HOLIDAYS

HOLIDAYS : THE NEW COVENANT TORAH AND THE COMING COLLECTIVE MESSIANIST PRIESTHOOD KINGDOM OVER KINGDOMS

Copyright 2017 to present, by The Christian Church of God from Jerusalem, GCC, Lion of Judah Discipleship Journey Seminary

PREFACE

This article should be shared with all disciples before all feast observances to prepare them not for simply the feasts, but also for what the Holy Bible reveals is God’s coming Warrior, Judge, and Priestly King of kings Messiah. That Messiah is recurring not simply as an individual but also reappearing as our collective Entity, in the coming new earth, new heavens, new Jerusalem, and God’s Kingdom of kingdoms from His heavens.

This may require patience to educate historically Catholic-Protestant denominational seminaries and their Catholic theologized clergy. Their lack of true depth in understanding Holy Scripture is evident by their use of terms like “Easter” for passover, calling God “Jehovah”, and equapolitheist trinitarian dogma devised by original gnostic Catholics intended to prepare trinitarians to idolize and supremely worship a fallible man called the “pope” meaning “father” as forbidden by Jesus. Matthew 23:9. From that verse, you can see Jesus in his reappearing will not be calling any man in religious context pope or father.

This article not only helps wayward Catholic-Protestant Christians understand, but also supports the rising Judeo-Christians understanding their definitively deeper Jewish roots in history and context of their New Covenant Melchizedek convictions which are definitively deeper than Hebrew roots, comprehensively broader than Jewish roots, and transcends Hebrew Jewish roots. Hebrews 7:1-10, 17, 5:9-11. Such supreme culture from God is not from Jewish fables as condemned by Holy Scripture but is from the deepest and comprehensive transcendental original Source (God, His Holy Bible), and hereby serves to train the most authoritative Messianist clergy.

This article also helps Old Covenant Jews become New Covenant Messianist (aka, Judeo-Christians) and those Old Covenant based “Messianic Jews” to ascend into our New Covenant, its rising pre-non-Catholic global Kingly Priesthood, with the historical crucified, presently real, and ever re-appearing coming Messiah as the Lion of Judah, with God’s heavenly host (masses, worshipers, armies, campaigns).

OLD AND NEW COVENANT LAW (TORAH) AND FESTIVITIES:  A MESSIANIST EXPLANATION 

NEW COVENANT AND NEW PRIESTHOOD, INTRODUCTION

“For the priesthood being changed, of necessity there is also a change of the law (torah).” Hebrews 7:12, Holy Bible, NKJV.  Any approach to Holy Scripture, its Old Covenant and New Covenant, to determine what applies for obedience to the Judeo-Christian (Messianist), must begin first to tell the difference between the Old Covenant Mosaic/Levitical priesthood, its torah, and the New Covenant Messianic Melchizedek Priesthood, and its Torah.   Hebrews chapter 5-10 provide detail differences, a summary illustration for evidence follows.  

Through the “better” New Covenant, we have Christ the Son and Sacred Mediator of our New Covenant from the tribe of Judah “bringing in a better expectation” from and by God (Hebrews 7:19). According to the eternal order of Melchizedek, our Messiah is a supreme eternal Kingly Priest, who according to his teachings did not, does not, nor will he ever accept the religious title “pope” or “father”. He has offered and sacrificed himself to fulfill the will of his Father, saving us thereby from sin and coming destruction. He presides in an eternal sovereign and global indestructible Priesthood of Kings after the order of Melchizedek. He presently resides at the right hand of Almighty.   Our Messiah will return in glory as the Avenger of his flock, as Moses (Luke 18:7-8; Acts 3:19, 7:23-27 ), as the greater Davidian Shepherd after God’s own courageous heart (1 Samuel 13:14, 16:7, 13; 17:32-37), as the Judge and Lion of Judah Warrior. He is “Faithful and True, and in righteousness He judges and makes war…(as) King of kings and LORD of Lords.” Revelation 19:2, 11, 16,  6:16-17,  11:15,  5:9. See also Hebrews 12:24-29 and Matthew 26:64.

He comes as Melchizedek who is greater than Moses, as Priestly King to whom Abraham representing Levi (the lesser priest) paid tithes, the lesser priests honoring the greater Priestly Mediator.   Through the “lesser” Old Covenant, we have Aaron the servant from the tribe of Levi who is an inferior priest in a limited provencial destructible priesthood offering animals, subject to kings, after the order of Moses, long past in the grave. All of which represented an imperfect prefigured tutorial priesthood at infant developmental imitation of the better Priesthood. Such provincial Old Covenant as pertains to the Levitical priesthood is annulled “because of its weakness and unprofitableness…making nothing perfect” (Hebrews 7:18-19). “Now beyond all contradiction the lesser is blessed by the better.” Hebrews 7:7-10. 

The Messiah was not a then traditional rigid Jew, although he was— as we —certainly “Jewish”. We are Jewish however only to save Jews as you will see, not because we must be an Old Covenant Jew. Holy Scripture reveals the Holy Spirit in Christ and apostle Paul for us to verify this truth, “For though I am free from all men, I have made myself a servant to all, that I might win the more; and to the Jews I became as a Jew, that I might win Jews…as under the law (Mosaic torah)…(and) as without the law [except toward God], that I might win those who are without the law….I have become all things to all men, that I might by all means save some.” 1 Corinthians 9:19-22.  

To the lawless here, it can mean becoming as non-Jew, but also as a Buddhist, Hindu, Muslim, and even criminal, yet a Messianist (or Christian) remains within bounds of moral loyalty to God according to His Holy Scripture’s New Covenant. For example, to spread the gospel one may visit a synagogue, Greek or Hindu communities and their temple of gods, Mosques, and prisons, temporarily conforming to their traditions to reach them more closely than more distantly.  In this light, we understand that the disciples of Jesus were not mandated to pay Levitical temple taxes as Old Covenant Levitical priesthood Jews, “Nevertheless” said Jesus, “lest we offend them (hindering too much their deliverance by us seeming too non-Jew and thus a too-large stumbling-block)…give it (tax paid) to them for me and you.” Matthew 17:24-27. Jesus also foreknew the coming destruction of the Levitical temple, how such tax was otherwise frivolous and pointless. Matthew 24:1-2. 

His non-conformity to then Old Covenant Levitical traditional Jews and their torah-derived man-made traditions such as the Midrash, Mishna-Talmud, and Zohar-Kabbalism, arose in many other ways too, as we see in the Holy Bible each time Levitical Jews had conflict with his ways. Even disciples of the Levitical Jew John the Baptist questioned why the disciples of Jesus as Melchizedek did not fast as then Old Covenant traditional Jews. Matthew 9:14-17 (Jesus here was and did introduce a new traditional fast spanning nearly five days, before-during-and-after his death, fulfilled at Mark 16:10, and a new traditional resurrection festivity of joy concluding Passover, Luke 24:30-34, 42.
Unlike Passover, these are not commandedly required or necessary, but do constitute New Covenant close-disciple experienced observances).  Infact, the New Covenant feast of the passover is the only Old Covenant festivity observance directly commanded to be observed from Jesus. However, as we will see, its reasons for commemoration were modified to include and focus on his self-sacrifice, for the New Covenant, and a future means of deliverance, as superior to Moses deliverance of Israel from Egypt enslavery. This was a new Melchizedek (e.g. bread and wine) tradition bearing new implications, a New Covenant meaning, which serves a teaching pattern for revising also all other Old Covenant festival observances with New Covenant meaning, as was done at Pentecost as well, as you will see.

The bottom line is this. As you will see, the further we get away from the sole clear-commanded observances from Jesus for his God-given purposes, like Passover, the other Levitical Jew festivities from the Old Covenant become less commanded and required. This departure from Jesus-commanded observances, it includes blending or diverging with Levitical Jews about our coming deliverance by God through His Warrior Messiah, sometimes to reach those Jews. This means, regarding feasts other than Passover, we should not argue to forbid temporal observance of Jewish festivities not commanded by Jesus, and/or those that are prophesied to be observed after his return, when the aim is to share materials as this to reach Jews. (See. Feast of Tabernacles (Zechariah 14:16). Nor should we unflexibly support others observing permanently or not observing permanently those other Jewish feasts.

What we must do however is provide clearer division or distinction between what is command and not, to diminish confusion and the ability of Jews to deceive disciples into adopting the Levitical Jew burdens and hypocrisy by them which Jesus delivers from. This will impart confidence to Judeo-Christians, establish them as the authority in this field of distinction and leadership, and help better to save Jews many of whom are as confused as Catholic-Protestant Christians regarding this New Covenant purpose.

RESPONSIBILITY VERSUS LOSS AND SUBJUGATION TO WORSE

Another reason we seek to understand the ways of Jews from the Holy Bible as preparation (Luke 12:47,  2 Timothy 2:15), is according to God’s Word we will judge the world-scattered and Jerusalem-centered twelve tribes of Israel (Matthew 19:28). And if in a later re-built Levitical Temple the son of perdition arises therein, thereupon destruction comes down from heaven to again destroy its compound of problems. 2 Thessalonians 2:3-8; Matthew 23:37-39. The prophecies about God giving the kingdom of the Jews to others bearing better Godlike Holy Spirit intended fruit, portends a coming reality. Matthew 21:43.

However, Catholic-Protestant Christians must beware, Matthew 21:43 applies to them also, the Kingdom will be taken from them and given to others, such as others more closely aligned to Holy Scripture in substance of circumcised hearts instead of just circumcision appearances. That is, God will give the Kingdom dominion to anyone and all bearing the preparatory fruits of it and defending it against those trying literally or figuratively to kill the coming Son as Lion and reject his coming Warrior conditions as leading Judge, as by denying him in belief. ” The stone which the builders rejected, has become the chief cornerstone”, and any attempt by false teachings to nullify his Lion of Judah warrior vigor and legitimate existence in his physical collective Body as Judge and try to deprive him his God-granted inheritance, will be dealt with harshly as by an iron rod. Luke 19:27; Revelation 12:5. God will exalt His Son embodying His truth regardless of titles or nations misrepresenting him and truth from God.

“And from the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffers violence (against it when as a Lamb), and the violent take it by force.” Matthew 11:12. This is due to the wayward world and wayward shepherds who behave so as no physically and Spiritually armed shepherd like David exist among them who they follow. Such will be punished and others transformed to “His royal battle horse”. Zachariah 10:3-5.

When there is a Body of Believers, some turning the gracious cheek to their offenders, others should be as Davidian Shepherds executing defensive and fierce vengeance on behalf of those brethren and sisters (lambs in the Lamb, as sheep), our sister and  brothers keeper, defending them as and by the armed Davidian Shepherd in Christ after God’s own heart courageously, the violent enemies will lose. Revelation 17:14, 19:17-18, 6:15-17, 11:15-18.

