this, Yehudah (Judas) led an army against Lysias, a regent of Antiochus, and won. It was then that they were able to cleanse the Temple:

1 Maccabees 4 ⁵² Early in the morning on the twenty-fifth day of the ninth month, that is, the month of Chislev, in the year one hundred and forty-eight, ⁵³ they arose and offered sacrifice according to the law on the new altar of holocausts that they had made. ⁵⁴ On the anniversary of the day on which the Gentiles had defiled it, on that very day it was reconsecrated with songs, harps, flutes, and cymbals. ⁵⁵ All the people prostrated themselves and adored and praised Heaven, who had given them success. ⁵⁶ For eight days they celebrated the dedication of the altar and joyfully offered holocausts and sacrifices of deliverance and praise. ⁵⁷ They ornamented the facade of the temple with gold crowns and shields; they repaired the gates and the priests' chambers and furnished them with doors. ⁵⁸ There was great joy among the people now that the disgrace of the Gentiles was removed. ⁵⁹ Then Judas and his brothers and the entire congregation of Israel decreed that the days of the dedication of the altar should be observed with joy and gladness on the anniversary every year for eight days, from the twenty-fifth day of the month Chislev.

You might have noticed in this fascinating history that there is no reference to a miracle of oil lasting for days. This story is not included in 1 Maccabees or the much later (and much elaborated upon) 2 Maccabees. It comes even later and is recounted in the Talmud (a body of Jewish writing including Rabbinic debate and rulings on how to keep Torah). For this reason, it seems unlikely that this event truly happened. Strangely though, it's one of the few stories most people even know regarding Channukah. It seems that the history given in Maccabees is much more spiritually rich.

The Lesson of Channukah

There are important spiritual lessons in the Feast of Channukah that we can learn from. Even though the history behind this day is steeped in violence, the day itself is based around the joy of rededicating to God that which had been defiled. According to 2 Maccabees 10:5-8, this Feast was built around the Feast of Tabernacles, because the Jews who still loved God's Torah could not fully keep it while they were hiding in caves from the armies. Just as Tabernacles was a Feast which pointed to the Temple and the glory of God dwelling within that Temple, Channukah pointed to the re-establishment of that Holy Building which had been defiled. We are the building of God, where His presence rests. If we have allowed ourselves to be spiritually defiled, let us keep the Feast of Channukah within each of our spirits.

Interestingly, if Yeshua was indeed born on Tabernacles as we have speculated, He would have been conceived right around Channukah-- which is the Feast of Dedication, when the holy Temple of God was rededicated after it had been defiled. In the same way, Yeshua was dedicated as the Temple of God's Presence after the previous Temple system had been defiled by those who kept it with sinful hearts. Ultimately, the New Temple (Yeshua) would have to be dedicated anyway, because the previous Temple was only a picture which pointed to Him.

The history and lessons behind this Feast are fascinating. However, many believe that there is something else that makes this Feast even more interesting-- that the prophet Daniel spoke of the events surrounding this Feast hundreds of years before.

Daniel and Antiochus

Nearly all scholars are in agreement that Daniel speaks of Antiochus IV (so-called Epiphanes-- "God manifest") in his 11th chapter (verses 21-35)-- so much so that liberal scholars who don't believe in the inspiration of Scripture date Daniel to be AFTER Antiochus IV because of the significant details Daniel spoke of Antiochus's life. Here is an interesting reference which Daniel makes to him:

Daniel 11:30  For ships from Cyprus shall come against him; therefore he shall be grieved, and return in rage against the holy covenant, and do damage.  So he shall return and show regard for those who forsake the holy covenant. 31 And forces shall be mustered by him, and they shall defile the sanctuary fortress; then they shall take away the daily sacrifices, and place there the abomination of desolation.

This is exactly the history we read in 1 Maccabees! Not only is Antiochus spoken of in Daniel 11, many scholars believe he is also spoken of in Daniel 8. Daniel speaks of a two-horned ram (Medo-Persia) fighting against a one-horned goat (Greece with Alexander the Great). After the goat's horn (Alexander) is broken, four others rise out of it (his four generals who split the kingdom-- remember 1 Maccabees 1?). Adventists are in agreement with the general Protestant view up to this point. Here is where it gets tricky...

Out of one of these horns grows another, who grows toward Israel and also casts down the host of heaven (God's people). Daniel then says that this horn will cut off the daily sacrifices and cast down the sanctuary. Daniel also says this horn is broken without human hands. This matches what we read about Antiochus in 2 Maccabees 9:9-10 when it is said, "The body of this impious man swarmed with worms, and while he was still alive in hideous torments, his flesh rotted off, so that the entire army was sickened by the stench of his corruption. Shortly before, he had thought that he could reach the stars of heaven, and now, no one could endure to transport the man because of this intolerable stench."

However, the traditional Seventh Day Adventist view would point out that this horn in Daniel 8 which grows out of Greece is very similar to the horn in Daniel 7 which grows out of Rome (which most Christians would refer to as antichrist). The Adventist church would define the Daniel 8 horn as the same horn in Daniel 7. The general Protestant view of Daniel 8 would not argue that Daniel 7 and 8 are not similar, but claim that Daniel is comparing the work of Antiochus with that of antichrist. Matthew 24:15 shows Yeshua referring to a future Abomination of Desolation which Daniel spoke of, although Maccabees states clearly that this happened in Antiochus. Is it that Antiochus never truly fulfilled this prophecy, or that it also has dual fulfillment in a future figure just like Antiochus? The latter view could be true because Daniel 11, which focuses much on Antiochus in verses 21-35, suddenly departs from data that we can compare to Antiochus and begins talking about another figure as if the two were synonymous-- this figure is the future antichrist.

Another matter of debate in Daniel 8 surrounds a prophetic period of 2,300 days:

Daniel 8:13 I heard a holy one speaking, and another said to whichever one it was that spoke, "How long shall the events of this vision last concerning the daily sacrifice, the desolating sin which is placed there, the sanctuary, and the trampled host?" ¹⁴ He answered him, "For two thousand three hundred evenings and mornings; then the sanctuary shall be purified."

The general view is that this period relates to Antiochus and refer to literal days. Some point out that Priest Onias III was killed and a false line of Priests took over the Temple service in 171 B.C., which could be a starting point for those holding the literal day view which corresponds to Antiochus and the cleansing of the sanctuary (with the end point at the Temple cleansing or Antiochus's death). Others suggest that 2,300 "evening-mornings" as Daniel calls them are evening and morning sacrifices, equaling 1,150 days (a little over 3 yrs. And 2 mos. See Josephus' Preface to Jewish Wars). There are, by many calculations, 3 years and ten days between the abomination Antiochus established and the re-dedication of the Temple, and additional time may be bought by starting the period when Antiochus sent a letter to Palestine demanding they give up their worship. The common view is weak because there isn't a clear consensus on when this period should begin and end, so there are weaknesses with both the Adventist view and the general view.

The Adventist view suggests that this period does not refer to literal days, but speaks figuratively of 2,300 years. The starting point given is the same starting point for the 70 weeks in Daniel 9-- when the 2nd Temple began to be rebuilt. 2,300 years into the future ends in 1844 A.D., when it is said that Christ began His Investigative Judgment of who those would be saved in the Heavenly Sanctuary.

