Friday, August 31, 2012

August 31 – Holidays – Holy Days

Leviticus 23:1 The LORD spoke again to Moses, saying…

v.5-6 In the first month, on the fourteenth day of the month at twilight is the LORD'S Passover. Then on the fifteenth day of the same month there is the Feast of Unleavened Bread to the LORD; for seven days you shall eat unleavened bread.

v.10 Speak to the sons of Israel and say to them, When you enter the land which I am going to give to you and reap its harvest, then you shall bring in the sheaf of the first fruits of your harvest (Feast of First Fruits) to the priest.

v.16 You shall count fifty days to the day after the seventh sabbath; then you shall present a new grain offering to the LORD. (Pentecost or Feast of Weeks or Harvest)

v.24 Speak to the sons of Israel, saying, In the seventh month on the first of the month you shall have a rest, a reminder by blowing of trumpets, a holy convocation (Feast of Trumpets).

v.27  On exactly the tenth day of this seventh month is the day of atonement; it shall be a holy convocation for you, and you shall humble your souls and present an offering by fire to the LORD.(Day of Atonement)

v. 34 Speak to the sons of Israel, saying, 'On the fifteenth of this seventh month is the Feast of Booths for seven days to the LORD.

v. 39 On exactly the fifteenth day of the seventh month, when you have gathered in the crops of the land, you shall celebrate the feast of the LORD for seven days, with a rest on the first day and a rest on the eighth day.(Feast of Sacred Assembly)

John 10:22 At that time the Feast of the Dedication took place at Jerusalem (Hanakkah).

Esther 9:18-32  The command of Esther established these customs for Purim, and it was written in the book.

The Lord God instituted a year of festivals—celebrations for all times. These are Jewish Holidays—set by the Hebrew calendar which begins the year in mid-March. Wonderful thing about the Hebrew festivals is that Passover, Unleavened Bread, and First Fruits have been prophetically fulfilled in the Christian history. Jesus died at the exact time of the killing of the Passover lamb—thus He was the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world. Like unleavened bread, His body was pierced and striped, wounded with the scourging prior to crucifixion. When Jesus was resurrected the feast of First Fruits was fulfilled. He was the first of many that will one day experience resurrection. What a day that will be for all those who believe in Him!

Now, at the end of August we are in the Hebrew month of Elul and the next holiday is the Feast of Trumpets the Jewish New Year, also called Rosh Hashanah. This is an exciting holiday, prophetically, since it will begin the seventy years described in Daniel chapters 2 and 9—but only God the Father knows what actual year that will be. Trumpets will sound to herald the coming of the peace maker—and the end of the age. Will Christians be ready? Will their lamps be filled with oil—as in the parable of the Bridegroom? (Matthew 25). That is food for thought—are you ready?

Dear Jesus—we long for and look forward to your return. Help us to be prepared—to have our lamps filled with oil and our wicks trimmed, spiritually.

© 2012 by Mickey M. Hunacek. All rights reserved.

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