Before we get into those festivity meanings and revisions, let’s examine some key words and concepts on the dividing line of Old Covenant Levitical Jews (Yahwadiys) versus New Covenant Jewish Messianist (Yahwadays, meaning from Hebrew the New Covenant “Jews” who are strictly followers of Jesus Christ according to the order of Melchizedek). We will examine the meaning of “torah”, and how it differs from New Covenant Torah, and what other “statutes”, “judgements”, etc. from the Old Covenant, including festivities, apply to Judeo-Christians (Messianist, or Yahwadays).

KEY WORD DEFINITIONS, SUCH AS “JEW” AND “TORAH”

MEANING OF “JEW”

The Old Covenant term Jew comes from the ancient cuneiform Hebraic term “Yahwadiy” (pronounced Yah-wah-dee, a combined form of Yahwah and suffix –“diy” meaning “of” when pronounced “diy” or “dee”), and meant a person of Yahwah. Yahwah is the more ancient name from God, still preserved in cuneiform by archaeology, before the pronunciation “Yahweh” and long before the appellation “Allah” was modifiedly and used by Quranic Arabic, or Greeks use of  “Theos”, or Hindus use of Brahma, etc.,  thousands of years before.

It is clear, all throughout the Holy Bible, Abraham became a person of Yahwah, a Yahwadiy. New Covenant people of Yahwah are called Yahwaday (pronounced Yaw-wah-day, which modifies meaning by revision. It is a combined form of Yahwah and suffix –“day” but when pronounced “day” it means “filled, enough, and perfected”), which means people aiming to be, being, or having been filled and perfected by Yahwah from His Holy Spirit as the Messiah and Melchizedek in these last days. Moses desired such Yahwadays in his day, as at Pentecost. See Numbers 11:29, Acts Chapter 2. Again you can see how the Yahwadiys represented a rough-draft prototype, prefigure, or shadow of the later substantial, intended, and real New Covenant Yahwadays (Jews). We are living in the era fufilling the New Covenant meaning of Yahwadays. We are the Yahwadays.

However, foreign languages as Greeks do not make such Hebrew distinctions, so terms such as “Jew” and “Christian” developed to distiguish the “people of Yahwah” from “people filled by Yahwah’s Holy Spirit” by His Son the Messiah.

People who do not even speak Hebrew can verify this truth about where the term “Jew” comes from by a Strong’s Concordance containing the Hebrew dictionary of the Bible under “Jew” and Hebrew entry numbers # 3068, 3064/3065 and 1768 compared to 1767.

English however makes no distinction between Old versus New Covenant Jews, and to avoid confusing the young uneducated, we refrain from using the term “Jew”, as in Messianic Jew (as was the Pharisees) and instead identify ourselves as Jewish Messianist, Yahwadays, or Judeao-Christians (to reach Catholic-Protestant “Christians”).

MEANING OF “TORAH” by the word “LAW”

As you will see in more detail later, the term “torah”, meaning “precept”, the instructional and directional guideline, it was translated as “law” first in Genesis 26:5 from the Old Covenant. The term “torah” was initially before Moses, and used before and after Moses to mean the symbolic principle of fleshly circumcision. See Genesis 17:9-14; Exodus 12:49. From those versus one can see an emphasis there was the physical “sign” (literally “evidence” from the Hebrew word “awath” later pronounced “oath”), meaning “symbol” of the covenant made with Abraham and his descendants. It was accomplished in part to demonstrate outwardly Yahwadiys intimate inclusion to the Abrahamic covenant, but the substance of the sign was “circumcision of the heart” as Old and New Covenant prophets revealed. See Jeremiah 9:25-26; Romans 2:26-29.

Many Yahwadiys kept the outward sign but diverged, fell away, or never fulfilled its intended purpose or substance. This meant, some Yahwadiys kept the outward “sign” but not the intended content from obedience, they became in downward trajectory only counterfeit Jews, having only the appearance but lacking the substance to be authentic Yahwadiy (Jew).

The term “torah” later became a “catch all phrase” to include all instances “torah” was found in the first five books of the Holy Bible, and therefore came to mean all those books as the “Torah”, some later Yahwahdiys made Torah to mean the Old Covenant as including the Prophets.

In the days of Jesus, Yahwadiys mentioning torah implied “the law of Moses” (hence “torah”, especially meaning the Levitical priesthood culmination of precepts from Moses) and it especially included the previous physical circumcision symbol involved to inherit the promise of Abraham from God to multiply the people into a great nation. Genesis 17:1-2; Acts 15:1.

Ofcourse, as Paul pointed out, the physical symbolic measure of circumcision alone was inadequate to inherit the full measure of that Abrahamic promise by covenant with-from God, so also the Levitical priesthood which Abraham was not a member nor did it exist, it too was inadequate. The torah (precept) of circumcision must be fulfilled primarily and substantially in the heart to inherit the promise. Romans 2:26-29; Galatians 3:17.

Abraham sacrificed on natural non-tool cut stone altars, tool-made Mosaic Levitical altars were “profane” and thus forbidden to Abraham’s patriarchal priesthood under Melchizedek. See Exodus 20:24-26. Natural stone altars represented the original Adamic priesthood later comprised of fathers, an inferior animal-sacrificial priesthood preparing for and under the supreme non-animal-sacrificial Kingly Priesthood of Melchizedek, especially wealthy blessed priestly fathers as Job of Uz (Job 1:5) around Mesha in ancient Sumer (Genesis 10:23, 30; the modern day area beginning between the head of the Gulf of Aqaba near the Red Sea across to the Persian Gulf of Southeast Iraq). Such fathers were raised to become priestly leaders and rulers as kings, as Abraham, under the higher Melchizedek Kingly Priesthood, as Christ representing God as His Priestly King of kings. Revelation 19:16.

God disapproved of the monarchy Israel desired as other nations, but for merely lessons sake He not only reluctantly permitted it but he guided for its establishment and used it as a means to teach the world, as for what is inadequate. See 1 Samuel 8:6-22; Deuteronomy 17:14-20. The Mosaic Levitical priesthood became likewise a tutorial priesthood, likewise reluctantly helpful for lessons about what to avoid and why. Galatians 3:24, 4:1-2. God uses our faults procured by our refusal to listen, then establishes lessons thereby after we begin to obey, and demonstrates His superior wisdom in the midst and outcome of it all. He never loses seven when it appears the works of His hands seem at times failing. He turns failures and losses into lesson-established steps to success, better victories, and higher gains, to His glory.

The technique Yahwadiys use to convert potential Yahwadays back to Levitical Judaism is to point out the Hebrew word for “new” means “renew” or hence the New Covenant is merely a “Renewed Covenant”, renewal of the Old Covenant to include eventually the Levitical priesthood. They point to how the New Covenant is built upon Old Covenant passages to prove it.

However, this comes from Yahwadiys not fully comprehending the bigger picture and objectives God has by the New Covenant, which is indeed a Renewed Covenant, just not renewing what Yahwadiys teach is being renewed, such as a Levitical priesthood requiring animal sacrifices. In that respect, it is according to the flesh “growing old ready to vanish away.” Hebrews 8:13.

Much of all else is emphatically being “renewed” according to the more ancient and original order of the Holy Spirit in Melchizedek (Genesis 14:18-20; Hebrews 7:1-4). This renewal is not involving God by Holy Spirit in Melchizedek walking in the garden of Eden surprising Adam and Eve who hid from disobedience in Eden (Genesis 3:8-10), Adam and Eve too diverged and fell, descending away from the Highest eternal Priesthood Order from God in Melchizedek, but again God reluctantly tolerated grain offerings on some memorial occasions (Leviticus 2:2), and a little more acceptable animal sacrificial-offerings for sin. Genesis 4:3-8; Leviticus 4:27-35; Hebrews 12:24. 

This grain and animal offerings were cheaper-substance offerings. It was better than nothing but it meant less than oneself devoted to God and therefore later made more mindlessly disobedient characters going through financially-depleting ineffectual rituals, which made only hollow outward animal/grain symbols representing—-not actually being—-for exchange to obtain the Divinely restored favor and empowerment intended. Hebrews 10:1. Mere outward symbols are inadequate to please God, whether circumcision, grain or animal sacrifices. Without repentance and love for and from God, which enables us to overcome sin by its sacrifices to please God, Adam and Eve could not regain their conscious eternal status by the tree of life, a tree symbolizing God’s Holy Spirit fruit of Jesus Christ. Genesis 3:22-34; Revelation 2:7.

It got so bad later God called for a death penalty on the next prophet, a God-inspired person, who interceded on the behalf of the deliberately rebellious people (Ezekiel 14:1-11), which is how Jesus who knew no sin became sin and for the wages of sin died from interceding for their forgiveness (2 Corinthians 5:21; Luke 23:34). He will return apart from such sin. Hebrews 9:28.

Even Paul, realizing how intolerant God is becoming about certain sin, thereafter said, “There is a sin leading to death. I do not say that he should pray about that.” 1 John 5:16. The death of Jesus was a warning to both people and their holy intercessors, repent, lest there is for the deliberate rebellious no more sacrifice for sins. Hebrews 6:4-6; 10:28-39. And, since that word-of-God preserved martyrdom of Christ to all generations need not be repeated to save the world, Paul saw it more needful to continue alive in the flesh. Philippians 1:23-24: “I do not say that he (a disciple) should pray about that (sin leading to death).” 1 John 5:16-17.

Abraham made no animal sacrifices for atonement to, for, nor with Melchizedek since Melchizedek represented a prefigure of the atonement in Christ from God by their shared bread and wine. Genesis 14:18-20. This was a symbolic and substantial manifestation of Spiritual union of Abraham with the then Highest Priestly King of kings in flesh and blood Melchizedek after Abraham defeated in battle the amoral worldly kings, as also the book of Revelation portends will occur by our coming Messiah with us in the (Re-) New (ed) Covenant Passover.

The allegory of our being “grafted in” aimed to diminish pride, arrogance, thus lack of caring, humble, and objective oversight of the Yahwadiy(s)—-not as secular lords but as God’s attendants. Romans 11:17-18; 1 Peter 5:3; Matthew 20:25-28. Supreme knowledge, without full development of love and humility can have reverse effects. Supreme love or perfect humility comes from appreciative realization that all we have from God gifts, even the ability to practice anything for improvement, it is given to us rather than us taking it or as if it originates from us instead of God.