Even though we may debate whether or not Daniel 8 speaks of Antiochus, this king provides for us a clear picture of anti-christ—he persecutes God's people, turns them against God's Law, and makes himself out to be God. He is a prefiguring of the spirit of anti-messiah, and the dark shadow he casts into end time events is disconcerting. After all is said and discussed, I would encourage everyone to focus on the moral lessons of this Feast and to stay true to what the Bible says in all matters.

Purim-- the Feast of Lots

Purim is a Feast which is established in the Old Testament, though not specifically by God. It takes place during the 14th and 15th of Adar (around February-March, the twelfth month on the Jewish calendar). It is recounted in the Book of Esther. There is a fascinating history behind this Feast as well as deep spiritual lessons which we can learn from.

The History

The story begins when Ahasuerus, the king of Persia, divorces his wife, the queen, because she refused to let him show her off at a party. This happened at the encouragement of his wise men who said, "For the queen's behavior will become known to all women, so that they will despise their husbands in their eyes, when they report, 'King Ahasuerus commanded Queen Vashti to be brought in before him, but she did not come'" (Esther 1:17).

Of course, the king now needed a new wife. Hadassah (aka Esther), a Jew, was selected as the new queen. However, she kept her Jewishness a secret from the king at the request of her relative Mordechai, who had taken care of her as his daughter. Mordechai continued to check up on Esther, and when he learned of a plot to kill the king, he told Esther, who told the king in his name. The offenders were hung, saving the king's life.

Soon after, the king appointed a man named Haman as his second in command. Haman was a superstitious and selfish person, and when he had received word that Mordechai would not bow to him like every one else within the king's gate, he was filled with rage. Instead of targeting just Mordechai, he seeked to wipe out Mordechai's people, the Jews. Haman decided when he would begin his genocide campaign by drawing lots--

Esther 3:7 In the first month, which is the month of Nisan, in the twelfth year of King Ahasuerus, ⁱthey cast Pur (that is, the lot), before Haman ¹to determine the day and the month, until it fell on the twelfth month, which is the month of Adar.  ⁸ Then Haman said to King Ahasuerus, "There is a certain people scattered and dispersed among the people in all the provinces of your kingdom; their laws are different from all other people's, and they do not keep the king's laws. Therefore it is not fitting for the king to let them remain. If it pleases the king, let a decree be written that they be destroyed, and I will pay ten thousand talents of silver into the hands of those who do the work, to bring it into the king's treasuries."  ¹⁰ So the king took his signet ring from his hand and gave it to Haman, the son of Hammedatha the Agagite, the enemy of the Jews. ¹¹ And the king said to Haman, "The money and the people are given to you, to do with them as seems good to you."

Letters were then sent out to all of the king's provinces that the Jews should be annihilated on the 13th of Adar.

Esther 4:1 When Mordecai learned all that had happened, he tore his clothes and put on sackcloth and ashes, and went out into the midst of the city. He cried out with a loud and bitter cry. ² He went as far as the front of the king's gate, for no one might enter the king's gate clothed with sackcloth. ³ And in every province where the king's command and decree arrived, there was great mourning among the Jews, with fasting, weeping, and wailing; and many lay in sackcloth and ashes. ⁴ So Esther's maids and eunuchs came and told her, and the queen was deeply distressed. Then she sent garments to clothe Mordecai and take his sackcloth away from him, but he would not accept them. ⁵ Then Esther called Hathach, one of the king's eunuchs whom he had appointed to attend her, and she gave him a command concerning Mordecai, to learn what and why this was. ⁶ So Hathach went out to Mordecai in the city square that was in front of the king's gate. ⁷ And Mordecai told him all that had happened to him, and the sum of money that Haman had promised to pay into the king's treasuries to destroy the Jews. ⁸ He also gave him a copy of the written decree for their destruction, which was given at Shushan, that he might show it to Esther and explain it to her, and that he might command her to go in to the king to make supplication to him and plead before him for her people. ⁹ So Hathach returned and told Esther the words of Mordecai.  ¹⁰ Then Esther spoke to Hathach, and gave him a command for Mordecai: ¹¹ "All the king's servants and the people of the king's provinces know that any man or woman who goes into the inner court to the king, who has not been called, he has but one law: put all to death, except the one to whom the king holds out the golden scepter, that he may live. Yet I myself have not been called to go in to the king these thirty days." ¹² So they told Mordecai Esther's words. ¹³ And Mordecai told them to answer Esther: "Do not think in your heart that you will escape in the king's palace any more than all the other Jews. ¹⁴ For if you remain completely silent at this time, relief and deliverance will arise for the Jews from another place, but you and your father's house will perish. Yet who knows whether you have come to the kingdom for such a time as this?"  ¹⁵ Then Esther told them to reply to Mordecai: ¹⁶ "Go, gather all the Jews who are present in Shushan, and fast for me; neither eat nor drink for three days, night or day. My maids and I will fast likewise. And so I will go to the king, which is against the law; and if I perish, I perish!"  ¹⁷ So Mordecai went his way and did according to all that Esther commanded him.

One of the most interesting verses in Esther is in Esther 4:14. The name of God is not mentioned once in the entire book of Esther. Some extremely liberal theologians have speculated that the reason for this is because the Jews had outgrown God and could now rely on themselves. This is, decidedly, nonsense. God can be seen taking care of His people in all His sovereignty throughout this book. The fact that God isn't mentioned by name almost draws our attention to our own lives. Sometimes we go through difficult struggles and don't think we can see God anywhere near us. And yet, He always hears our prayers and always takes care of us. In Esther 4:14, we see Mordechai telling Esther that she has become queen for just such a time as this. God had ordained it. Yet, if she refused to do what was right, God would find another way to deliver His people, Israel. God is definitely working in the book of Esther.

The rest of the book of Esther is full of interesting twists that let you know confidently that God is at work. One example is King Ahasuerus remembering what Mordechai did for him in thwarting the assassination attempt on his life. He decideds he wants to honor Mordechai, but doesn't know how. Right at this time, Haman is entering the room to ask the king if he may hang Mordechai on a gallows he has had built. Here is how their conversation went--

Esther 6:⁶ So Haman came in, and the king asked him, "What shall be done for the man whom the king delights to honor?" Now Haman thought in his heart, "Whom would the king delight to honor more than me?" ⁷ And Haman answered the king, "For the man whom the king delights to honor, ⁸ let a royal robe be brought which the king has worn, and a horse on which the king has ridden, which has a royal crest placed on its head. ⁹ Then let this robe and horse be delivered to the hand of one of the king's most noble princes, that he may array the man whom the king delights to honor. Then parade him on horseback through the city square, and proclaim before him: 'Thus shall it be done to the man whom the king delights to honor!'" ¹⁰ Then the king said to Haman, "Hurry, take the robe and the horse, as you have suggested, and do so for Mordecai the Jew who sits within the king's gate! Leave nothing undone of all that you have spoken." ¹¹ So Haman took the robe and the horse, arrayed Mordecai and led him on horseback through the city square, and proclaimed before him, "Thus shall it be done to the man whom the king delights to honor!" ¹² Afterward Mordecai went back to the king's gate. But Haman hurried to his house, mourning and with his head covered.

