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Dear Ones,

The Fall Holy Days as outlined in Leviticus 23 are approaching. Yahveh says, “These are My appointed times.” (Lev 23:2) These three Fall Feasts are the conclusion of what began with Passover and exemplify and foreshadow Yahshua our Lamb and Yahveh’s plan of redemption. The first of these three is the Feast of Trumpets. It begins at sundown on September 8^th.  This holy time is commonly known to the Jewish community as Rosh Hashanah (Head of the Year) but biblically as the Feast of Trumpets (Yom Teruah) or the Day of the Awakening Blast.

An integral part of this holy time is the blowing of the ram’s horn-shofar (trumpet), to alert the people that they must repent before a holy Creator who will judge sin and all who fall short of His righteousness. The shofar was made from a ram’s horn reminding the people that Abraham obediently put Isaac on the altar and Yahveh mercifully provided a substitute, a ram caught in a thicket. The sounding of the ram’s horn is an awakening and a warning for Yahveh’s people to come to Him in humility and repentance.  He has provided a substitutionary sacrifice, His only begotten Son, Yahshua our Lamb, to forgive and cleanse us of all sin and unrighteousness. 

We live in perilous times and the loud sounding of the shofar is as the Hebrew prophet’s words urging the people to escape, to get out of harm’s way. A loud shofar is sounding from heaven to earth beseeching the people to repent and flee from the judgments that are coming into a place of safety under the canopy of Yahveh’s protection-the blood of Yahshua.  “Repent, for the kingdom of Yahveh is at hand.”

Where is your soul going to be for eternity, will your name be written in the book of life? The scripture says, “The wages of sin is death but the gift of Yahveh is eternal life in Messiah Yahshua…” (Ro 6:23) and “without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness of sins.” (Lev 17:11 and Heb 9:22) This year the most holy day of Yom Kippur begins at sundown September 17^th.  It is the Day of Atonement, a day reminding us that our repentant sins are covered and removed by the atoning blood of our Messiah’s ultimate and final sacrifice. Yahveh says, “Now is the day of salvation if you hear His voice do not harden your heart.”

The final holy day as outlined in Leviticus 23:34 is Sukkot, the Feast of Tabernacles.  This year it begins at sundown on September 22nd and finishes sundown September 30th.  This time reminds us of Yahveh’s provision of shelter for Israel as He led them during her wilderness journeys.  We are pilgrims on this earth, just passing through, as we long to enter the Promised Land - the Messianic kingdom of Yahveh the Father and Yahshua the Son-our Lamb.

This last great Biblical Feast points to Messiah’s first coming when He came to dwell (tabernacle) among His people. (Jn 1:14)  The fulfillment of this Feast is the “blessed hope” of the redeemed which will ultimately be fulfilled and eternally enjoyed by a consecrated remnant of Jews and Gentiles –“one new man” (Eph 2:15) who will experience Yahveh’s kingship and holy presence forever. This time is also called the feast of “great rejoicing” that can only be experienced by those who have repented of their sins and have been cleansed by the blood of Yahshua.

May you open your ears and hear the sound of the shofar.  May your heart be pierced with true repentance as you confess your sins and are cleansed with the blood of our Yom Kippur sacrifice, Yahshua.  Let us continue to behold our Lamb and uphold His precious blood by glorifying Him in word and deed as we “work out our salvation with fear and trembling.”  May you rejoice that your names are written in the Lamb’s book of life as you prepare by His spirit, to enter His soon coming kingdom.

The book of Revelation describes this glorious fulfillment of the Feast of Tabernacles-Sukkot.   “I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from Yahveh … and I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, Behold, the tabernacle of Yahveh is among men, and He shall dwell among them, and they shall be His people, and Yahveh Himself shall be among them…the first things have passed away.  And He who sits on the throne said, “Behold, I am making all things new.” And He said, “Write, for these words are faithful and true.”  …  I am…the beginning and the end.  I will give to the one who thirsts from the spring of the water of life without cost.  He who overcomes shall inherit these things, and I will be His Elohim (God) and he will be My son.”  (Rev 21:2-7)

“To Him who loves us, and released us from our sins by His blood…to Him be the glory and the dominion forever and ever.” (Rev 1:5)

Longing and waiting for Yahshua’s return and the establishment of His messianic kingdom.  In His love and service,

Terrye

The Biblical Feasts of Leviticus 23 

The Biblical Feasts as outlined in Leviticus 23, are ordained holy days and are a symbolic picture of the entire redemptive plan of YAHveh, the almighty Creator. “These are the appointed times of YAHveh … a perpetual statute…” (vv. 31,41). Indeed, these prophetic festivals have much to teach all who desire to know their Maker and His eternal plan.