Until authentic love and humility and compassionate servitude is established, it is helpful for babes in Christ to see themselves as not authentic Yahwadays or Messianist void of Old Covenant lessons for authenticity. After engrafted or united to the Old Covenant lessons, learning from the mistaken Yahwadiys, thereby imbued with Old Covenant principles of wisdom, then from that authentic root of Divine history can we proceed to grow from it as pruned versus wild and grow from God’s imparted culture as truly foundational to our root-and-trunck as a flourishing Holy Spirit filled mustard-seed bush or tree with fruit (which ever God uses for fruitful illustration).

Imagine for a moment how destitute of God’s wisdom we would be counting the Old Covenant experienced of Yahwadiys irrelevant. God by His Holy Spirit wanted us to value the Old Covenant for its lessons but not for applying its tutorially divergent Levitical priesthood and separate tutorial divergent kingship. For this reason also, we must not be so concerned about the structural shell of foreign governments however religious or secular. We must focus more on the substance of its people from God’s Holy Spirit to bear wisdom in a divergent set of circumstances which even God can utilize in which to procure Biblical parallel lessons.

The LORD (YAHWAH) said to Abraham He would make him a great nation, make his descendants multiply as the stars of heaven and possess the gate of their enemies, give them lands, kings would come from him, all families on the earth as a result would be blessed, God would bless those who bless him and curse those who curse him and bless Abraham’s son Isaac and descendants likewise. Why?

From Genesis 26:5 it was all because Abraham obeyed the LORD’s voice and kept His “charge” (meaning His “watch”, “post”, “observance(s)”, “usage(s)”, “example(s)”, “deposit(s)” as for safe “custody”, and “duty”, as a “party” of a guard or “sentry” from the Hebrew word #4931H “mishmereth”), and kept His “commandments” ( meaning “commands”, serving as a “law”, from the Hebrew word #4687 “mitzwah” pronounced “mitz-wah” later “mitz-vah”), and “statutes” (meaning “enactments” such as “appointments” from the Hebrew word #2708 “chuqqah” pronounced “khook-kaw”) and “laws” (meaning instructional or directional “precept(s)”, including those becoming “statute(s)”, such as those before Moses and included later to the “Decalogue” in the “Pentateuch”, from the Hebrew word #8451, “torah”).

This is among the first instances the word “torah” is used, long before Moses or his days, it refers to what was previously revealed to Abraham before Moses.

It was intended that Abraham “keep the way of the LORD, to do righteousness (judgement, KJV) and justice. Genesis 18:19. “Justice” here is meaning “rightness” what is “right”, in terms of “rectitude”, “justice”, “virtue”, “beneficence”, and “prosperity” according to God’s words, from the Hebrew word tsidaqah, pronounced zed-aw-kaw. This Hebrew root word, tsidaq (from tsadeq, pronounced: za-dek) is in the Hebrew name Melchizedek to modify the meaning of King, more specifically it is “Malkiy-Tsadeq”, pronounced: Mal-kee-za-dek, meaning the King of Right from God and thus the Right King from God. And “judgement” (“righteousness”, NKJV) here from Genesis 18:19 is meaning “verdict” and/or “sentence”, as well as its “style” of “law”, “right” or “privilege”, from the Hebrew word “mishpat” pronounced mish-pawt. Hence, it was intended that Abraham “keep the way of the LORD, to do verdicts (make law) and rightness.

Let’s observe the distinction of all these words in examples of Abraham’s history.

TSEDAQAH (“justice”, Genesis 18:19)

“Justice” (meaning “rightness”, what is “right”, in terms of “rectitude”, “justice”, “virtue”, “beneficence”, and “prosperity” according to God’s words, from the Hebre word tsidaqah, pronounced sed-aw-kaw) to Abraham from God  was like when Abraham “believed in the LORD and He accounted it to him for righteousness.” Genesis 15:6.

MISHPAT (“judgement” or (NKJV “righteousness”), Genesis 18:19)

“Judgment” (meaning “verdict” and/or “sentence”, as well as its “style”, of “law”, “right” or “privilege”, from the Hebrew word “mishpat” pronounced mish-pawt) to Abraham from God was like when Abraham inquired about the decisions of the LORD to destroy Sodom while and after interceding for the righteous in Sodom, asking, “Shall not the Judge of all the earth do right?” and the LORD replies in justice (verdicts and sentencing). See Genesis 18:16-33.

TORAH ( “law”, Genesis 26:5)

A “precept” (instruction, as a rule of conduct) or which has become a “statute”, meaning “torah”, often translated as “law”, to Abraham from God was like when the LORD issued an instructional or directorial command to be repeated as a recurring behavioral manifestation, such as for Abraham and his descendants after him to become circumcised. See Genesis 17:9-14. After Abraham, the term “torah” is used by Moses first in Exodus 12:49 to mean this same earliest Abrahamic torah (precept/statute) in addition to the later new torah context of Passover permitted to foreigners, saying, “One law (torah) shall be for the native-born and for the stranger who dwells among you.” See Exodus 12:43-49.

CHUQQAH (“statutes”, Genesis 26:5)

“Enactments” such as “appointments”, from the Hebrew word #2708 “chuqqah”, translated as “statutes”, to Abraham from God was like when the LORD provided some traditional or customary manner as an appointed rite enacted for executing a torah, such as circumcising 8 days old male children in the flesh of their foreskin, whether native born or adopted, otherwise an uncircumcised person “shall be cut off from his people.” Genesis 17:12-14. Chuqqah was later, after Abraham applied and translated to mean “customs” (Leviticus 18:30) or “manner” ( Leviticus 20:23) , as well as “rites” (Numbers 9:3) and “ordinance” for the Passover “feast” (Exodus 12:14). Hence, it was legally customary to circumcise 8 days old males, and while older males could be circumcised it was forbidden to circumcise males younger.

MITZWAH (“commandments”, Genesis 26:5)

A command or “mitzwah” (as spelled anciently, before Germanic Hebrew- English accented dialect “mitzvah”, no letter “v” in ancient Hebrew) to Abraham from God was like when the LORD said, “Get out of your country, from your family…to a land I will show you.” Genesis 12:1. See also Genesis 13:17; 15:9-10; 17:1, 9.

MISHMERETH (“charge”, Genesis 26:5)

The Hebrew word “mishmereth” is first translated after Abraham in Leviticus 8:35 as the “charge” of the LORD and in Leviticus 18:30 as to keep the LORD’s “ordinances.”

In a first example of this word used, Leviticus 8:35 used mishmereth to mean priests should watch and be charged as an ordinance that they not exit the tabernacle during the seven days of consecration, thereby contributing to make holy Aaron, his sons, and the tabernacle with its altar. Mishmereth as a charge included the priestly teaching example Moses demonstrated for this consecration in Leviticus chapter 8, as a dutiful observance in the custody guard of the Levitical priests (Aaron and his sons).

In a second example, from Leviticus 18:30, mishmereth meant “to watch” that they not commit any of the abominable customs which were committed before them so not to defile themselves, such as uncovering for nakedness others in bad ways:  such as one’s kin like a parent or siblings disrespectfully, or as to comparatively rival sisters, or while a woman is in ministration period, nor cast people into sacrificial fires of other gods, nor commit homosexuality, nor bestiality, nor profane the name of God (which is YAH, and includes Yahwah, and His Son named after Him by Yahwashag. Psalms 68:4).

In the above examples, the first did not apply to Abraham, the tabernacle and tool-made altars were not something he was involved in, as neither was Moses initially. For example, the later Mosaic Levitical priesthood altar would have been considered by Abraham “profane”, and divergent, because tools were used to make those later altars, such as in Exodus 27:1. See Exodus 20:24-26.

The second example is something Moses initially inherited from the traditions of Abraham, those apply not specifically to the later new Levitical priesthood or its sacrifices, rules, ordinances, or laws, but to respectful moral behavioral conduct. This sense applies to New Covenant Judeo-Christians.

TORAH EXPANSION

The last place in the Old Covenant “torah” is used is Malachi 4:4, to “Remember the law (torah) of Moses, My servant, which I commanded him in Horeb for all Israel, the statute (“choq”, enactment, appointment) and judgements (mishpat).” Horeb meant “the mountain of God” where the Angel of the LORD spoke to Moses through the burning bush about His judgements to deliver Israel from Egyptians, Exodus 3:1. It is from where the “ten commandments (mitzvah)” came, Exodus 4:9-13, 20:1-17. “And the LORD commanded me at the time to teach you statutes (“choq”, masculine singular form of the feminine plural: chuqqah) and judgements (mishpat), that you might observe them in the land which you cross over to possess.” Exodus 4:14.

“Now these are the judgements (mishpat) which you shall set before them” [see them written in Exodus 21:1- chapter 24:8, it includes three feast days in 23:14-19 without animal blood sacrifices, the feasts of unleavened bread, harvested first fruits, and end-year ingathering], and the statutes (“choq”) are presented with them in Deuteronomy 5:1-chapter 8:20, prefaced as the law (torah) at Deuteronomy 4:44, which also includes the historical “testimonies” of the LORD fulfilling his promises to Abraham, including possession of the promised land of the Canaanites (thus, covering all this, he “began to explain this law (torah)…” Deuteronomy 1:5-10.

The term “torah” arises from the specifics of Abraham circumcised to the later broadening inclusion by Moses of larger portions of precepts serving as statutes (rules) in Exodus and Deuteronomy.

For New Covenant Messianist, we apply what is non-Levitical priesthood required, such as the respectful moral behavioral precepts, and all which is consistent with the coming of the Messiah.

Now let’s look to the mentioned feasts days.

FEAST DAYS

Each moral behavioral directive is often covered by the New Covenant and if there be any seeming conflict between Old and New the New applies.

The bigger question arising to many is whether to observe all the feast days of the Old Covenant, especially those not specifically directed to observe from Jesus or the New Covenant other than Passover. And like Passover revisions in meaning from the New Covenant meaning by God’s Word in Christ, how would the New Covenant broaden meaning for all the other feast days if observed at all? This we will answer.
 
Before we begin, it is important to note, while reaching to deliver Jews, it is permissible to become as a Jew abiding by their laws for feast day meanings. 1 Corinthians 9:19-23. This applies to appearing to be Muslim as well to Muslims, by traditions, whether prayers, fasting, etc., even as apostle Paul entering and visiting synagogues, so also Mosques.

However, reaching Muslims by Christ can be done effectively by Quranic verses reinterpreted and explained from thier earlier original Judeo-Christian roots from which Muhammed the founder of Islam arose, and then showing how later dialectal versions and translations of the Quran and Islam’s subsequent traditions and its followers departed from those intended Judeo-Christian roots. That is however for a separate set of lessons, having in mind reaching Muslims may be more important in weight of the fact that Islam is the world’s second largest religion of over a billion followers.