After this, Esther holds a private banquet for the king and Haman so that she may ask the king for something which is on her heart. Haman thinks he's a pretty cool dude to be invited to such a private affair, but he soon changes his mind.

Esther 7:1 ...the king again said to Esther, "What is your petition, Queen Esther? It shall be granted you. And what is your request, up to half the kingdom? It shall be done!" ³ Then Queen Esther answered and said, "If I have found favor in your sight, O king, and if it pleases the king, let my life be given me at my petition, and my people at my request. ⁴ For we have been sold, my people and I, to be destroyed, to be killed, and to be annihilated. Had we been sold as male and female slaves, I would have held my tongue, although the enemy could never compensate for the king's loss." ⁵ So King Ahasuerus answered and said to Queen Esther, "Who is he, and where is he, who would dare presume in his heart to do such a thing?"  ⁶ And Esther said, "The adversary and enemy is this wicked Haman!" So Haman was terrified before the king and queen. ⁷ Then the king arose in his wrath from the banquet of wine and went into the palace garden; but Haman stood before Queen Esther, pleading for his life, for he saw that evil was determined against him by the king. ⁸ When the king returned from the palace garden to the place of the banquet of wine, Haman had fallen across the couch where Esther was. Then the king said, "Will he also assault the queen while I am in the house?" As the word left the king's mouth, they covered Haman's face. ⁹ Now Harbonah, one of the eunuchs, said to the king, "Look! The gallows, fifty cubits high, which Haman made for Mordecai, who spoke good on the king's behalf, is standing at the house of Haman." Then the king said, "Hang him on it!" ¹⁰ So they hanged Haman on the gallows that he had prepared for Mordecai. Then the king's wrath subsided.

After this, Mordechai takes the place of Haman and orders that the decree to annihilate the Jews be revoked and that anyone who seeks to harm the Jews be destroyed by the Jewish people.

Esther 9:²⁰ And Mordecai wrote these things and sent letters to all the Jews, near and far, who were in all the provinces of King Ahasuerus, ²¹ to establish among them that they should celebrate yearly the fourteenth and fifteenth days of the month of Adar, ²² as the days on which the Jews had rest from their enemies, as the month which was turned from sorrow to joy for them, and from mourning to a holiday; that they should make them days of feasting and joy, of ^vsending presents to one another and gifts to the poor. ²³ So the Jews accepted the custom which they had begun, as Mordecai had written to them, ²⁴ because Haman, the son of Hammedatha the Agagite, the enemy of all the Jews, had plotted against the Jews to annihilate them, and had cast Pur (that is, the lot), to consume them and destroy them; ²⁵ but when Esther came before the king, he commanded by letter that this wicked plot which Haman had devised against the Jews should ^zreturn on his own head, and that he and his sons should be hanged on the gallows. ²⁶ So they called these days Purim, after the name Pur.

Spiritual Lessons

There is an important lesson which all believers can claim for themselves-- God is sovereign and even through the worst of situations, He is in control and can be trusted by those who follow Him. All who plan on uprooting His plan and His people will fail and ultimately be destroyed.

There is also an important lesson here about Israel. In Genesis 12:3, we learn that those who curse Israel God will curse, because Israel is His covenant people forever. We also see in prophecy that God's people Israel will last until the end. These are the reasons why Israel has lasted for 4,000 years, despite the many attempts of genocide against them and the pressure to conform to the societies around them.

An examination of history will show us that Pharaoh tried to destroy Israel before they crossed the Red Sea (which the 7 Biblical Feasts commemorate-- Passover, Unleavened Bread, and Tabernacles more specifically), Haman tried to exterminate them (which Purim commemorates), Antiochus IV tried to assimilate them into the nations and kill those who refused (which Channukah commemorates), Hitler killed six million (1/3) of them (which Holocaust Remembrance Day commemorates), Communist Russia oppressed and killed them, and in the end of days Gog and Magog will wipe out 2/3 of them. Why are the Jews so hated, and yet no one can successfully wipe out this small minority? The only reasonable answer is that Satan wants them destroyed because they are God's people, yet God will not allow them to be wiped out. God keeps His promises.

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God’s Calendar-- Fulfilled in Messiah Pt. 6-- Timeline of the Second Coming
Category: Religion and Philosophy

Timeline of the Second Coming According to the Last Three Feasts

Trumpets (Tishrei 1)        Atonement (Tishrei 10)     Tabernacles (Tishrei 15)       
2nd Coming of Yeshua    Judgment of the righteous    Inauguration of God's Kingdom


Trumpets-- Matthew 24:31, 1 Thess 4:16, Revelation 11:15-18, and Isaiah 27:12-13 seem to support the call of the Trumpet marking the second coming of Messiah. The first three Feasts (Passover, Unleavened Bread, Firstfruits) related to Messiah's central mission in His first coming (Crucifixion as the lamb, Sinless Life for attributing to us, and Resurrection as the firstfruits). These last three Feasts point to His second coming mission-- to set the world right and inaugurate the Messianic Kingdom. Every eye will see Him when He returns and we come to meet Him in the clouds. He will then destroy the armies of the nations which are surrounding Israel to destroy it (Rev 19:11-21, Zech 12-14, Ezek 38-39).

Atonement-- Between Trumpets and the Day of Atonement, there is a ten day period referred to as the Days of Awe by the Jewish people. During this period, the Jewish person will seek reconciliation for sins he has committed over the last year in preparation for the Day of Atonement, when he will have his last chance to be inscribed in the Book of Life for the next year. Ezekiel 20:33-37, Zechariah 13:9, and Romans 11:26 seem to refer to this period when discussing a time when Yeshua will take Israel into the wilderness and speak with them face to face. Those who reject Him will be purged from among them, but the rest will accept Him as their Lord. This period culminates in the Day of Atonement which is a symbol of the Judgment Day of the righteous when God will acquit His people of their sin on behalf of the sacrifice of Messiah.

Tabernacles-- There is a 5 day period between Atonement and Tabernacles. Tabernacles points to the time when God will Tabernacle among His people, just as His glory was in the midst of the people through the Tabernacle/Temple. This is when Yeshua will begin His Messianic Kingdom on earth, in which He will dwell with us and be our King. Revelation 20 explains that Satan is bound for this period (1,000 years) and Isaiah 11 gives us a preview of what this period will look like. Many Scriptures (Ezekiel 40-48, Zechariah 14, Ezek 37:27) seem to indicate there will be a physical Temple and sacrifices during this period, but this is hotly debated among theologians. The Millenium ends when Satan is let loose and calls the nations to destroy the holy city. Fire from Heaven destroys Satan's army, and sinners are put to judgment in the Final (White Throne) Judgment of the wicked (Revelation 20). This marks the obliteration of the universe and a new universe where we will forever be with God (Rev 21:1-8).

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God’s Calendar-- Fulfilled in Messiah. Pt. 5-- Trumpets, Atonement, and Tabernacles
Category: Religion and Philosophy

These are the last three Feasts in God's Calendar. They are Trumpets, the Day of Atonement, and Tabernacles. They take place in the seventh of the Jewish calendar and all point to the Second Coming of Messiah.



