THE HOLY LAND CONNECTION- PART VIII

The Feasts of the Lord

The word “Feast” in Hebrew has nothing to do with food as it does in English! How far off we are if we think that the Feasts of the Lord are only about getting together to eat! On the contrary, they were established as symbols of the greater realities of heaven that are yet to come just as were all the other customs and practices of the Jewish people that God commanded them to do. According to Psalm 89:15, I have been blessed in my inner spirit with an intimacy with the Lord as I keep seeking to understand and appreciate the spiritual blessings symbolized by the Feasts of the Lord. Consider Psalm 89:15 which is referencing the Feasts of the Lord. It says, “Blessed (happy, fortunate, to be envied) are the people who know the joyful sound [who understand and appreciate the spiritual blessings symbolized by the feasts]; they walk, O Lord, in the light and favor of Your countenance!” In this one verse there is a blessing waiting all those who seek understanding, and the blessing is learning more about loving God. Another verse to know is Leviticus 23:2. It says, “And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, ‘Speak to the sons of Israel and say to them. The feasts of the Lord, which you shall proclaim, holy convocations, even these are my appointed feasts.” There is a wealth of knowledge in this verse too when looked at through the Hebrew context. The underlined words are to be taken notice of in the Hebrew to develop a right understanding of this verse. The word “Feast” in Hebrew = “Moed” and means an appointment or a fixed time or season; also a signal (as appointed beforehand) or an appointment as in a (sign or a time). “Convocation” in Hebrew = “Migra” and means that something is called out as in a public meeting or a rehearsal. “Proclaim” in Hebrew = “Qara” which means the idea of accosting a person who is met; it is to call out or to address by name, them that are bidden, invited, mentioned, published or read. Therefore, taking these words in context helps us see how and why the Spring Feasts were the dress rehearsals of Jesus’ First Coming to the very day, hour and even minute! In his faithfulness, God wanted his people to be prepared for the Messiah’s coming so he had them rehearse the Feasts every year for centuries to help prepare them to recognize Jesus’ literal fulfillment and symbolism behind them. It is interesting however to think how so many could miss seeing Jesus as Messiah after all his faithful and compassionate ministering? It makes one think: How did those who were waiting for Jesus at the gates of Jerusalem proclaiming Him as the Messiah and shouting “Hosanna in the Highest!” as He rode in on the donkey know it was him while so many others didn’t? Were these people blessed according to Psalm 89:15! Maybe they knew the joyful sound and were PROCLAIMING in the truest sense of the word! So, let’s look, it was on Passover that Yeshua died, the Feast of Unleavened Bread that Yeshua was in the grave, the Feasts of First Fruits that Yeshua rose from the grave, and the Feast of Pentecost that the Ruach HaKodesh (The Holy Spirit) was poured out just as Jesus said. What is fascinating is that in the Feasts of the Lord we begin to see that our God isn’t hiding himself from us in any way. Rather he has revealed and laid out his plan of salvation and redemption for all mankind in a very APPOINTED and SCHEDULED way. He has a calendar and an agenda that he follows faithfully and he is beckoning his children to get back on his calendar system and not the world’s calendar system. Let’s look at the Fall Feasts. In the same way, the Fall Feasts are the dress rehearsals for Jesus second coming to the very day. On a Feast of Yom Teruah (Trumpets) some time in the future, Jacob’s Trouble will begin. On a Feast of Yom Kippur some time in the future, Israel will call upon Messiah and their blindness will be removed. And on a Feast of Tabernacles some time in the future, Yeshua’s millennial reign on earth will begin. There is much more, but I pray you will cultivate the desire to learn about the feasts of the Lord and get the blessing in your personal relationship with Jesus as well as an unbreakable assurance that is found in 1 Thessalonians 5:4-6.