Judeo-Christianity over 2 billion, and by comparison, the religion of Jews, which is Judaism, is virtually a tiny, largely secularized, and insignificant population in size as it is primarily condensed on the small Canaanite land of modern-day Palestinian areas called Israel. Although small, Israel has had significant international government and university relations as a deep ally against Islamic terrorism worldwide. They do this while also combating anti-semitism, anti-Israelism, and pro-Palestinian rights networks and groups, using strategies as adopting or supporting politically left-leaning leaders and homosexuality cultures as LGBTQ movements, thereby expanding its secularized Jewish culture, technology, military, and police training globally.

Although modern day Israel as Jews are influential, by numbers and thus human capacity as power, its nothing compared to the billions of Muslims. Muslims may be understood as rough-draft Old Covenant Jews in ways, but worldwide. So this article serves to promote feast days not for just delivering Jews but to draw others just as well needing greater and deeper Spiritual relationship to God, as by appealing to their fleshly desires for food and pleasurable company by festive companionship. This aims to engender more love for God and subsequently His creation, to properly care for it with moral guidance for leadership, to His pleasure and glory.

Those Old Covenant feast day meanings will provide some parallel expectations for the coming reappearing Messiah as warrior, as for Jews to establish the allowance of their Temple-priesthood nationality in modern day Israel, for us Messianist to establish God’s global Kingdom of kingdoms Priesthood presiding over the provincial Old Covenant kingdom and Levitical priesthood. Such Kingdom of kingdoms will be like an empire comprising many mini kingdoms, Israel in Palestine simply one of those kingdoms. Matthew 19:28-30; Revelation 11:15.

This also means Old Covenant feast day meanings fall short of their higher, deeper, and much more comprehensive New Covenant Spiritual and practical meanings for the Kingdom of kingdoms Priesthood, no matter how presented through any language such as Hebrew, Spanish, Arabic, etc. all under God.

SPIRIT VERSUS LETTER IMPERATIVE

Also keep in mind the Spirit versus letter of the “law” for literal feast days. Those disciples excessively focusing on and trying to adhere to the letter of the law for the feast days spend much time and effort trying to obtain exactitude dates, dress, food, and miss and quench the Holy Spirit in and of the feast days. These feast days mark a general time to rejoicingly come together because of God’s provisions, they are not intended to prove who is most righteous or closer to God’s will by the date on a 12 or 13th of a month.

If you observe the feast days with others in the general month or weeks within the year as prescribed by the Holy Bible as provided here, you please God as regarding better observance than none at all. If someone among you claims to have a more accurate date, as a Jew, you can observe it for purposes of reaching and delivering them.

If two groups or three wish to observe a holiday separately on different dates within the same month, it is well but it is better to all come together in a local community where possible on an agreed specific date. An important message may be provided by one group leader or members not provided by others. So agreement on a date beforehand for consolidarity can assure fulfilling the deliverance purposes for a greater number of attendees hearing the festivity prophecy, current world affairs appearing to fulfill prophecy and how to avoid God’s coming wrath after its declaration, as can occur at Passover.

The overall and general Holy Spiritual intent for the feast days for each individual is to bring into consciousness God, God’s provisions, to generate genuine gratitude and thereby love to fulfill God’s first and second commandments. Matthew 22:37-40. Each feast is fundamentally about thanksgiving to God with praises, music, and other bonding activities to His glory and praise. Any work, actions, words, or efforts which tend to diminish such festive Holy Spirit, it is intended to be countered by love, embrace, service, and commemorating God.

Another purpose for festivities is collective. It is for congregational gathering for the Holy Spirit edification from Spiritual development in applying God’s Word, especially unselfishly to others in forms of cooperation, consolidarity, unity, strength, graciousness, and self-sacrifice for others to better succeed or benefit from God helping them through you. It is experienced in social polar bonds: in the loving, peaceful, or joyous uplifting the sorrowful, the uplifting bonds of Holy Spirit joy, peace, life, liberty, and pursuit of happiness from its Source which is God through Jesus Christ.

Most festival days occur in spring and fall, generally beginning of the year March to June, and end of year around September to October. The lunar calendar was used which has fewer days for a lunar year cycle than the solar calendar for a solar year cycle. As a result, each year the lunar dates for each festival is different on the solar calendar which indicates also the lunar dates, the lunar dates then move each year a notch forward-then-backward cyclically, such as between March-April.

Crops, flocks of sheep and cattle in ancient times were considered a measure of wealth to each person, tribe, or nation. Some “offerings” to God through a priesthood served several fold purposes, including spiritual and physical, such as atonement, self-imposed self-sacrificial punitive fasting with its moral corrective strength, and support of the priesthood maintenance.

Large amassed festive commemorations can be observed by small symbolic servings of food and drink after the minister heralding is accomplished. Afterward, groups of close disciples can meet for celebratory substantial meals as the essential commemorations.

PASSOVER (Hebrew name: Pesach); Exodus 12:11, Matthew 26:18

Passover is the only Old Covenant observance Jesus directed Messianist to observe in a direct and obvious way. Why? It continues a substantial Spiritual and physically symbolic harmony and union within the most ancient original eternal King of kings Priesthood Order of Melchizedek from before the beginning of mankind, to whom and to which Abraham paid tithes from his inferior Adamic patriarchal priesthood. Passover is a commemoration of the New (for us) Covenant Kingly Priesthood Order from the most high God for victory historically and to come, especially signified by sharing bread and wine. Genesis 14:18; Hebrews 5:5-10, 7:1-21.

Later after Abraham tithes to Melchizedek, for the children of Israel Passover commemorates deliverance by God through their obedience to His instructions setting them apart from amidst Egyptians by applying lamb’s blood on lintels of their home(s). This was on the days of Egyptian affliction and God’s destruction of firstborns for refusing worship to the children of Israel as God desired and prescribed. This was not because the children of Israel were special but because worshiping God is special. God passed over those Israelites consecrated by His word of instruction. It marked the initiation of liberation from pagan culture, bondage, slavery, and idolatry which was contrary to God and weakened and destroyed the enormously wealthy, enslaving, and royal Egyptians.

For the Angel of Death to Passover the obedient, every person trusting God’s word through His minister Moses were instructed to obtain an unblemished lamb to roast and eat with unleavened bread while being consecrated by the lamb’s blood applied upon their home lintels (top of doors, passageways, signifying to the Death Angel do not enter to kill). No bones of the lamb could be broken and all of it must be consumed leaving nothing for the morning (or if some is left then it must be burned). A lamb equaled about 25.00. This later became an assembly commemoration. Exodus 12:1-15; Leviticus 23:4-5; Numbers 9:9, 28:16; Deuteronomy 16:1-8.

Passover is a memorial feast requiring an assembly meeting on the Hebrew lunar month of Nisan the 14th, generally corresponding to March-April. We continue to observe the Passover annually according to the lunar calendar as Jesus and as he directed us to do. Luke 22:19. Spring rains occurred and floods. (Deuteronomy 11:14, Joshua 3:15). A Passover discipleship commemoration should hold a fellowship dinner among close disciples in groups, each group with 13 members total or less, and consist of lamb, unleavened bread, wine, and commemorative Scriptural elaborations on the meaning and utility of the Passover in the future as a means of deliverance from physical and Spiritual death.

After Passover with Jesus his disciples fasted and mourned during his three days and three nights death until resurrection. Mark 16:9-10. This also brought new holy tradition and meaning to the Passover observance, which departed from Judaism and Passover-tradition of the Jews arising from the Old Covenant Mosaic-Levitical priesthood. Matthew 9:14-17. Some disciples continue today after Passover observance to fast for three days, sharing in the suffering of Christ (Philippians 3:8-11; 1 Peter 4:13, 5:10; 2 Corinthians 1:6-7), as a form of subjecting the flesh to the Holy Spirit discipline mastery (over one’s flesh, 1 Corinthians 9:27), and on the third day break the fast with fish and honey comb. Luke 24:40-49.

FEAST OF UNLEAVEN BREAD (Hebrew name: Matzot) Exodus 12:17-20.

For Israel, the Feast of Unleaven Bread the day of Passover (Exodus 12:18),  commemorates the purging and sustaining power of God when He delivered them, liberated them, and led them from the idolatry and excessive slavery of Egyptian greed into the desert on their way to a better land provided by God for worship and dwelling for the glory of God (i.e. in Jerusalem). For seven days their homes are purged of leaven so not to eat anything leavened, especially bread. The first and seventh days of it are rest days (Sabbaths) from occupational labors and those days require a holy convocation (assembly meeting). Exodus 12:17-20; Leviticus 23:6-8; Numbers 28:17; Deuteronomy 16:8.

For us, this was not specifically directed by Jesus for us to observe. However, we can, and members do. When done, it further commemorates the purging and sustaining power of God while delivering, liberating, and leading us through the present desert era until the future new heavens and earth, the earth under the Body of Christ dominion. Genesis 1:28, Revelation 5:10, 11:15-18.  After which will be a better promised land on the whole of earth for worship and dwelling for God. It is described and symbolized as the New Jerusalem from Above with abundance, and Christ who leads us reigns therein by power of Almighty eternally. 1 Corinthians 15:24-28; Revelation 22:1-9. Today, we put leaven out of our diet for the week as a reminder and symbol of the clean Holy Spirit, cleaning the renewing mind, clean words expressing truth free from deceit-and-puffed-up arrogance, for longer life sustainability.

It was during this festivity that Jesus was raised from the dead, a vital factor for us to be led out of sin as if sin is leaven and into God’s Kingdom of eternal life.

It is a sabbath (rest) day requiring a holy assembly meeting on the Hebrew lunar month of Nisan the 14th-21st, generally corresponding to March-April. Matthew 26:17; Mark 14:12; Luke 2:41-42; 22:1, 7; Acts 20:6; 1 Corinthians 5:6-8.

FEAST OF FIRST-FRUITS OF PENTECOST (Hebrew name: Bikkurim) Exodus 23:16

For Israel, the festival of first fruits of Pentecost commemorates abundance, independence, and liberty from God, particularly the first reaping by sickle the increased crop (e.g. barley) from previous seed-sowing labors after entry into the promise land (Jerusalem). By sacrifice, a heap of the grain called the first fruit was given in flour mingled with oil and an unblemished one-year-old lamb, both becoming  an eventual burnt offering, along with wine, which was obtained and offered through the priest. Until this offering was made, they could not eat from the harvest any bread nor parched grain nor fresh grain, thereby demonstrating the LORD is first in all things before receiving His fuller blessing. Exodus 23:16; Leviticus 23:9-14; Proverbs 3:9-10.