Trumpets

Joel 2:1 "Blow the trumpet in Zion, and sound an alarm in My holy mountain! Let all the inhabitants of the land tremble; For the day of the Lord is coming, for it is at hand…"

As Passover was the first of three Spring Feasts (four counting Pentecost, which takes place 50 days after the Passover Feasts), Trumpets is the first of three Fall Feasts. The first three Feasts prophesied the first coming of Messiah. The fourth Feast prophesied the coming of the Holy Spirit. These last three Feasts prophesy His second coming. The first of these last three Feasts, Trumpets, takes place on the first day of the seventh month (Tishrei)—
Leviticus 23:23 "Then the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, 24 '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.'"

This Feast is called today Rosh HaShanah by the Jews, which means the New Year. It is not the beginning of the New Year on the Jewish calendar (after all, it takes place in the beginning of the seventh month), but they see something in it that points to a new beginning. It is also traditionally believed to be the anniversary of creation. Many Messianic Jews prefer to emphasize the more Scriptural understanding of this Feast, calling it Yom T'ruah—Day of the Trumpet Blast. In Rabbinic times, it was also called "Yom HaDin" (Judgment Day) and "Chevlai shel Mashiach" (the Birthpangs of Messiah—pointing to the idea that there will be a great time of trouble before Messiah comes).

Ariel ben-Lyman, a Messianic teacher, says, "In Scripture the shofar [ram's horn trumpet] is used as follows: to muster an army (Judg. 3:27; 6:34); to frighten the enemy (Judg. 7:8,16-22); to proclaim victory (I Sam. 13:3); to terminate a battle (2 Sam. 18: 20-22); to proclaim rebellion (2 Sam. 20:1); to warn of an approaching enemy (Jer. 4:21; Hos. 5:8; Neh. 4:12-14); to install the Ark in David's tent (2 Sam. 6:15); and to proclaim the coronation of kings (2 Sam. 15:10; 2 Kings 9:13; cf. Ps. 47:6; 98:6)" (Yom T'ruah, http://www.graftedin.com).

The most significant event of this day is the blowing of trumpets, and there isn't a lot of prophetic material in the introduction to this Feast in Leviticus 23. For this reason, one must examine other passages in the Bible to get a clearer picture of what this Feast is talking about.


A Biblical Picture of the Day of Trumpets

Isaiah 27:12 And it shall come to pass in that day that the Lord will thresh, from the channel of the River to the Brook of Egypt; And you will be gathered [literally "picked up"] one by one, O you children of Israel. 13 So it shall be in that day: The great trumpet will be blown; They will come, who are about to perish in the land of Assyria, And they who are outcasts in the land of Egypt, and shall worship the Lord in the holy mount at Jerusalem. (see also Isaiah 56:8)

In this passage, the Trumpet is connected with the end times— there is a "picking up" of the children of Israel, and other nations come to worship God in the temple.

Zechariah 9:11 "As for you also, because of the blood of your covenant, I will set your prisoners free from the waterless pit ...14 Then the Lord will be seen over them, and His arrow will go forth like lightning. The Lord God will blow the trumpet, and go with whirlwinds from the south. 15 The Lord of hosts will defend them… 16 The Lord their God will save them in that day, as the flock of His people .

We are given an additional detail here—when the Trumpet is blown, God defends Israel. Later, in Zechariah 14, we are given a clearer view of God defending His people in the end of time--
Zechariah 14:3 Then the Lord will go forth and fight against those nations [which have surrounded Israel to destroy them], as He fights in the day of battle. 4 And in that day His feet will stand on the Mount of Olives, which faces Jerusalem on the east. And the Mount of Olives shall be split in two, from east to west, making a very large valley; Half of the mountain shall move toward the north and half of it toward the south.  5 …Thus the Lord my God will come, and all the saints with You .
 
Matthew 24:29 "Immediately after the tribulation of those days the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light; the stars will fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken. 30 Then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in heaven, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. 31 And He will send His angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they will gather together His elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other."

1 Thessalonians 4:16 "For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. 17 Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord."

It is no wonder that the Rabbis of old have considered this day to be figurative of a new year, as well as a day of judgment. Remnants of this day of judgment understanding are found in the Siddur (the Jewish prayerbook). For instance, on the night of Trumpets prayers are recited over various foods relating to the destruction of Israel's enemies. Also, the regular Sabbath prayers, when said between Trumpets and Atonement (the Feast following Trumpets), are changed to emphasize the kingship of God. Of course, in the Jewish mind, God is always King. But during this time, special attention is drawn to this attribute of His. Why? Because the Feast of Trumpets points to God coming to destroy Israel's enemies (whom, according to Zechariah 12-14, are destroying the people of Israel at this time) and showing Himself to be their King:
Zech 12:9 "It shall be in that day that I will seek to destroy all the nations that come against Jerusalem. 10 And I will pour on the house of David and on the inhabitants of Jerusalem the Spirit of grace and supplication; then they will look on Me whom they pierced. Yes, they will mourn for Him as one mourns for his only son, and grieve for Him as one grieves for a firstborn."

It is significant that the haftarah portion (the traditional Jewish reading of the Prophets) on the Feast of Trumpets is Jeremiah 31:1-19—
Jer 31:1 "'At the same time,' says the LORD, 'I will be the God of all the families of Israel, and they shall be My people.' 3 The LORD has appeared of old to me, saying: 'Yes, I have loved you with an everlasting love; Therefore with lovingkindness I have drawn you...'  7 For thus says the LORD: Sing with gladness for Jacob, and shout among the chief of the nations; Proclaim, give praise, and say, 'O LORD, save Your people, The remnant of Israel!'  9 …They shall come with weeping, And with supplications I will lead them. I will cause them to walk by the rivers of waters, in a straight way in which they shall not stumble; for I am a Father to Israel, And Ephraim is My firstborn.  10 Hear the word of the LORD, O nations, and declare it in the isles afar off, and say, 'He who scattered Israel will gather him, and keep him as a shepherd does his flock.'  11 For the LORD has redeemed Jacob, and ransomed him from the hand of one stronger than he... 17 There is hope in your future, says the LORD, that your children shall come back to their own border.  18 I have surely heard Ephraim bemoaning himself: 'You have chastised me, and I was chastised, Like an untrained bull; Restore me, and I will return, For You are the LORD my God...'"


Why Should There Be Two Distinct Comings of Messiah?

Earlier, we mentioned that the first three Feasts prophesied Messiah's first coming and the last three His second. Many Jews who are skeptical about Yeshua make the claim that He did not fulfill that which is to them His central mission—a New Earth, ruled by Messiah, which is peaceful and free from war. Is it nonsensical for followers of Yeshua to teach that He will fulfill this aspect of prophecy in His second coming? To answer this question, it may be helpful to examine what the Rabbis of old have believed about Messiah.

Rabbis debated in what way Messiah would come. Early in their debate, they realized that there was a problem— there were two different descriptions in the Tanakh (Old Testament) of how Messiah would come…
"If they will be righteous, [the Messiah will come] on the clouds of heaven (Daniel 7:13); if they will not be righteous, [he will come] as a poor man riding upon an ass (Zech 9:9)" (B. Sanh. 98a) .

