We are in the midst of the High Holy Days as described in the Scriptures.

Last Friday, September 14th, was Rosh Ha shana and Yom Kippur is Sunday, September 23. The Feast of Sukkot begins September 28 and concludes October 5th. Many people are not aware of these festivals or know very little about them. But did you know that believers and unbelievers are going to be involved in their fulfillment whether they like it or not? So, in light of the High Holy Day season I wanted to write a brief summary of these festivals and what their implications are.. This may be the only place you will ever hear of this because most Bible teachers don’t know it, believe it or teach it. I want this to be informative but it is also a warning . The Lord has said if you see judgment coming and you don’t warn the people then he will require it from you. So I am “shouting this from the rooftops” if you will. In summary, these festivals teach the coming of Yeshua and have not been fulfilled as yet. There are seven biblical festivals God has commanded us to observe in Leviticus 23.1-44 and there are several Hebrew words to understand . In Lev. 23.2 the Hebrew word for ‘appointed times” is “moed” because these festivals are the “appointed times” of the Lord. These are not Jewish festivals but God’s and He has an appointment (moed) with his people on these days. Of course many so- called believers have “done away with the Law” including these festivals and have told the Lord that” even though we have an appointment, I’m not coming!” Queen Vashti in the book of Esther is a picture of these professed believers and we know what happened to her! The other word used in v2 is the word for “convocation” which is the Hebrew word “mikrah” and it means “rehearsal.” So, when you keep these festivals you are rehearsing what they stand for. But a rehearsal is not the real thing. People in a Broadway play rehearse for many weeks but there comes a day when it is for real and that is exactly what these festivals are for. There will come a day when all the rehearsing will be over and the Lord will actually fulfill what they mean. The spring festivals begin with Passover and end with Shavuot (Pentecost). They teach the first coming of Yeshua and were fulfilled to the letter. He was crucified as our lamb on Passover, buried on unleavened bread, rose from the dead on First Fruits and sent the Holy Spirit on Pentecost. After the long growing and harvest season we come to the fall festivals. Rosh ha Shana (head of the civil year) is biblically called Yom Teruah or “day of the awakening blast” (Num 29.1). The shofar (rams horn) is blown on this day (Num 10.1-10) to “wake” us up, to warn us of danger physically and spiritually. In the Temple the shofar was blown over the burn’t and peace offerings of the day as reminder of the people before God. That is why this day is also called the Day of Remembrance (Num 10.10). The term “teruah” can also mean “shout” and it is a particular note blown on the shofar. One of the main themes of this festival is the resurrection of the dead believers and the catching- away of the ones who are ‘alive and remain” in what is called the Natzal (deliverance) and commonly known as the “rapture”. This concept is not new and has been known and taught for centuries and the Apostle Paul taught it (1Cor 15;1Thes 4, 2 Thes. 2). The prophets allude to it in Isa 26.1-20; Zeph. 2.1-3; Joel 2.23 and many more places. The Jewish people associate the resurrection of the righteous with Rosh Ha Shana ( day of the awakening blast, remember?) and shofar’s have been found on headstones in ancient Israel. There are several other themes for this day including the wedding and coronation of the Messiah and judgment. This festival is known by several names and these are used in the Scriptures. One is the “Last Trump” and “the day no man knows” because it is the only festival that occurs on a new moon. You can’t start the month without the new moon and so Rosh Ha Shana is the first day of Tishri which begins the civil year, but you need to sight the new moon first. The current Jewish calendar is a concoction of the rabbis 1500 years ago and it does not go by the new moon but is calculated and adjusted. For instance Rosh Ha Shana this year was celebrated on the accepted Jewish calendar on September 12 but there was no new moon. How can you have a month start (Tishri 1) without a new moon? The traditions of men still invalidates the Word of God in Judaism as well as in Christianity. This festival will begin the last 1000 year period known as the Lord’s day, or day of the Lord in the very near future. Yom Kippur teaches the second coming of Yeshua to Jerusalem and the death of the false messiah. The feast of Sukkot (Tabernacles) teaches the coming Messianic Kingdom and the reign of Yeshua on earth. There is no way to go into all the details surrounding these festivals but many are virtually unaware of them, including many believers , but didn’t the Lord and the Apostle Paul say that these things would come upon many like a “thief in the night?”. If you are not aware of the prophetic implications of these festivals I would advise you to find some information about them and search out these things for yourself. That which has happened before is going to happen again, there is nothing new under the sun (Ecc 1.8-9; 3.15; Rom 15.4). If Yeshua fulfilled the spring festivals exactly as they have been rehearsing them for 1500 years, I have no reason to doubt that he will fulfill the fall festivals exactly as they are rehearsed, on the day they are celebrated. So, if these concepts are new to you then you are not being taught the things the Lord wants you to know. All the information one could possibly need about these festivals is available to anyone who wants to know.