For us, it further commemorates the resurrection and ascension of Jesus Christ to the right hand of the LORD in heaven as the first fruit of those who have physically died. It symbolized Jesus offering himself with us following him likewise to death, resurrection, and ascension to our heavenly Father before his return. It represents therefore the LORD reaping us after His Son seeds sown upon the earth for the growth and likeness of Christ who is the first fruit of His heavenly harvest of souls. 1 Corinthians 15:20-22; John 5:28-29, 1 Peter 3:3-4; James 1:1, 18; Revelation 14:4-5; Colossians 1:18; Revelation 1:5.

FEAST OF THE RESURRECTION (Hebrew name: Qawum, pronounced Kah-wum; later Jewish dialect “ka-oom”, then later shortened to modern “koom.” Jeremiah 23:5-6, Hosea 6:1-2) Matthew 9:14-17; Mark 16:9-10.

This day coincided with the first harvest called the Feast of First-Fruits of Pentecost the year Jesus was crucified. Pentecost means the 50th day and First-Fruits begins the first offering from the beginning of Pentecost (50 days). For this commemoration, unleavened bread, broiled fish, wine, and honeycomb are eaten in celebration of salvation affirmed by the resurrection and ascension of Jesus Christ as well as the LORD’s spiritual-soul harvest (gathering).

The harvest represents multiple meanings in Holy Scripture, such as the end of this world age, the gathering of tares for fire, wheat for the heavenly barn, and messengers for war. Matthew 13:24-30, 38-43, 49-50, 24:30-31; Revelation 14:15; 16:14, 19:17, 20:7-15.

Some disciples today continue the Passover three-day fast, after the Passover supper reminding us of a Christ-betrayer among us, Jesus taken away by his captors, the crucifixion, and burial until his resurrection, during which the disciples mourned and fasted. This first fruit celebration therefore ends the Judeo-Christian passover.

FEAST OF PENTECOST (Hebrew name: Shawot/Shavuot) Exodus 23:16, 34:22; Acts 2:1

For Israel, the feast of 7 weeks ends on Pentecost (meaning the 50th day), it commemorates Israel’s liberty and abundance from obedience to God. This festival is also called the Feast of Harvest or First fruits (Exodus 23:16, 34:22). It corresponds particularly to the first reaping by sickle the increase of crops (e.g. wheat) from previous seed sowing labours of Israel after entry into the promise land (Jerusalem). By sacrifice, it required a new grain offering, two loaves of bread baked with leaven, being the first fruits of abundance unto the LORD.

The leaven acquired a positive meaning from Christ to illustrate the gradual pervasive growth of the Kingdom of God. Matthew 13:33. It typified the future new Gentiles included to the New Covenant offering(s), which is ourselves entering in Christ as the Bread of Life sustaining the world.

It is believed by some Israelis that it was around 50 days that Israel reached Mt Sinai from which they received the Mosaic Old Covenant conditioned on keeping the LORD’s commandments, marked by a Divine presence of events that was similar to that experienced during the New Covenant Pentecost.

Moreover, Israelis departure from Mt Sinai was marked by the outpouring of the Holy Spirit upon the elders to assist the burden of managing Israel according to God’s will, and they prophesied. Thereafter, Moses declared his desire that all the LORD’s people would receive His Holy Spirit, which did occur more greatly thousands of years later during the New Covenant Pentecost. Numbers 10:11-12, 11:16-17, 25-19; Leviticus 23:15-21; Numbers 28:26-31; Deuteronomy 16:9-12. The new grain offering was seen by someone as a thanksgiving offering for the LORD’s blessing upon Israel as on the crops of their year.

For us, it further commemorates the prophetic and promised outpouring of the Holy Spirit on the earliest internationally represented church assembly from the New Covenant during Pentecost at Jerusalem. By it we commemorate the abundance of believers reaped by power of the Holy Spirit, both Jews and Gentiles, many various local churches descending at Jerusalem or similar central regional location. Acts chapter 2. This was the beginning of the fulfillment of Old Covenant prophecies by prophets such as Isaiah 2:1-4,  56:6-8 (“a house of prayer for all nations”),  66:22-23; Jeremiah 3:14-20.

This inspired Muslims to later pilgrimage to Mecca instead of initially Jerusalem. The earliest Muslims who’s religion was called Hanifiyah ( monotheist Yahwaday religion, Judeo-Christians in that belief of Yah (Psalms 64:8) before and after called “Islam”, originally prayed toward Jerusalem before and until pilgimage could be made there on Pentecost. Later leaders of Islam led Muslims to turn away from Hanifiyah and God’s holy land to the pagan Al-Kabah in pagan Mecca instead. Inside the Al-Kabah (house of Allah) is a pagan black stone idol, now called the Al-Hajarul Aswad, regarded as sacred by pre-muslim Meccans. Meccans worshiped stones, asked for their help, and fought for them. See “Islam Beliefs and Teachings” by Ghulam Sarwar, copyright 1994, pg 88-90.

International mass pilgrimage to Jerusalem faded after the persecution of Judeo-Christians, the destruction of the Levitical Temple in 70 A.D., and after the rise of Catholicism 325 A.D. Catholicism became the false “Christian authority” suppressing pilgrimage against Jews and thereby against magnifying the population of Jews and Judeo-Christians in Jerusalem.

Catholicism spread faster and farther before the original Judeo-Christianity because of Catholic support by the Roman empire finances, military, and their trade routes which were swifter to worldwide establish its erroneous brand of Christianity, theology, and ecclesiology.

By Muhammed’s days after 600 A.D., monotheist Judeo-Christians, including Hanifiyah, did not exalt Jesus above his own words to a rival God in man in Christ by “equality status on the right hand of God in heaven thus two equal Gods” as the ruling catholics did. Such catholics did not welcome Judeo-Christians to Jerusalem during Pentecost, Judeo-Christians were martyred as heretics because they did not worship the emperor as God-absolute (infallibly equal to God/Christ) on earth, as the Nicene Council Creed 325 A.D. prepared Catholics to do by its anti-Biblical legislation.

Judeo-Christians are rising in power by nature of their Holy Scripture authority surpassing erroneous Catholicism, they are leading Judeo-Christians and original Islam back to Jerusalem pilgrimage as God intended from and by Christ at Pentecost, as by the worldwide web.

CCGJ-GCC continues to advocate for all Judeo-Christians world-wide to descend upon Jerusalem annually at Pentecost and the Feast of Tabernacles, preparing for, while also partially manifesting, the coming appearance of the prophesied New Jerusalem. Revelation 21:1-8, Zechariah 14:16.

Moreover, Pentecost is understood to represent the mass baptism of the Holy Spirit, baptizing (suffusing, cleansing, and empowering for holiness) the collective body of Christ, an event previously declared to come by John the Baptist and promised by Christ before his ascension. Acts 1:8.

The Holy Spirit consecrated international disciples and empowered such witnesses for his Great Commission into the world, enabling some to heal miraculously, some to prophecy, others to see visions, and yet others to have Divine dreams. It added to the international church gathering about 3,000 souls in that one day. Thereafter adding to the church daily people repenting and receiving the gift of the Holy Spirit unto and as today. Acts chapter 2.  It is the addition of new members from which we as new creatures grow in Christ from his love for God and us, a love from God. Acts 2:1-21, 20:16; 1 Corinthians 16:8; 1 John 4:19.

Pentecost reflects from God our liberty and profusion, especially in Spiritual blessings by Christ from God, and the promised future transformation of mortality to immortality. 1 Corinthians 15:23, 51-58; 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18. It also marks and typified the liberal repletion born of God in the future era of the new heavens, new earth, new Jerusalem, and Christ’s reign together with us in our eternal inheritance by the Holy Spirit.

Pentecost continues to remind us that God is the LORD of His harvest, choosing and preparing the first fruits of His coming Kingdom by granting them His Holy Spirit (Matthew 9:38; Luke 10:2; Romans 8:23; James 1:18). God’s Spirit empowers us with the love of God, the motivation to obey Him, and a sound mind to discern His truth (2Timothy 1:7; John 15:26, 16:13). Only those inspired, grown by, and led by God’s Holy Spirit are called the Offspring of God raised by Him. Romans 8:9, 14.
  
Pentecost is a sabbath (rest) day requiring a holy assembly meeting on the Hebrew lunar month of Sivan, generally corresponding to May-June, counting from the weekly Sabbath weekend after the day of Passover. In Jerusalem summer begins and rains recede until September.

FEAST OF TRUMPETS (Hebrew name: Rosh Hashanah) Leviticus 23:23-25, 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18.

For Israel, the feast of trumpets was a day for blowing trumpets (shofars, before the Levitical Temple) as a momento to assemble and to atone for sin with sacrificial burnt offerings. It marked a new civil year of Israel (different from the sacred festival year beginning on Nisan/Abib in which Passover occurs), it is the first day of the 7th lunar sacred month called Tishri/Ethanim, September-October. Plowing and sowing begin, as does early rains (Joel 2:23). Two silver trumpets were used by Levitical priest to call the assembly to the door of the tabernacle to offer a burnt offering consisting of 1 young bullock, 1 ram, 7 lambs, and 1 kid goat to atone for sin.

The trumpets were also for battle alarm organization when heard at other times and for organizing camp journeys. Leveticus 23:23-25; Numbers 10:1-10, 29:1-6.

This feast began to represent Judgement Day, just beginning and through the day of God executing His condemnation judgment from wrath against continual rebellious sinners and executing punitive vengeance. It then also marks a new era of His reign thereafter.

For us moreover, it is a day symbolizing Christ coming with a trumpet of God. Matthew 24:31; Revelation 11:15-18.

A trumpet blown, representing the coming archangel voice of Christ, is the momento for us to assemble for union with God now and in the future day, His angels sent to gather His elect for war, when the dead shall be raised to immortality, others transformed, all unite with him and his heavenly host, and mark the time when people will understand “Christ coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.” Matthew 24:20.

Just as the trumpets were a tool to indicate a battle alarm, this feast symbolizes that when Jesus returns it will be just before a time of worldwide war with its epicenter being Jerusalem.

The remaining feast days describe steps in the establishment of the prophesied Kingdom of kingdoms from God on earth and judgement of humanity after Christ’s appearance. Zechariah 9:14-17; Matthew 24:29-31; 1 Corinthians 15:52; Revelation 1:10.

DAY OF ATONEMENT (Hebrew name: Yom Kippur) Leviticus 23:26-32; Matthew 24:24-31.

For Israel, the Day of Atonement (meaning amends and cancellation of sins) was a rest day (sabbath) for remembering one’s sin and other’s poverty. It is observed with self-affliction (e.g. by fasting), repentance, with spiritual discipline for all of Israel to be blessed spiritually and for others to be blessed for God’s glory. It is when Arron the high Levitical priest entered the most holy place of the Tabernacle behind its inner veil to make atonement for himself, his family, and all Israel. It is a most holy day of the year,  being called the Sabbath of sabbaths. Leviticus 16:2-17, 23:26-32; Numbers 29:7-11; Hebrews 9:1-10; Psalms 25:13, 69:10; Isaiah 58:1-6; Acts 27:9.