It was also difficult to reconcile passages that taught Messiah would die for Israel's sins (Isaiah 53) and those that taught He would rule an eternal kingdom (Psalm 45:6-7, Daniel 7:14). Eventually, the idea that there must be two Messiahs emerged—Messiah son of Joseph (who would suffer as Joseph suffered) and Messiah son of David (who will rule as David ruled). It was believed that in the end of time, Messiah son of Joseph would be slain and Messiah son of David would then rise up—

"And he (Armilus—anti-Messiah) will slay Messiah ben Joseph and it will be a great calamity for Israel… [Those of Israel who have no faith will say], 'this is the man for whom we have hoped; now he came and was killed and no redemption is left for us…' And to those who are left… Messiah ben David will reveal himself."

Instead of two different Messiahs, why not one Messiah with two different missions and thus two different comings? Interestingly, contemporary Jewish scholars who have examined these texts about the two different Messiahs believe that the two may be considered one—
"Messiah ben David will come after him [and] in some legends will bring him back to life, which psychologically hints at the identity of the two."

As we examine the Feasts, we note that the three Passover Feasts take place 6 months before the last three Feasts, separating them as two different times, and that the blowing of Trumpets signifies an event which relates to the end of this age. We believe that the beginning of salvation happened in the first month of the year (prophetically) when the lamb was slain for us. We look forward to the seventh month when the act of salvation will be completed, and we will be raised incorruptible at the sounding of the Trumpet. I look forward to seeing you all there!






The Day of Atonement

The Day of Atonement is introduced for us in Leviticus 23—
"Also the tenth day of this seventh month shall be the 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 YHWH... Any person who is not afflicted in soul on that same day shall be cut off from his people" (Leviticus 23:27, 29).

Many relate this Feast to the atonement we have in Yeshua (Jesus), drawing it to the cross. This Feast certainly talks about the atonement we have in Messiah, but it has a different focus than the Passover, which specifically prophecies about His crucifixion for us, and was fulfilled on the very day of the Passover. If we examine Scripture carefully, we see that just like the Feast of Trumpets, this has a future fulfillment which will someday come to pass.

The Day of Atonement, known in Jewish circles as Yom Kippur, takes place in the seventh month (Tishrei) on the tenth day. It is taught that on Yom Kippur, the book of Life is closed and the opportunity to be inscribed in it for the next year is gone. In the Jewish mind, this has to do with the mortal fate of the believer-- whether he will die in the coming year or not. Between Trumpets (Tishrei 1) and Atonement (Tishrei 10), Jews observe the "Ten Days of Awe." During this time, Jews are called to repent of their sins, ask for forgiveness, and make peace with those whom they have hurt.

"One of the ongoing themes of the Days of Awe is the concept that G-d has "books" that he writes our names in, writing down who will live and who will die, who will have a good life and who will have a bad life, for the next year. These books are written in on Rosh Hashanah, but our actions during the Days of Awe can alter G-d's decree" (http://www.jewfaq.org/holiday3.htm).

During the Days of Awe, Jews are told to fast (as a sign of being afflicted) on this day. It is also of interest that Jubilee years began on Yom Kippur.


The Future Days of Awe

Before we discuss the Day of Atonement, we should examine the days leading up to Yom Kippur from Trumpets-- the Days of Awe.

Zechariah 12-14 gives an intimate picture of the days leading up to and after the Second Coming of Messiah. In Zechariah 12:10 we read about the Revelation of Yeshua to the Jews--
"And I will pour on the house of David and on the inhabitants of Jerusalem the Spirit of grace and supplication; then they will look on Me whom they pierced. Yes, they will mourn for Him as one mourns for his only son, and grieve for Him as one grieves for a firstborn."

In Zechariah 13, we read about how Yeshua will deal with Israel after His coming. It is here that we learn that two-thirds of Israel will be destroyed (in battle or by God?).

Zechariah 13:1 "In that day there shall be a fountain opened to the house of David and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem for sin and for uncleanness… 9 I will bring the one-third through the fire, will refine them as silver is refined, And test them as gold is tested. They will call on My name, and I will answer them. I will say, 'This is My people'; And each one will say, 'The LORD is my God.'"

This process is further elaborated upon in Ezekiel 20—  Ezekiel 20:33 "'As I live,' says the Lord God, 'surely with a mighty hand, with an outstretched arm, and with fury poured out, I will rule over you. 34 I will bring you out from the peoples and gather you out of the countries where you are scattered, with a mighty hand, with an outstretched arm, and with fury poured out. 35 And I will bring you into the wilderness of the peoples, and there I will plead My case with you face to face. 36 Just as I pleaded My case with your fathers in the wilderness of the land of Egypt, so I will plead My case with you,' says the Lord God.
37 'I will make you pass under the rod, and I will bring you into the bond of the covenant; 38 I will purge the rebels from among you, and those who transgress against Me; I will bring them out of the country where they dwell, but they shall not enter the land of Israel. Then you will know that I am the Lord.'"

We find that God is infinitely gracious to His covenant people. Even though much of Israel has not accepted atonement through His Messiah, He will give them all a final opportunity-- He will talk with them face to face. Those who believe will be "refined as silver is refined" and "tested as gold is tested." Those who refuse to believe are destroyed from Israel. That is why Paul can say that, "all Israel WILL BE saved" (Romans 11:26).


The Future Day of Atonement

One of the difficulties with interpreting the last three Feasts is that they have not yet found fulfillment as the first four have. For that reason, we are not looking back and making comparisons, but looking forward and making predictions, based on the information we have. Thankfully, we can look at some of the symbols of these last three Feasts and see that they must be fulfilled during Messiah's Second Coming, and the Atonement must come after His revelation, because it takes place after Trumpets.

The Day of Atonement must be applied to that future day when atonement is completed for ALL believers, both Jew and Gentile, taking place after the Days of Awe where Yeshua will speak to Israel face fo face— Revelation 20:4 "I saw thrones, and they sat on them, and judgment was committed to them. I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded for their witness to Jesus and for the word of God, who had not worshipped the beast for his image… 6 and they lived and reigned with Christ for a thousand years... 15 And anyone not found written in the Book of Life [will be] cast into the lake of fire."

Just as Jewish leaders have taught that the Day of Atonement is the last day to be written in the Book of Life for the following year, the future day of Atonement will be the last day to be written in the Book of Life for those who will live forever with God. Interestingly, the Jubilee year begins on Yom Kippur showing that even though the day of Atonement is a day of being afflicted in soul, it is also a day where freedom in Messiah will be declared.


Our Present Day of Atonement

We find through the Scriptures and through recorded Jewish history that the Day of Atonement is not so much about the act of atoning which Messiah did on the cross, but the act of atoning which God does when we turn to Him and make Yeshua's sacrifice personal.

On the day of Atonement, we find Yeshua telling His disciples, "If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me. For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it. For what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul? For the Son of Man will come in the glory of His Father with His angels, and then He will reward each according to his works" (Matthew 16:24-27).

We must be willing to give ourselves to God and afflict our souls for His kingdom. The Passover was when Yeshua provided atonement for all who might come near to Him and believe. The Day of Atonement is about when we actually come to Him and tell Him we are willing to take up His yoke and suffer because the reward of salvation, of knowing God personally, is so much greater than any temporal happiness.


The Scarlet Thread

"Come now, and let us reason together, saith the LORD: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool" (Isaiah 1:18).