Q. I had a discussion a week or so ago about the biblical food laws. My friend did some research with his pastor over the dietary laws and gave the fo

A. Well, let’s take them one at a time. I appreciate your question because it perfectly illustrates the false teaching out there and how God’s word has been perverted. Your friend and others who believe this have a false premise to begin with. They think that Yeshua and Paul ate pork and unclean creatures so these scriptures are interpreted to fit that false premise. Let me say again, Yeshua never ate pork, catfish, shellfish or any unclean creatures and he never taught anyone to do so either. And I’ll give two reason why. First, when his enemies were trying to find fault in him they couldn’t. If he ate the creatures or was teaching others to do so, don’t you think they would have accused him of it when they had a chance. Your friend and his pastor are accusing him of it or they would not have quoted the passage in Mark. Secondly, Peter said in Acts 10 that he never ate unclean creatures. Now, if Yeshua taught Peter he could because the “Law has been done away with” why didn’t he obey Yeshua and eat them after the Cross? Maybe Yeshua wasn’t a very good teacher and Peter didn’t get it, but I don’t think so. Or maybe Yeshua never taught it to begin with! The 1st century believers were Torah observant and were a sect of Judaism. Paul himself said in several places he never departed from the Torah (Acts 28.17; 24.14).That means they all ate kosher. Your friend and his false shepherd have a premise that is in error to begin with. No knowledgeable student of 1st century history will tell you that they disregarded the dietary laws found in the Torah. With that said I am going to approach these scriptures they gave from the premise that they were Torah observant and ate biblically kosher food. Let’s look at the first scripture briefly.



Col 2.16-17: The Colossians were living in a pagan society and were being criticized (like your friend and his pastor) for eating biblically kosher and keeping the biblical festivals. Paul is encouraging them to ignore their criticism because what they were doing meant something (obedience to God) and the festivals taught eschatology and about the end times and pointed toward Messiah (Jn 5.39-47).



Rom 14.3-8: This chapter deals with how to relate to others in the Roman synagogue which was made up of unbelieving Jews (weak ) and believing Jews and Gentiles (strong-Rom 4.19-20;10.2). This chapter deals with Jewish” halakah”(how to walk-practice)in that synagogue. Apparently non-believing Jews would not eat meat or wine from believing Gentiles in that congregation, which was the common practice in the 1st century and is the practice with some today. I know of many Jewish (unbelievers and believers) and Gentile believers in Yeshua who will not eat “common” food (not according to strict rabbinical standards) even to this day. This chapter is not about someone eating pork and others should not judge him, like your friend and pastor say. It is about the Jewish practice of not eating meat or wine from a Gentile because they thought it was “common”. Peter said as much in Acts 10.14 and God showed him in that vision, using unclean creatures to symbolize the Gentiles, that it was acceptable to accept the Gentiles who had faith in Yeshua. He still had a problem with this concept in Galatians when he withdrew from table fellowship with Gentile believers when other strict adherents to his practice came to Galatia (Gal 2.11-15). Paul is merely dealing with a related problem in Romans. He is telling them not to get upset over that issue or look with contempt towards others over food. That is their opinion (v1) and if that is what they want to do God accepts the actions of the “weak” and the “strong”. Remember they did not eat unclean creatures to begin with so can’t be the issue in Romans. We are commanded to say something when we see others doing wrong, and eating creatures that God commanded not to eat is something that should be pointed out. The issue in Romans is about kosher meat, vegetables and wine.



Mark 7.14-23: This passage is about Jewish halakah (practices) again and it plainly tells you that in v 3-5. Some believed that you had to ritually wash your hands before you ate. Jewish and non-Jewish people who follow the strict dietary laws of the Rabbis still do it today. Yeshua is saying that these regulations are man-made (v8) and that the food is clean if one eats it without ritually washing their hands according to the tradition of the elders. He is simply making a ruling on their halakah (practices) not saying that a person can eat pork or unclean creatures. If your friend and pastor think he is saying that then the messiah they have is a false messiah. Yeshua’s enemies would have pointed this fact out at his trial but remember “they found no fault in him” so he never taught that a person can eat pork, shrimp, lobster or any biblically un-kosher meat or creature.