For us and furthermore, any who need spiritual and physical improvement, for example on challenges related to lust, covetousness, adultery, pride, doubt, evil speaking of each other, etc. such should consecrate this day for God and genuine reflection over those residual sins. That is, to further submit with humility and repentance to God by fasting from food and from indulging our flesh by excess sensual pleasures.

Fasting humbles the soul before God (Psalms 35:13), and serves to chasten the soul for discipline and refined spiritual purity. Psalms 69:10. Thereby one aims to crucify the flesh, the old man and the deviant world in us. Galatians 5:24, 6:14; Romans 6:6; 1 Corinthians 9:27. It manifests earnestness before God to exclusion of all else for Him. 1 Corinthians 7:5. Through it God heightens spiritual discernment and empowers the soul to master oneself, master one’s appetites and overcome temptation by exceptional self-control. Matthew 4:1-11, 17:14-21.

Moreover, it is a time for giving to the needy what we would normally eat excessively, being grateful to God for His gift of Life while worshiping Him and spreading His love and grace to others. James 4:1-10, 1 Corinthians 7:5. By it we look forward to a time yet in the future after the return of Christ when Satan the devil, who will lead mankind astray (Ephesians 2:2; Revelation 12:9), after troubling the earth the devil will bound (Revelation 20:1-3), so the nations can be reconciled to the Father through Christ. Revelation 21:22-26.

It is a sabbath (rest) day observed by fasting, requiring a holy assembly meeting on the Hebrew lunar month of Tishri the10th, corresponding generally to September to October.

FEAST OF TABERNACLES (Hebrew name: Sukkot) Leviticus 23:33-38; John 7:1-2, 8, 10, 14.

For Israel, the Feast of Tabernacles (huts/booths) lasts for 7 days in which Jews dwell in small temporary booths made of tree boughs, palm trees branches, and willows. It is to declare and commemorate Israel dwelling in such booths when delivered and led from Egypt, although a reminder of hardship, poverty, and humiliation as part of the price for deliverance should they again neglect God and be re-subject to foreign bondage by sins. This was to take place after the ingathering of grain, wine, and labors in the Promised Land because God blessed them with all their increase after suffering for their deliverance. Exodus 23:16; Leviticus 23:33-44; Numbers 29:12-40; Deuteronomy 16:13-15; Nehemiah 8:13-18; Zechariah 14:16-19.

For us, it also points to our “tabernacling” with the LORD during a temporal period of the future 1000-year reign, sometimes called the millennium, before the complete manifestation of our future blessing in the new heavens and new earth. It will be the perfect environment designed to offer all people an unusual opportunity to repent of their sins and come to God the Father through Jesus Christ without Satan’s direct interference. Zechariah 14:16-21; Revelation 20:1-9, 21:7-10.

Its first day is a sabbath (rest) day requiring a holy assembly meeting on the Hebrew lunar month of Tishri the 15th to 22nd, corresponding generally to September to October. John 7:1-2, 8, 10, 14.

THE LAST GREAT DAY (Hebrew name: Sheminieth. Leviticus 23:36)

For Israel, the Last Great Day is the eighth day and final annual festival following the Feast of Tabernacles. It is a rest day requiring assembly meeting, commemorating the last of the annual harvest and appointed mass assembly days. Plowing and sowing begin through these last three Fall feasts.

For us, it further commemorates one of the cumulative results of believers in Christ who receive the gift of the Holy Spirit and by Him become the wellsprings of living water in this desert era of the end, wintery times. As Christ, therefore, we become the medium through which the Father imparts His Spiritual power, eternal life, and inheritance of all things forever to all who likewise desire and receive His Holy Spirit by love for our Creator. During this time all people who have died not knowing God’s plan for them will be resurrected to life to be reminded and judged according to their works, and thus as found or not found in the Book of Life. Revelation 21:27.

It therefore represents the completion of the spiritual harvest or ingathering of mankind. It is our commemorating and preparing for the LORD’s final harvest (gathering) of us into His heavens, the reconciled to God for eternity, and His gathering the rebellious for the fire. John 7:37-39; 1 Corinthians 15:24-28; Revelation 20:7-15, 21:1-7.

BEWARE OF THE LEAVEN OF THE JEWS, ESPECIALLY THE REVIVAL OF THE OLD PHARISEE MESSIANIC JEWS TRADITIONS FROM THEIR TEACHINGS. Matthew 16:5-12

There has arisen a growing movement and establishments among Christians called the Messianic Jews and Messianic Jewish assemblies. This movement was originally Christians seeking deeper historical Jewish culture context for properly interpreting Holy Scripture, such as the Jewish customs of marriage among Jews to better understand parables of Jesus about marriage or how his mother Mary was “betrothed” to Joseph as distinct from “married” to Joseph.

However, Jews began creeping in and leading these assemblies, such leaders and assemblies call their leaders “rabbi” contrary to Christ’s teachings. Matthew 23:7-8; Galatians 2:3-10. They also introduce Jewish traditions which begin to supplant the Holy Bible and make the Holy Bible less important and have no greater validity for meaningful application. It is like the Roman Catholics tradition of calling priests or their pope “father” contrary to the teachings of Jesus (Matthew 23:9) or Catholics emphasizing false lineages from the apostle Peter (the apostle to the circumcised Jews, as in Jerusalem, not Rome), Peter never went to Rome, Paul did. Galatians 2:7-9; Acts 23:11, 28:16-31. That begins to mislead and trick people away from the greater wisdom and blessing God through Christ intended for you by choosing Holy Scripture instead of man-made ulterior church traditions—-arising not from the Bible but from the flesh, pride, ignorance, politics, finances, more inclusivity or attendance, etc.—- as it conflicts with God’s Word.

What follows is example and explanation.

Jesus warned such Pharisee Jews expecting a warrior Messiah, Messianic Jews, ” you make the word of God of no valid effect by your traditions.” Matthew 15:1-10. This is because the promises and powers of God’s Word must come by agreement between the disciple and God, but traditions divert people from such covenant engagement and fulfillment.

For more details on this Kabbalah Oral Torah undercurrent behind Judaism and the Messianic Jewish Movement, read “The Talmud Unmasked” by I.B. Pranaitis (published 1892), and “Masonry: Beyond the Light” by William Schnoebelen, a former high level Freemason, Shriner, Satanist, Wiccan Warlock, Druid priest, Mormon elder, and lastly a rabbi under the authority of Ed Nydle of B’nai Abraham, a Two-House Hebrew Roots congregation. Such is considered a leader in the Messianic Jewish Movement.

The following is a statement on the website of B’nai Abraham,

“We incorporate the TaNaK (Old Covenant), Brit Chadashah (New Covenant), Talmud, Midrash, Zohar, and Kabbalah in all our discussions.” [Source : http://WWW.bnaiavraham.net/index2.html%5D

The CCGJ-GCC also does this but we hold Holy Scripture to be the ultimate authority, overriding all other literature.

For more general starting-point information regarding the difference between Old and New Covenant principles for application for New Covenant Judeo-Christians, see the book entitled “Worshiping God the Father of Jesus” by Benjamin J. Theophilus, a Pastoral Bishop for the Christian Church of God from Jerusalem.

THE LEAVEN’S TRADITIONAL SOURCES

MIDRASH

The Midrash began as Oral Law (Torah), but it is actually rabbinical interpretation and commentary on the Holy Scripture’s Old Covenant. It is not unusual to find a fragment of a single verse commented on and interpreted by pages of rabbinical writing upon it. These often attribute enigmatic new meanings not intended by the original writers of Holy Scripture, and which try to fill in gaps in the Bible events using new fables, idle speculations, and vain babblings. What follows is an example.

From the Midrash of Genesis (Genesis is called in Hebrew Bereshith), about Adam’s creation and explaining his “rib” in forming Eve, it says:

God created Adam “double-faced, then He split him and made him of two backs, one back on this side and one back on the other side.” One of which, this passage at length explains, was to make Eve and the other back side to make the Mosaic tabernacle.

The Midrash answers questions of Jewish customs, like “Why do women walk in front of the corpse in funeral processions?” The midrash explains, “Because they brought death into the world, therefore they walk in front of the corpse.” 

Today there are various brief versions of portions of all such historical rabbinical writings, often digressing greatly from Holy Scripture in the form of “Jewish fables”, which Judeo-Christians are not to give serious and important consideration except as historic literature which venture into errors. See Titus 1:13-14; 2 Peter 1:16; 1 Timothy 1:3-4, 4:7; 2 Timothy 4:3-4.

From authentic and authoritative Judeo-Christian explanation for contrast, Eve’s disobedience is not grounds to be sexually biased against women, which is highly ridiculous from profound ignorance. This is because God was not pointing to an inferiority or stigma against women, or women being weaker and more susceptible to sin than men. Adam afterward easily sinned too, then blamed God for it for creating the woman instead of Adam’s own deceived and thereby weakened will. The deception first occurred from the serpent, to previously innocent Eve. Instead, the lesson points to the dire consequences of disobedience, equally of Eve and Adam, it made no difference at all who disobeyed first compared to who disobeys at all. We each individually bear sovereign responsibility to lead each other rightly. Disobedience can have deathly consequences, no matter who does it first or what sex.

KABBALAH

These type of erroneous man-made so-called “hidden”, “insightful”, “wisdom”, or “knowledge” also formed a separate body of teachings called the Kabbalah, as found in writings called the Zohar.

For example, even letters of the Hebrew alphabet later in Kabbalism were attributed post-letter meanings, sometimes paralleling Holy Scripture meanings, such as someone teaching today the letter “t” represents and means the cross upon which Christ was crucified, that it was created that way for that very purpose, and therefore it is holy with important spiritual significance.

This becomes a source of intrigue, curiosity, and draws in unaware disciples into a myriad of such inventions, innovations intended by Rabbis to teach new and some of the old principles in new creative ways, bearing crafty parallel Scriptural meanings. All of which can divert disciples into such books of learning for years and eventually into non-Scripture parallels, leading them from the main commission of Christ to spread the Gospel, and away from participating in more meaningful powerful practical services God intended. Most such people do not realize the history of Hebrew language in its five previous forms: pictographs, logographs, cuneiform, Aramaic, classical and modern square-form Biblical letters. Such Hebrew letters are not spiritually anymore significant than letters made holy by God in Spanish, English, or other languages, such as could be made for the letter “t”.