The Talmud tells us of a fascinating practice that the Jews engaged in while the Temple was standing. It was done every year on the Day of Atonement and was related to the Biblical practice of sending a scapegoat into the wilderness which had the sin of Israel put on it (see Leviticus 16)--
"'Originally they used to fasten the thread of scarlet on the door of the [Temple] court on the outside. If it turned white the people used to rejoice, and if it did not turn white they were sad. They therefore made a rule that it should be fastened to the door of the court on the inside. People, however, still peeped in and saw, and if it turned white they rejoiced and if it did not turn white they were sad. They therefore made a rule that half of it should be fastened to the rock and half between the horns of the goat that was sent [to the wilderness]'. . . . it has further been taught: 'For forty years before the destruction of the Temple the thread of scarlet never turned white but it remained red.'" -- Rosh HaShanah 31b, Babylonian Talmud

This story refers to a practice where God would show whether or not He forgave Israel that year by miraculously turning a scarlet thread white, obviously taken from Isaiah 1:18. If God did not accept Israel's sacrifices that year, the thread would remain red. Interestingly enough, 40 years before the Temple was destroyed, it never turned white, showing God did not accept any of Israel's sacrifices for sin during that time. We know from history that the Temple was destroyed in 70 A.D. If you count back 40 years, you end up at 30 A.D.—around the time when Yeshua was sacrificed. The sacrifices were offered for sins and accepted as atoning by God, but they had no power in and of themselves. It is only through the sacrifice of our Messiah that sins may be forgiven.

For many of the Jewish people living in the end times, the Day of Atonement will be preceded by a time when Messiah comes to them and speaks with them personally, asking them to accept Him as their Saviour. Whether or not they will make it to that day will depend on their response. Similarly, if we hear His voice, let us respond. We can come to Him as we are, and He will still forgive us if we are willing. Even though we are sinners, He will refine us as silver is refined. Then we may offer ourselves as an olah-- a whole burnt offering given completely to God.

Tabernacles

The Feast of Tabernacles takes place on the 15th day of the seventh month (Tishrei) and is seven days long. .. -->[endif]-->

Lev 23:33 "Then the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, 34 "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. 35 On the first day there shall be a holy convocation. You shall do no customary work on it. 36 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...
39 '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. 40 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. 41 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... 42 You shall dwell in booths for seven days. All who are native Israelites shall dwell in booths, 43 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.'"
44 So Moses declared to the children of Israel the feasts of the LORD."

On the Feast of Tabernacles, Israel is commanded to dwell in Tabernacles (tents, booths) to commemorate their dwelling in tents in the Wilderness. In Rabbinic Judaism, attention is called to the tabernacle as a body-- something temporary that dwells in the wilderness of the mortal life. Ecclesiastes is also traditionally read on Tabernacles to remind Jews that this life is fleeting, and we are only here in the wilderness temporarily on our way to the Promised Land. This is a wonderful lesson, but there might be a deeper level to this Feast. In order to delve into the meaning of Tabernacles, we should examine how the Tabernacle is spoken of in Scripture, just as we did when we were trying to decipher the meaning of the Feast of Trumpets.

Zechariah 14:16-17 notes that when God comes to dwell with us during the Millennium, we will keep the Feast of Tabernacles, which seems to point to the Feast as signifying the time when God dwells with us (compare with John 1:14). 2 Chronicles 7 and 1 Kings 8 also draw attention to the Feast of Tabernacles to God dwelling in His Holy Temple.  The Feast of Tabernacles is called "Sukkot," but when we read about the Tabernacle in the Tanakh which Moses built, the Hebrew word is "mishkan." Mishkan is derived from "shakan" (abide, dwell, tabernacle) which is related to the Rabbinic concept of God's "shekinah" which is His holy presence which filled the Temple. The word "sukkah" or "sukkot" is not used often in the Bible, but it seems to be a similar concept to the "Mishkan" in that it is a dwelling place which is sometimes linked with the shekinah of God dwelling in His Temple. Let's examine the concept of the "Mishkan" in the Tanakh (Old Testament), to see what lessons we can learn about the dwelling of God.

The Tabernacle as the Dwelling Place of God

Exodus 25:8 "And let them make Me a sanctuary, that I may dwell among them. 9 According to all that I show you, that is, the pattern of the tabernacle and the pattern of all its furnishings, just so you shall make it."

The Tabernacle (and later the Temple) is the place where God was said to dwell. His glory was also known to fill the Tabernacle (Exodus 40, 2 Chron 7).

In Ezekiel 37, we see the prophet looking forward to the Messianic age where--
Ezek 37:25-28 "My servant David shall be their Prince forever... I will set my sanctuary in their midst forevermore. My tabernacle also shall be with them... The nations also will know that I, YHWH, sanctify Israel, when My sanctuary is in their midst forevermore."

This is an interesting passage because it links the Messiah being with Israel forever to the sanctuary being with them forever. It then goes on to say His Tabernacle will be with them, linking the Tabernacle/sanctuary with the Messiah.

In 2 Chronicles 7, Solomon dedicated the newly built Temple, incidentally, on the Feast of Tabernacles. In this chapter, God tells us how His dwelling place will be used--
2 Chron 7:12 Then the LORD appeared to Solomon by night, and said to him: 'I have heard your prayer, and have chosen this place for Myself as a house of sacrifice... If My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land. Now My eyes will be open and My ears attentive to prayer made IN THIS PLACE. For now I have chosen and sanctified this house, that My name may be there forever; and My eyes and My heart will be there perpetually.

In John 2:13-21 we read--
"Now the Passover of the Jews was at hand, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem. And He found in the temple those who sold oxen and sheep and doves, and the money changers doing business. When He had made a whip of cords, He drove them all out of the temple, with the sheep and the oxen, and poured out the changers' money and overturned the tables. And He said to those who sold doves, 'Take these things away! Do not make My Father's house a house of merchandise!' ...So the Jews answered and said to Him, 'What sign do You show to us, since You do these things?' Jesus answered and said to them, 'Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.' Then the Jews said, 'It has taken forty-six years to build this temple, and will You raise it up in three days?' But He was speaking of the temple of His body."

Yeshua hints at Himself as the fulfillment of the Temple here also--
Matthew 12:6 "Yet I say to you that in this place there is One greater than the Temple."

Here Yeshua makes the clear connection between the Temple as the dwelling place of God being a symbol for Himself as the dwelling place of God. Paul puts it this way--

Colossians 2:9 "For in Him [Yeshua] dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily."

This mirrors the Foundation Stone prayer of Hoshanos traditionally recited on the Feast of Tabernacles. It is about the Temple and said to God—
"Foundation stone; chosen Temple… Mount He-is-seen; residence for your Splendor; where David resided… joy of all the earth… lodge of righteousness; prepared for your dwelling… valuable cornerstone… Holy of holies… resting place of Your Honor…"

God has dwelt with us through His Temple and through His Son Yeshua's earthly life. However, in the age to come, God will dwell with us in an even more personal way--
Rev 21:3 "And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, 'Now the dwelling of God is with men, and he will live with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God.'"

Finally, in the Age to come, we read that there will be no Temple. Why?--
Revelation 20:22 "But I saw no temple in [the city], for the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are its Temple."