Traditional biblical scholarship acknowledges that YAHveh is the memorial name of the Creator. The title LORD or Adonai (Hebrew) used in most translations of the Bible, are substitutes for His original name YAHveh - Yod Hey Vav Hey (the Hebrew letters spelling His name), which was to be remembered forever (Exodus 3:15). The original divinely given name of the Messiah is YAHshua, meaning YAHveh is Salvation, known to many by the Greek rendered name of Jesus.

We are living in perilous and fearful times. The Bible foretold that these things would happen and it cannot be ignored that the prophesies of scripture are being fulfilled. Inspired by the Creator Himself, we can trust the Holy Bible. The One who created you, longs bless you with the knowledge of His love, purpose and plan for your eternal well being.

Messiah is the fulfillment of all the Biblical Feasts. YAHshua’s death and resurrection were the fulfillment of the Feast of Passover (Pesach) and the Feast of Firstfruits (Bikkurim). YAHshua, the Messiah, was crucified in Jerusalem as the perfect Passover Lamb at the hour that multitudes of Jews were sacrificing their “spotless male lambs” (Exodus 12:3-7.) For those who accept His sacrifice, His blood covers the door posts of their hearts and protects them from eternal death (Exodus 12:12). Yahshua was resurrected as fulfillment of the Feast of Firstfruits. He is “the firstfruits” of those to rise from the dead, promising resurrection and eternal life to those who are covered in His, the Passover Lamb’s blood (1 Corinthians 15:23.) Shavuot (Pentecost), biblically referred to as the Feast of Weeks, was fulfilled precisely on divine schedule when Yahshua poured out His Holy Spirit at Jerusalem exactly fifty days after the Feast of Firstfruits. On this day, three thousand Jewish souls were brought into the eternal kingdom of YAHveh. YAHshua’s sacrificial death opened the way for the promised blessings of Israel to be shared with believing Gentiles who through common faith in His cleansing blood would become united as “one new man” (Ephesians 2:15.)

The Biblical Fall Holy Days are approaching. The first of the three Fall Feasts, is the Feast of Trumpets. This Feast commonly known to the Jewish community as Rosh Hashanah (Head of the Year) but biblically as the Feast of Trumpets (Yom Teruah) or the Day of the Awakening Blast, is a feast calling ones attention to the need for humility and repentance. An integral part of this holy time is the blowing of the ram’s horn-shofar (trumpet), to alert the people that they must repent before a holy God who will judge sin and all who fall short of His righteousness. The shofar was made from a ram’s horn reminding the people that Abraham obediently put Isaac on the altar and YAHveh mercifully provided a substitute, a ram caught in a thicket. When the ram’s horn is sounded it reminds the people, that although YAHveh is warning them to come in humility and repentance, He is merciful to provide a way that their sins can be forgiven, a life for a life, a substitutionary sacrifice. Natural catastrophe requires and brings a loud warning to the people’s hearing urging them to escape and leave the path of destruction, to get out of harms way to a place of safety. Likewise in the spiritual a similar alert and loud warning goes forth from heaven to earth beseeching the people to repent and flee from the judgments that are coming!

We are called to be spiritual people, not just fleshly temporal people of this world. We have a soul and that is the issue. Where is your soul going to be for eternity, will your name be written in the book of life? The scripture says, “The wages of sin is death but the gift of YAHveh is eternal life in Messiah YAHshua…” (Romans 6:23) and “without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness of sins.” (Leviticus 17:11 and Hebrews 9:22) The most holy day of Yom Kippur is the Day of Atonement, the day repentant sins are washed over, covered and removed by the blood of the ultimate and final sacrifice. The Messiah’s atoning blood averts YAHveh’s wrath upon man’s sins fulfilling all that Yom Kippur pointed to. “Now is the day of salvation if you hear His voice do not harden your heart.”

The celebration of Sukkot, the Feast of Tabernacles, is in remembrance of YAHveh’s provision of shelter for Israel as He led them during her wilderness journeys. This last great Biblical Feast speaks of Messiah’s first coming when He came to dwell (tabernacle) among His people. This feast will ultimately be fulfilled and enjoyed by a redeemed remnant of Jews and Gentiles who experience His kingship and holy presence forever. This feast is one of great rejoicing that can only be eternally experienced by those who have repented and are redeemed by the blood of YAHshua the Passover Lamb, who is the final Yom Kippur atonement for our sins. The Savior of our souls extends His invitation: “Whoever is thirsty, let him come; and whoever wishes, let him take the free gift of the water of everlasting life.” (Revelation 22:17)