Other errors in Kabbalah claim God or Yahweh has female consorts, such as Asherah, Shekhina, Anath, and Lilith, the queen of such is Shabbat Hamalka or the “Shabbat (Sabbath) Queen”, who is not only God’s Goddess, Queen, or Bride, but new Jewish mythology. Such various types of fables led to other later occults, even in teachings such as wicca, and Freemasonry exalting Lucifer in their writings. Kabbalism thus became a system of Jewish mysticism as a form of magic, the underlying philosophy of Freemasonry and modern cults as witchcrafts. Both modern Witches and traditional Freemasons seek salvation through “illumination” or receiving the “Light”, and employ candles for similar mystical reasons, which is merely alternative allegorical explanations of their teachings leading to more indulgences of the flesh, pride by sophistry, and deception forbidden by Holy Scripture.

MISHNA-TALMUD, HANUKKAH (Feast of Dedication), PURIUM (Feast of Deliverance)

The Talmud gets its name from the word Lamud-taught, his teachings, aiming to explain the knowledge and teachings of the Jewish people. In the 200 years after Christ, Rabbi Jehuda realized the learning of the Jews was diminishing, that their oral laws Jesus taught against was being lost, and so he sought out creative ways to restore and preserve their oral law. He collected all lists, charts, and made a separate book called the Sepher Mischnaioth, later called the Mischnah (today called Mishna), a secondary law (torah) derived from oral comments (torah) of former rabbis about Old Covenant passages. Today it is arranged by topics/subjects, not as a parallel commentary to Holy Scripture. It became the foundation and principal centerpiece upholding the whole Talmud. It was expanded later in their academies in Babylon and Palestine.

As their interpretations increased with time, their disputations and decisions of the doctors of this law were written down in the portion of the Talmud/Mishnah called the Gemarah. This gave rise to two main branches, one called the  Jerusalem Gemarah-Talmud (begining 230 A.D.), which was not much and widely used because of its brevity and obscurity, and later the other called the Babylonian Gemarah-Talmud (beginning in 327 A.D), held in highest esteem by most Jews. The word Babel, from which the word Babylon and Babylonian is derived, meant “words of confusion”.

Later additions were added by other rabbis in the form of more commentaries, such as the Tosephoth, Baraietoth, and Perusch Hamischnaioth of Maimonides, all of which later was included to the vast writings making up the Talmud today. Today there are various brief versions of portions of all such historical rabbinical writings, often digressing greatly from Holy Scripture in the form of “Jewish fables”, which Judeo-Christians are not to give serious and important consideration except as historic literature which ventured into errors. Titus 1:13-14; 2 Peter 1:16; 1 Timothy 1:3-4, 4:7; 2 Timothy 4:3-4.

Feast days outside the Holy Bible, such as Purim, was added to Jewish traditions in late winter, commemorating the deliverance of the people of Israel during the time of Esther. Judeo-Christians can but are not expected to observe such feast.

The Babylonian Talmud, Tractate Shabbat, page 21b, explains the festival of Hanukkah to celebrate the re-consecration and dedication of the Old Covenant Levitical temple for animal sacrifices, after it was desecrated by their Greek enemies. It is intertwined with the Jewish fable that a miracle occurred where one day supply of oil turned to 8 days supply to feed the holy lamp called a menorah, and that is why candles are used during this festival. However, the Jewish historian Josephus and 1 Maccabees 4:36-59 point to the real reason candles are used, which commemorated the new candlestick (menorah) brought into the new animal-sacrificial temple to give the temple light, which was part of keeping the dedication to an animal-sacrificial altar, annually, also calling it the festival of “Lights.” This explanation arose nearly 300 years before the Talmud oil fable. The paganized Babylonian celebration of Saturn, was much more anciently also called “The Festival of Lights” and “The Feast of Dedication” for the pagan mythical Temple of Saturn in 497 B.C.

To the Jews however, the Talmud is more important than Holy Scripture. The Talmud exalts itself this way. In its tract Babha Metsia, fol 33a, it says:

“Those who devote themselves to reading the Bible exercise a certain virtue, but not very much; those who study the Mishna exercise virtue for which they will receive a reward; those, however, who take upon themselves to study the Gemarah exercise the highest virtue..”

In the book Mizbeach, cap. V, it says: “There is nothing superior to the Holy Talmud.”

Judeo-Christians highly disagree knowing nothing is superior to the Holy Bible.

How this leaven of the Jews and Messianic Jews affect its members is illustrated by http://www.thetorah.com/did-reuben-lie-with-bilhah. There a woman posted an article, a dialogue between her and a young man, like Eve to Adam. Her name is Shani Tzoref who holds a “Master degree” in Jewish History from Yeshiva University and PH.D. in Ancient Jewish Literature. She was awarded a Rothschild Fellowship at Hebrew University in 2006.

The young man believed Reuben in the Bible did lie with Bilhah, his father’s wife, as stated in the Bible for a sin causing Reuben’s lesser blessing at Genesis 35:22, 49:3-4 (cf. 1 Corinthians 5).

Ms. Tzoref first questioned to the young man whether the Torah (Bible) required people, particularly Jewish people, to believe Reuben actually had sexual intercourse with Bilhah. She eventually states, “..the dominant view in the Talmud seems to be that Reuben did not sleep with Bilhah…” and then concluded, “Reuben did not sleep with Bilhah…I don’t actually think a belief about the story is mandated.”

The effect is that God demonstrates it was a sin, but Talmudist Jews say otherwise, and by such Jewish traditions people are deprived the greater benefits of God that come by believing, listening to, and applying God’s words.

FURTHER FEAST DAY INSIGHTS

To understand what draws Christians to Messianic Jewish Movements and Jewish culture, context, and leaven of Judaism, to better understand the Holy Scriptures, we present the following.

We also show how that leaven of the Jews is very provincial, lacks understanding, and is shallow in insight compared to Judeo-Christian’s universal and comprehensively deeper Holy Spirit understanding from and about God, affirmed by His words.

PASSOVER

It was taught by Jews, and Judeo-Christians today, that God would come again at or around Passover to again physically deliver His people.

“..on this night all Israel is to keep the solemn observance (Hebrew: shimmurim, also meaning “night vigil or watch”) to the LORD for generations to come.” Exodus 12:42. Rabbis interpreted this to mean watch for similar and/or greater things to come as this. Jesus also instructed his disciples during this time to “Watch and pray.”, relating to his re.appearance for deliverance. Matthew 26:38.

Rabbis believed God must have seen the lamb’s blood on door ways as that of Isaac, representing Isaac, on the door posts—meaning God remembered Abraham’s willingness to sacrifice his son as an innocent lamb, and counted such passover preparatory obedience righteous and making the obedient worthy to be exempt from the coming death angel. See also Matthew 24:29-31, 38-42, 44; Revelation 7:2.

It is traditional for Jewish children after Passover meal to open their door to see if Elijah might be standing there, because Malachi said Elijah would come first to herald the Messiah is coming. Malachi 3:1; 4:5.

After his anointing, the Prophet and a Pastoral Bishop for the Christian Church of God from Jerusalem, Benjamin J. Theophilus in these final days declared in the Holy Spirit of Elijah and defense of the brethren as Moses, even from within prison as apostle Paul, he heralds, “..Prepare the Way of YAHWAH, make His Path straight before He appears in His collective Holy One as Warrior, Judge, High Priest and King of Kings in His Kingdom of kingdoms! Death comes to unbelievers in resistant rebellion, but Life everlasting will come to the believers in compliant reconciliation through His Messiah Son! Watch therefore and pray so you are prepared for deliverance!”

“Sitting at the Feet of Rabbi Jesus” by Ann Spangler and Lois Tverberg, a book used to introduce Catholic and Protestant Christians to their deeper Jewish heritage roots, states, “The roots of Christianity lie deep within the biblical feasts” and proceeds to show how Christ is the new Passover Lamb.

Morevover, God uses the Feasts to communicate to His people. What God has been and is communicating to His people today, is the roots of Judeo-Christianity extend farther back than Passover, even before the bread and wine of Melchizedek as God’s Messiah with Abraham, or Adam hearing Him walking in the Garden of Eden. Its roots are from the heavens, our Creator of the roots, His Holy Spirit, transcending all provincial tribal cultures, their roots, and can use any one of them—Israel’s or Judah’s for example—to communicate His deliverance by means of His Holy One, such as His Messiah, in and by means of them all.

FEAST OF UNLEAVEN BREAD

The initial superficial reason for the unleavened bread on Passover was to commemorate the dough the Israelites had to make in haste from immediate obedience as they were leaving Egypt. Deeper meaning is that there was no time to leaven it, Jews used it immediately untainted, as should be done with the Holy Bible, and its compactness represented God’s means of deliverance efficiently, void of excess deceit, pride, and verbiage which puffs up. Colossians 2:16-18.

In ancient times leavening was done by mixing a blob of old fermented dough to the new dough, infecting the new batch with bacterial microbes causing it to rise and sour, decay, and if not baked then rot. All burnt grain offering to God had to be pure or free from leaven. Leviticus 2:11, 6:17. The rise of the bread upon baking pictured pride and hypocrisy, sin and contamination, defilement of the offering to God.

When Jesus warned about the Old Covenant Jewish teachings as leaven, and when he referred to his body as the Passover unleavened bread, this indicated himself offered free from not only pride and hypocrisy from Jewish Pharisee and Sadducee teachings, including hypocritical malignity and deceptive depravity from sexually deviant Gentiles (1 Corinthians 5:6-8), but also free from Old Covenant Levitical priesthood provincial inadequacies for international world deliverance.

Jewish scholars such as David Danube has pointed out a known symbol to Messianist regarding the piece of bread broken off by Jesus at Passover and shared with his disciples, from Jewish customs.

Prior to eating the Passover lamb, the piece of unleaven bread broken off was called the afikomen, which was afterward hidden away. At the end of the Passover, the afikomen was shared and consumed by all participants, still today done by Jews, by some to keep their children “awake” or watchful for it, to find it, as their prize. To religious adults the afikomen referred to “the coming one”, the Messiah who would as warrior “restore” (i.e. reconstitute) the Levitical priesthood kingdom of David to Israel (Acts 1:6).

As the Lamb, unleavened bread of life, and warrior, the Messiah who was presently “broke off” from Judah-Israel and consecrated to and with God, at His right hand side, hid from common people and Israel, who could appear at any time for the kingdom restoration at God’s will. Those and one who discovered God’s will and Messiah within them not only found the prized afikomen but also afterward partake of the whole body of unleavened bread, historically meaning Judah-Israel, but from God by His New Covenant it today means His Judeo-Christian Church of God from Jerusalem (CCGJ-GCC) preparing the Way for His Kingdom of kingdoms from the heavens. Israel today is just one of those provincial kingdoms restored in and under his globally Divine Priesthood Kingdom of kingdoms.