Because Tabernacles is the last of God's appointed Feasts, taking place 5 days after the Judgment of the righteous, it seems to be looking forward to the day when God has established His people and will now Tabernacle among them permanently.

God Became Flesh and Tabernacled Among Us

In Luke 2:7 we read about Yeshua's birth. We discover that, "And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn." The Greek word for Manger is "phatne" and it means an animal stall. In Genesis 33:17, we learn that in Jacob's travels, he stopped in a place and, "built him an house, and made booths [tabernacles] for his cattle: therefore the name of the place is called Succoth." Sukkot is the Hebrew way to refer to the Feast of Tabernacles!  When we read that Yeshua was placed in a manger, this is not an act of mere chance simply because the inn was out of room. This is a clear sign from God that He is now tabernacling among His people! This evidence, combined with studies which scholars have done based on comparing the birthdate of Yochanan (John) the Baptizer to when Yeshua would have born in relation to it, indicates that Yeshua was probably actually born on the Feast of Tabernacles, hinting at its final fulfillment!

John 1:14 uses the Greek word "skenoo" to describe how Jesus dwelt among us, which is the Greek counterpart to the Hebrew concept of the Tabernacle. This word is also used in Revelation 7:15 and 21:3. 2 Corinthians chapter 5 and 2 Peter 1 use a noun version of this word to the human body—a temporary tent in which we dwell. In the Greek New Testament, the Tabernacle in the wilderness and the Feast of Tabernacles are based on the same word. Yeshua tabernacled among us once in a temporary body, but He has thrown off that temporary body for a permanent one in which He will dwell among us forever.

Haftarah Portions traditionally read for the Feast of Tabernacles—
Zech 14:1-21                 1 Kings 8:2-21               Ezek 38:18-39:16

These are segments which are traditionally read in Jewish synagogues on the Feast of Tabernacles. The significance of these passages on our study of the prophetic qualities of this Feast is amazing.

Ezek 38:6 "And I will send fire on Magog and on those who live in security in the coastlands. Then they shall know that I am the Lord. 7 So I will make My holy name known in the midst of My people Israel, and I will not let them profane My holy name anymore. Then the nations shall know that I am the Lord, the Holy One in Israel… 9 Then those who dwell in the cities of Israel will go out and set on fire and burn the weapons, both the shields and bucklers, the bows and arrows, the javelins and spears; and they will make fires with them for seven years."

 Zech 14:8 "And in that day it shall be that living waters shall flow from Jerusalem… 9 and the LORD shall be King over all the earth. In that day it shall be— the LORD is one, and His name one… 16 And it shall come to pass that everyone who is left of all the nations which came against Jerusalem shall go up from year to year to worship the King, the LORD of hosts, and to keep the Feast of Tabernacles."

1 Kings 8:2 "Therefore all the men of Israel assembled with King Solomon at the feast in… the seventh month. 14 Then the king [Solomon] turned around and blessed the whole assembly of Israel, while all the assembly of Israel was standing. 15 And he said… 18 the Lord said to my father David, 'Whereas it was in your heart to build a temple for My name, you did well that it was in your heart. 19 Nevertheless you shall not build the temple, but your son who will come from your body, he shall build the temple for My name.' 20 So the Lord has fulfilled His word which He spoke; and I have filled the position of my father David, and sit on the throne of Israel, as the Lord promised; and I have built a temple for the name of the Lord God of Israel."

Jewish commentators refer to Passover as the season of our redemption-- it is the season which commemorates our redemption from sin. Similarly, they refer to Tabernacles as the season of our joy—and we will find joy and fulfillment when Yeshua dwells among us permanently.

Tabernacles—Additional Material

This section contains additional material related to Tabernacles that sheds light on some New Testament passages which discuss Him as the Word (2^nd Person of the Trinity) and the Holy Spirit as the Living Water (3^rd Person of the Trinity).

The Word 

John 1:1 "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was in the beginning with God. 3 All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made. 4 In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. 5 And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not overcome it..."

This passage is very well-known in Christian circles, but it is not widely understood. In order to properly interpret this passage, we must see the Jewish tradition that preceded it.

Psalm 33:6 says, "By the Word of the Lord were the heavens made." But why did God speak the universe into existence? Why did He choose to use His "Word" to do so? In time, Jewish thinkers began to see that God's Word took on a personality of it's (His?) own. In the Rabbinic mind, the transcendent God of the universe could not interact with us personally. But how could He do so? There needed to be an intermediary-- His Word. 

The Targums were Aramaic translations of the Tanakh (Old Testament). However, they also included commentary that the translators thought better explained the text. It is here that we see the idea of the Word begin to take shape in the Jewish mind (quotes taken from Michael L. Brown's Answering Jewish Objections to Jesus Volume 2)-- 
Genesis 3:8 "And they heard the sound of THE WORD OF THE LORD GOD walking in the midst of the garden."

Here we see that the Word of the LORD was considered to have personality and identity. Let's see some other verses in the Targums--

Genesis 1:27 The Word of the Lord created man. 

Genesis 15:6 And Abraham believed in the Word of the Lord. (this is the famous verse where we find Abraham being justified by his faith in believing God. Here it is stated that it was specifically his faith in the WORD of the Lord that saved him.)

Deuteronomy 4:7 "The Word of the LORD sits upon his throne high and lifted up and hears our prayer whenever we pray before him and make our petitions."

Deuteronomy 31:3 was translated from "The Lord your God will pass before you" to "The Lord your God, his Word will pass before you."

 Philo, a Jewish Greek-speaking philosopher, developed this concept further. He referred to the Word (Gr. Logos) as "the second god," "mediator," "firstborn," "Name of God," and "Archangel." He also seemed to connect the Word with the Messiah when he said, "For that man is the eldest son, whom the Father of all raised up, and elsewhere calls him his first-born, and indeed the Son thus begotten followed the ways of his Father..." (Philo, De confusione linguarum 4:45).

Now that we have some background information on what John meant by calling Yeshua "the Word," we can assess his comment in John 1:14--
"And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth."

The Greek word for "dwelt" is "sken-o-o," and it literally means "tabernacled."
 

Living Water
 

In the First Century, there was a practice done on the Feast of Tabernacles called the water libation. It was given to thank God for the previous year's rain and ask for more rain the following year. The practice was as follows:
"Each morning a procession of priests would descend the steps from the Temple to the Pool of Siloam and dip a silver pitcher into the water. Carrying the water back to the altar, they would pour it into the ground that had been exposed by the removal of a paving block near the altar, while offering prayers for rain... On the last day of the feast [emphasis mine] the High Priest himself would officiate and on this day instead of a silver pitcher one of pure gold would be used. The High Priest would be dressed in all his finest and attended by a huge contingent of similarly attired priests, blowing trumpets, singing psalms, and waving palm branches" (http://www.gracethrufaith.com/selah/holidays-and-holy-days/the-fall-feasts-of-israel).

John 7:37-39 "On the LAST DAY, that great day OF THE FEAST, Jesus stood and cried out, saying, 'If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and drink. He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.' But this He spoke concerning the Spirit, whom those believing in Him would receive; for the Holy Spirit was not yet given, because Jesus was not yet glorified."

It was on this day that the same Chief Priests who had conducted the water libation ceremony sent officers to take Him, but they could not because, "No man ever spoke like this Man" (John 7:46).

