Israel is a special place. Not only historically as the place where most of the biblical narrative occurred, but it holds a special place in God’s heart. It is a land that God is watching and caring for — “a land for which the LORD your God cares; the eyes of the LORD your God are always on it, from the beginning even to the end of the year” (Deuteronomy 11:12).
The “Feasts of the Lord”, recorded in Leviticus 23, commemorate God’s provision as they span the entire season of harvest beginning in the spring (with Passover and the Feast of Unleavened Bread) and ending now in the fall with what are known as the High Holy Days.
That is the season we are now in.
The “end of the year” is an important month (Tishrei) in Jewish life in Israel and throughout the world, celebrating three major holy times – the Feast of Trumpets (or Rosh Hashanah – the Jewish New Year), the Day of Atonement (Yom Kippur), and the Feast of Tabernacles (Sukkot). It is a time when Jews are called to examine their lives because they believe the Book of Life is opened for a new year. As they repent and seek forgiveness from God and others they hope to be written in the Book before it is sealed for another year.
Although this isn’t taught in Scripture, it can help you understand the attitude of the Jewish people during this time.
What is taught in Scripture is how the Lord honors the days and weeks of His Feasts as prophetic markers for His plan of redemption. The Gospels and the book of Acts record that Jesus was crucified on Passover and that the Holy Spirit was given on the Feast of Weeks, also called Pentecost.
God has clearly kept His own calendar in a remarkable way and so as we celebrate these “end of the year” Feasts we look forward to further fulfillments of His end-time promises. As I write this, we are celebrating the last Feast, the Feast of Tabernacles. It is spoken of in Zechariah chapter 14 as a Feast that all nations will celebrate. “Then it will come about that any who are left of all the nations that went against Jerusalem will go up from year to year to worship the King, the Lord of hosts, and to celebrate the Feast of Tabernacles” (Zechariah 14:16). The nations that refuse to come are told they will not receive rain.
This is appropriately the Feast where all of Israel prays that the rains that haven’t fallen all summer long will begin again. This prayer is specifically done on the last day of the Feast of Tabernacles.
It was on this day that we find Jesus in the Temple in John 7:37-38. “Now on the last day, the great day of the Feast, Jesus stood and cried out, saying, ‘If anyone is thirsty, let him come to Me and drink. He who believes in Me, as the Scripture said, “From his innermost being will flow rivers of living water.”’”
May His living water flow from your bellies as you visit this special Land and His people.
Please pray that the Lord will open the eyes of the Jewish people to see His hand at work in their history and that they will come to know Yeshua (Jesus) the Messiah. Pray for the local congregations to be bold and fruitful in sharing the Good News.