1 Cor8.12-13: Your friend and pastor need to read the whole chapter to get what Paul is saying. The issue is eating meat sacrificed to idols. Some thought that food was “defiled” somehow if it was offered to an idol and therefore unlawful to eat(v 7). There is no divinity in idols, but one God so there is nothing that one “carries over” from a so-called idol. But, if a weak (unbeliever) sees you eating meat he knows was sacrificed to idols you may defile is conscience and encourage him to do likewise (v 10-12) and that is forbidden. It was decided in Acts 15.28 that Gentiles were not to eat meat sacrificed to idols, and that is based on the Torah in Lev 17 and 18 and that is the reason for what he is saying in this chapter.



I Tim 4.1-5: These verses are saying that many will abstain from food God already allowed us to eat. This is not saying that you can eat anything you want. The key verse to understand what food Paul is talking about is v 5. “for it (the food Paul had in mind) is set apart (to eat) by the word of God ( the acceptable creatures/unacceptable creatures list in Lev 11.1-47 and Deut 14.1-22) and prayer (blessings before and after meals).” The only word of God Paul could be talking about is the Torah and it tells you what to eat and not eat. Your friend and pastor apparently have another list.



Heb 8.6-7,9.910,10.1: Hebrews is another misunderstood book. Paul (who probably wrote it) is making the case that the Torah is a shadow (picture) of the spiritual (substance). That doesn’t mean the shadow has been done away with. If you do away with the shadow (The Torah) there is no substance. You can’t have one without the other. They both exist at the same time!. I know there is the substance (Messiah) because THERE IS a shadow! The Temple, it’s sacrifices and festivals (shadow) was valid. The scriptures never taught they took away sin. The 1st century believers went to the Temple daily. Paul offered animal sacrifices 30 years after Y eshua and after he wrote the book of Galatians (Acts 21.15-26; 24.14-18). Hebrews was written to Jewish believers ( that’s why it’s called Hebrews) who were being taught that the Temple services were abolished when Yeshua came (early Ebionites) or that the Temple and the priesthood should be rejected because it was corrupt (Essenes), which basically what your friend and pastor believe. There was also teaching that Yeshua should be rejected altogether. Paul is validating the Temple and the services ( the book is written in the context of Yom Kippur) and was advising them not to forsake them (10.19-25) and to not forsake Yeshua (10.25-39) despite all the pressure and persecution they were experiencing and to think about all the suffering Yeshua went through to relieve the pressure to encourage themselves (12.1-17). This book is written in the present tense in Greek so he is talking about how the Temple and the priesthood is a valid, present day(1st century) picture of spiritual things that should not be neglected. This book does not and never did teach that the Torah was done away with because the guy that wrote it went out of his way to attend the festivals at the Temple (Acts 20.16), offered animal sacrifices, paid for others to do animal sacrifices( Acts 21.24) and kept the commandments( Acts 28.17) and taught others to do the same (1Cor 11.1-2). No doubt your friend and or his pastor will say Paul did this because of Jewish pressure and he was “all things to all men.” But, Paul said himself that he came to Jerusalem to offer animal sacrifices and give alms( Acts 24.17). Secondly if Paul was weak and compromised the truth he shouldn’t be trusted. There is no way your friend and his pastor can justify their beliefs. If your friend and pastor believe that Yeshua did away with all this, Yeshua himself doesn’t believe it because when he returns he builds another Temple, institutes a priesthood and the sacrificial system (yes, animals!) and celebrates the festivals in the Messianic Kingdom (Isa 66.18-24; and read the last 9 chapters of Ezekiel, Zech 14.16-21).



Your friend is “blind” and his pastor is “a blind leader of the blind” and I would caution you not to “toy around” with false prophets and the teaching that tells you that the “law has been done away with” when it comes to keeping the Sabbath and the festivals and eating un-kosher meats/creatures until you are ready to defend the faith once delivered to the saints (Jude 3). I do want to commend you, however, on having the insight to question their doctrine- keep it up!