Zechariah 14:8 says that in the Messianic Kingdom, "it shall be that living waters shall flow from Jerusalem." Revelation 22:1 is more specific by saying, "[an angel] showed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding from the throne of God and of the Lamb." Ezekiel 47:1-12 also sheds some light on this fascinating topic—the Living Water which is a symbol of the Holy Spirit which flows through the child of God and gives him/her everlasting life.

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God’s Calendar-- Fulfilled in Messiah. Pt. 4-- Sabbath Days, Sabbath Years, and Jubilees
Category: Religion and Philosophy

It seemed good to take a break from the order of the yearly Feasts from Passover to Tabernacles and look into another fascinating area of God's calendar-- the Sabbath. This study will examine the weekly Sabbath, the 7th year Sabbath, and the Jubilee Sabbath year, drawing attention to the pattern of 7 which is used in these Sabbath celebrations. Stay tuned for the next installment which will cover the Feast of Trumpets (aka Rosh HaShanah).

Sabbath Days, Sabbath Years, and Jubilees
 
The word "Sabbath" is most commonly used to refer to the seventh day of the week, but the Old Testament "Shabbat" is a "rest" ordained by God, not just for the seventh day of the week.

The first reference to the Sabbath in the Bible is from Genesis 2:2-3:

"And on the seventh day God ended His work which He had done, and He rested on the seventh day from all His work which He had done. Then God blessed the seventh day and sanctified it, because in it He rested from all His work which God had created and made."

It is from this event that the weekly Sabbath comes from. However, the Sabbath Year and the Year of Jubilees, also ordained by God, come from this same source. Similarly, in the Feasts of God, a holy day in which no work is to be done is called a "Sabbath" (see for example Leviticus 23:29).

The Weekly Sabbath

The Sabbath Day is the seventh day of the week, which we call Saturday. It is a day of rest, where we are commanded, "to keep it holy," (Exodus 20:8) and "do no work," (Exodus 20:9).

Leviticus 23 reckons the Sabbath as first among the Feasts of God—
"…The Feasts of YHWH, which you shall proclaim to be holy convocations, these are My Feasts. Six days shall work be done, but the seventh day is a Sabbath of solemn rest, a holy convocation. You shall do no work on it; it is the Sabbath of YHWH in all your dwellings" (Leviticus 23:2-3)

Sabbath Years

"When you enter the land I am going to give you, the land itself must observe a sabbath to the LORD. For six years sow your fields, and for six years prune your vineyards and gather their crops. But in the seventh year the land is to have a sabbath of rest, a sabbath to the LORD. Do not sow your fields or prune your vineyards" (Leviticus 25:2-4).

The nation of Judah broke this commandment 70 times (over 490 years), and was expelled out of the land for 70 years so the land could observe its Sabbaths (2 Chron 36:21, Jer 29:10), just as prophesied-- "I will scatter you among the nations and will draw out my sword and pursue you. Your land will be laid waste, and your cities will lie in ruins. Then the land will enjoy its sabbath years all the time that it lies desolate and you are in the country of your enemies; then the land will rest and enjoy its sabbaths" (Lev 26:33-34).

How could a farmer not plant crops that year knowing that it could decrease what he had planted? God gives us the answer in Leviticus 25:18-22:
"Follow my decrees and be careful to obey my laws, and you will live safely in the land. Then the land will yield its fruit, and you will eat your fill and live there in safety. You may ask, "What will we eat in the seventh year if we do not plant or harvest our crops?" I will send you such a blessing in the sixth year that the land will yield enough for three years. While you plant during the eighth year, you will eat from the old crop and will continue to eat from it until the harvest of the ninth year comes in." God will always provide for us when we follow Him.

According to Deut 15, debts were also cancelled on the seventh year. Just in case those who loaned forgot, the law was also read every seven years on Tabernacles as if to serve as a reminder to the wealthy to forgive the debts of the poor (Deut 31:9-13).

Also, after a Hebrew servant had worked for his master for six years, he was freed on the seventh (this did not NECESSARILY correspond with the Sabbath Year, but it is applying the same principle). God's punishment to Judah for not freeing their slaves is detailed in Jeremiah 34:8-17

Jubilees

Jubilee means "liberty" and it is a celebration of God delivering us from bondage.

Leviticus 25:8 Count off seven sabbaths of years—seven times seven years—so that the seven sabbaths of years amount to a period of forty-nine years. 9 Then have the trumpet sounded everywhere on the tenth day of the seventh month; on the Day of Atonement sound the trumpet throughout your land. 10 Consecrate the fiftieth year and proclaim liberty throughout the land to all its inhabitants. It shall be a jubilee for you; each one of you is to return to his family property and each to his own clan... 13 In this Year of Jubilee everyone is to return to his own property...
25 " 'If one of your countrymen becomes poor and sells some of his property, his nearest relative is to come and redeem what his countryman has sold. 26 If, however, a man has no one to redeem it for him but he himself prospers and acquires sufficient means to redeem it, 27 he is to determine the value for the years since he sold it and refund the balance to the man to whom he sold it; he can then go back to his own property. 28 But if he does not acquire the means to repay him, what he sold will remain in the possession of the buyer until the Year of Jubilee. It will be returned in the Jubilee, and he can then go back to his property...
39 " 'If one of your countrymen becomes poor among you and sells himself to you, do not make him work as a slave. 40 He is to be treated as a hired worker or a temporary resident among you; he is to work for you until the Year of Jubilee. 41 Then he and his children are to be released, and he will go back to his own clan and to the property of his forefathers. 42 Because the Israelites are my servants, whom I brought out of Egypt, they must not be sold as slaves. 43 Do not rule over them ruthlessly, but fear your God.

The Jubilee year allowed for those who had lost their freedom or land from poverty to be redeemed. Even though in this life the possession God has given us is far from us, when we reach the time of completion (seven symbolizing completion in the Scriptures), we will be brought to our inheritance as children of God. Like, the Sabbath year, the Jubilee also demanded a land rest.

Application

Nothing God says is without significance. Paul tells us in Colossians 2:16 that the Sabbaths all pointed to and found fulfillment in Messiah. How is this so?

To answer this question, I would like to show how the great Jewish thinkers have viewed the Sabbath.

[Most of the following quotations are from the Siddur, which is a very common Jewish prayer book. The section I would like to focus in on the most is the "Kabbalas Shabbos," which are prayers to welcome the Sabbath. The edition I'm quoting from is the Complete Artscroll Siddur, Mesorah Publications, ltd. 1985.]

In the Siddur, we find that, "the Sabbath [is] a semblance of that future spritual perfection [in the World to Come] (Rashi)" (p. 353), which is, "the eternal Sabbath of Messianic days" (p. 342). In the Sabbath prayer, we find a very interesting song called the Lechah Dodi.

Lechah Dodi is a song sung on Sabbath eve which was composed in the sixteenth century by Rabbi Shlomo HaLevi Alkabetz and is part of the Jewish Siddur (prayerbook), recited every Sabbath eve. It was composed to welcome the Sabbath and follows after a reading of Psalms 95-99 and 29 making it the seventh read, after six Psalms. It is composed of ten verses and one repeated chorus-- "Come my Beloved to meet the bride-- the Sabbath presence, let us welc