These latter day insights about God’s Kingdom of kingdoms facilitated by CCGJ-GCC you would not find in Jewish provincial culture or publications by Jewish leaders as Rabbis, or others like David Danube. This knowledge is higher, deeper, and more comprehensive from God than they have provincially inherited for mere preparatory and foreshadow purposes. Israel, its culture, and kingdom is like middle school compared to an adult college level university. Its like a provincial state government within and under a global Kingdom of kingdoms from God.

FEAST OF FIRST-FRUITS

This feast celebrated the first fruits of the spring barley (Hordeum vulgare) harvest (gathering), different from the winter variety of barley (Hordeum hexastichon). Barely was less appetizing than wheat, less expensive, a food source often for or associated with the poor, often in the form of bread. Barley water was a nourishing drink given especially to children and the sick by boiling barely in water then straining and cooling the liquid broth.

At the Feast of First-fruits, a sheaf of barley was cut from the field then offered in thankfulness to God. Leviticus 23:10. It represented hope for the future survival of the common people of Israel, in a healthy and prosperous way. Afterward, the rest of the reaping, gathering, could begin. Often Ezekiel 37:5 was read in the Levitical Temple, the LORD instructed Ezekiel to declare to a valley of dry bones, “I will make breath enter you, and you will come to life.” This represented a Holy Spirit filled resurrection of multiple people, which was prefigured partially for the future in the same days after Passover conducted by Jesus. See Matthew 27:52.

Christ is the firstfruits of the dead, “afterward those who are Christ’s at his coming” represent others raised from the dead by His Holy Spirit. Then comes the end, when he delivers the kingdom (e.g. of David, Israel) to God the Father (cf. Daniel 7:13-14, 21-22), when he puts an end to all rule and authority and power….then the Son himself will also be subject to Him who put all things under him, that God may be all in all.” 1 Corinthians 15:20-28.

PENTECOST ( a Greek word, meaning ” fifty” days, or fiftieth day, from firstfruits. Also means SHAVUOT [SHAWOT] from Hebrew, meaning the end of seven “weeks”)

This feast marked the end of the barley harvest (gathering) and the beginning of the wheat harvest (gathering). Wheat was regarded more appetizing and expensive than barley, and associated with the more wealthy portions of society. It also marked the fiftieth day Israelites left Egypt and reached Mount Sinai. There God reminded them, ..”if you will indeed obey My voice and keep My covenant, then you shall be a special treasure to Me above all people, for all the earth is Mine. And you shall be to Me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.” The people blessed replied, “All that the LORD (YAHWAH) has spoken we will do.” Exodus 19:5-6, 8.

Additionally, Moses was to set them apart for holy purposes, cleanse them, preparing them for God’s unique Presence upon the Mountain three days later in fire, to meet with God from a distance, which came to pass with thunderings, lightnings, a loudening shofar, scaring the people before they stood at its base, after which its smoke ascended and the Mountain quaked greatly. Moses then went up to the top of the Mountain after called by God, then went down and warned the people lest they break through the holy bounds to gaze upon YAHWAH prematurely and perish. Then Moses returned to the top with Aaron and came down again to the people of Israel with commandments from God, commandments eventually written in cuneiform Hebrew on clay hardened tablets which represented the beginning of the Mosaic old covenant and its later Levitical priesthood. Exodus chapter 19-20. See also Ezekiel chapters 1-2.

God foretold through the prophet Jeremiah He would make a New Covenant of forgiveness for heartfelt nearness to God through Jesus Christ, thereby putting His law (torah) of love, loyalty, and obedience in their minds and writing it in their hearts, raising their children in the name of YAH so all would need no more to teach to each other to know God as if strangers to God, but all would grow knowing Him, from the least to greatest. Jeremiah 31:31-34.

In the days of Jesus (YAHWASHAG), and as CCGJ-GCC  encourages all Judeo-Christians, Shavuot/Pentecost and the festival of Tabernacles were celebrated by attendance at Jerusalem. Jews and Judeo-Christians from every nation or country who could afford it—often the wealthy, urged to bringing someone poor who was a disciple –descended upon Jerusalem, all speaking the various languages from their various countries, and if room permitted then especially at the Levitical Temple called the House of God (YAHWAH), on this day. Acts chapter 2.

Pentecost then and now marks a transition from the old Jerusalem, the old covenant from God by only a sole Hebrew language, with its provincial Levitical priesthood and thereunder a separate Davidian king-office and miniature kingdom. It was all reluctantly facilitated by God as lessons of tolerated divergences from, yet still under, His primary Melchizedek-Messianic Kingly-Priesthood will (1 Samuel 8:6-7; Deuteronomy 17:14-20). It was all reconstituted and elevated by means of a transition to the New Jerusalem, by the New Covenant from God through all languages to all people, with its Melchizedek Priestly King of kings Priesthood in Christ coming with a host from God in His heavens.

FEAST OF TRUMPETS (“Rosh Hashanah” from Hebrew, meaning the head of the year)

This feast begins in the Hebrew lunar month of Tishri, it marks the beginning of the Jewish secular civil calendar of kings, childbirths, and contracts, the Sabbatical year (once every 7 years, on this sanctified 7th year, leave land to rest from cultivation for farming. Exodus 23:10-11) and Jubilee year (free all enslaved or imprisoned as by debt on the sanctified 50th year, including allowing land to go uncultivated for growing crops, begun by the blast of a shofar. Leviticus 25:9-17).

By contrast, the lunar month of Nisan marked the beginning of the Jewish sacred calendar of the Exodus and thus becoming a new holy nation, for the Levitical priests, sacred festivals, and the like.

The Rosh Hashanah (Feast of Trumpets) is marked by the blowing of a ram’s horn called a shofar, heralding God as King of the world, now days especially in and through His collective Body of Christ, marking the anniversary of the world’s creation, and reading Genesis chapter 1. See also 1 Corinthians 15:51-52.

It begins the Day of Awe, in which God judges the deeds of people according to His books and Covenants from heaven to earth by His Holy Spirit, in regard to the coming years. For ten days it is intended therefore to focus on self-reflection, repentance and self-discipline (in the old days this came by either fasting and/or scourging), to examine one’s deeds in preparation for Yom Kippur (Day of Atonement) on the tenth day.

DAY OF ATONEMENT (Yom Kippur)

To Jews, Yom Kippur is the most solemn and holy day of the year, the most holy (consecrated for and to God), in which they cease from their work and observe a 24 hour fast from both food and water, partially to “afflict the soul” as a means of mastering the flesh, self-discipline, chastisement, and self-control, as a means of attaining reconciling atonement for sins of the past year and be delivered from destruction by the final Day of Judgement from God. Some Jews wear a white kittle (robe) in which the dead is buried, a reminder of the temporal physical life and to prepare for Judgment Day in the Presence of the ultimate Judge of judges.

During the Levitical priesthood, this was the only day the high priest would enter the most Holy of holy chambers of the Temple and offer sacrificial atonement for the sins of the people of Israel. He would also lay his hands on a scapegoat, aiming to transfer the guilt of the nation onto the animal and drive it out into the desert. A symbolic effort to get rid of Israel’s sins. God’s later response to this was Israel’s sins and due punishment would land upon the interceding prophet who served as a priest for likewise trying to rid Israel’s sin and guilt ineffectively.

Such prophetic priestly interceder thereby as Christ on the cross would suffer the same grizzly fate due to the nation, invalidating to Israel any scapegoat exemption from their sinful outcome and responsibility to seek amends to God who gifted them by life and provisions. The interceder, not intending to be a scapegoat but becoming it by Israel’s willful prolonged disobedience, such prophetic priest as Christ on the cross would suffer the horrible consequences of failure to rid sin more adequately. Yet, the obedient intercessor would have his own soul delivered eternally for being in God’s will trying to save the people, just not his physical body at the punitive death due for Israels continual sins, upon him. E.g. Ezekiel 14:1-20.

After later destruction of the ineffectual Levitical scapegoat Temple, Rabbis taught prayer was sufficient for the forgiveness of sin, but God did not declare this. So they like Gentiles are actually without atonement from God by either the Old Covenant Levitical Temple provisions by animal sacrifices or New Covenant provisions through Christ, and thus without greater blessings.

FEAST OF TABERNACLES/INGATHERING

This to Jews is the greatest end-year harvest (ingathering) feast—when fruit was brought in for preservation and sustenance through winter as well as the rest of the wheat.

Five days after the Day of Atonement the feast of Tabernacles arrives to the Jews and Judeo-Christians, especially in Jerusalem. It is when Jews lived (or at least ate) in hut booths with a visual of a star through their roofs, lasting for seven days. It is to recall 40 years in the desert wilderness of the exodus from Egypt surviving in such booths from night to night. It is to remind that God is one’s truest source of survival, security, and prosperity through the hardest and poorest of times prior to His granted greater blessings and success.

On the last day of this feast, the priest performed a water libation ceremony, a water-drawing ceremony, with intense prayers for life-giving “living water” for the coming year, whether by rain, wells, or other miraculous way.

On this same last greatest day, Jesus stood up in the midst of such a crowd and cried out, “Let anyone who is thirsty come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as Scripture has said, rivers of living water will flow from within them (from the Holy Spirit)” John 7:37-38.

FEAST OBSERVANCES

Judeo-Christians, also called Messianist, can observe these feasts as Jews do today, even with Jews as if Jews, or more strictly Biblically, or less strictly with Gentiles and more in the Spirit of the law instead of the strict “letter of the law” observances. See Galatians 4:10-12; 1 Corinthians 9:19-27; Romans 14:5-23.

In priority, Messianist alone should try to at least observe Passover (March-April) as Christ commanded, and by his example with disciples in a home, the House of God thereby (Mark 14:1-2, 13-26), anywhere in the world, yet if able then at Jerusalem each year also (Mark 14:26). Try to observe Pentecost (May-June) at Jerusalem as our ancient Judeo-Christian bishops from and in Christ bore example for us to imitate (1 Thessalonians 2:14; Acts 1:8, 2:1). And, at Jerusalem also, observe the Feast of Tabernacles (September-October) preparing to fulfill Isaiah chapter 56:1-7;   66:18-24;   Zechariah 2:10-13,   14:11-21;  Revelation 21:22-27,  22:14-15.

Most important through all of these is the exalting of God above mankind, worshiping God by prayerful gratitude, and teaching how God can, has, and by all such tribal feasts—in any nation or country—- He is communicating deliverance, eternal life, and success in the future by only Him through Jesus Christ.

For more information CHRISTIAN CHURCH OF GOD FROM JERUSALEM, GLOBAL COUNCIL FROM CHRIST, https://ccgjgcc.bitrix24.site, ccgjgcc.home.blog