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Passover Picture from the BBC

PASSOVER
( Now celebrated as communion )

"When I see the blood, I will pass over you"

The Passover occurred on the 430th anniversary of the promise the Lord God gave to Abraham. "I will make you a great nation. I will bless you and make your name great and you shall be a blessing" Genesis 12:2 & Exodus 12:41.

This feast originated on the night when the angel of the Lord passed over the land of Egypt. Due to Pharaoh's "hardened heart" the firstborn sons were slain. This sad event occurred immediately prior to the children of Israel leaving their bondage under the leadership of Moshe (Moses). A male lamb, without spot or blemish was killed on the 13th of Nisan (the eve of Passover, "the day of preparation.") The lamb had to be "roasted." This had to be completed prior to the Passover evening as no work is permitted on the Passover, being a Sabbath. The lamb was brought into the house 4 days before. Not one bone in its body was broken. The lamb was roasted with fire, then eaten with bitter herbs. What was left was burnt. The blood of the lamb was to be painted on the doorposts and the lintels. This blood covering spared Israel from the final plague against Egypt. (Exodus 12:21-28). The sacrificial lamb represents the Lord Jesus "our Passover sacrificed for us". (1Corinthians 5:7). The Roman soldiers broke the legs of the two thieves, but they found Jesus had died already thus none of His bones were broken. (John 19:32-33)

The Blood (of the lamb without spot and blemish) had to be shed to be a refuge against physical and spiritual death. Why do we need protection? The Scriptures contain the answer, "For there is not a just man on earth who does good and does not sin" Ecclesiastes 7:20."The soul who sins shall die" Ezekiel 18:20. All sinners must die … "for the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Messiah ,Jesus our Lord" (Romans 6:23). Jesus the Lamb of God is our Refuge, as John the Baptist said."Behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!" John 1:29.

"Therefore remember that you, once Gentiles in the flesh, who are called uncircumcision by what is called the circumcision, made in the flesh by hands. That at that time you were without the Messiah, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel and strangers from the covenants of promise. Having no hope and without God in the world. Now, in Messiah Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of the Messiah. For He Himself is our peace, who has made both one, and has broken down the middle wall of separation. Having abolished in His flesh the enmity, that is, the law of commandments contained in ordinances, so as to create in Himself one new man from the two, thus making peace and that He might reconcile them both to God in one body through the cross" Ephesians 2:11-1... by Rueben ben Gershom

 

 JESUS' LAST SUPPER MENU

Matsah - Bread made without yeast or leaven

Red Wine-One cup of wine sanctifies the table ot the start. A second cup of wine is served during the telling of the Exodus story.

Bitter Herbs - Horseradish

Vinegar or Salt Water - Representing tears for the sufferings of the Egyptians

Charoseth - A mixture of almonds, raisins, apples and other foods used as a spread for the Matsah

Main course

Roast Lamb

Vegetables in Season

Olive Oil - for the sop

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THE WINE

By Bill Morford

The Lord made four promises to the children of Israel they are represented by four cups of red wine, the symbol of covenant. The four promises are: "Therefore say to the people of Israel, I am the Lord, and I will bring you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians, and I will deliver you out of their bondage, and I will redeem you with a outstretched arm, and with great judgements; And I will take you to me for a people, and I will be to you a God; and you shall know that I am the Lord your God, who brings you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians". Exodus 6:6-7

THE FIRST CUP, "I will bring you" represents leaving home, leaving status quo, heading into the unknown. This was the children of Israel leaving their uncomfortable comfort zone, the way people come into the born-again experience of salvation.

THE SECOND CUP, "I will deliver" represents the end of bondage, for the children of Israel this was the end of slavery. For us this is the end of the bondage of sin, pride , sickness and all the other bondages satan has at his command.

THE THIRD CUP, "I will redeem" represents the crossing of the Red Sea by the children of Israel. For us this is our intimacy with the Lord. Redemption speaks of intimacy . "And it shall be at that day says the Lord, that you shall call me 'My husband' and shall no more call me 'My master'." Hosea 2:18

THE FOURTH CUP, "I will take" is the cup of Elijah, which is not drunk, but is poured for Elijah to drink as he comes to herald the Messiah. This is the cup Jesus drank in Luke 22:20 when He said, "This is the New covenant in My blood, which is being poured out for you."

JESUS IS OUR PASSOVER

Many of the religious people who were gathered in Jerusalem for the Feast of Passover actually participated in the trial, crucifixion and the death of Jesus, the Lamb of God. Jesus became our Passover on Good Friday, Passover Day, at 3:00 PM when the Temple lambs were being slain for the evening sacrifice.

Passover is a one-day feast, which occurs on the 14th of Nisan (March/April) and Unleavened Bread being an eight-day feast commencing the next day on the 15th of Nisan. However, Israel does eat the unleavened bread on the first night of Passover, The bread was unleavened because of the great rush to leave Egypt. On 13 Nisan, the day prior Passover, known as the "day of Preparation", each household searches the home for products which contain leaven and removes it. Each home is cleaned throughout and all cutlery and dishes are scolded in boiling water, to ensure not one single crumb of leaven remains in the home. The Passover meal is called "the Seder." The Seder table is beautifully decorated and features the following items.... The Festival Candles... Three Matzah's placed in one pile, each separated by linen inside a ceremonial decorative bag.

The Festival Lights. At the commencement of Passover, the mother of the household lights the two festival candles and says the appropriate blessings. She in prayer introduces each feast to the household, as she does each week, on the eve of the Sabbath. It is also significant to note that the lady of the household lights the candles. Matzah is always baked on a "griddle", which causes the bread to have stripes, "By His stripes we were healed" (Isaiah 53:3). As it is a crisp-bread, it is pierced with a sharp instrument in order it will not bubble and explode. "They shall look on Him whom they pierced" (Zech 12:10 & John 19:37). Matzah is the perfect picture of God the Son.

On the table, is a stack of three Matzahs. Each cake of Matzah is separated by a sheet of linen and is placed inside a decorative ceremonial bag. Early in the meal, the father removes a cake of Matzah. Not the top or bottom Matzah, but it has to be the middle Matzah. He then breaks it in two and wraps the larger part of this broken Matzah in a white linen napkin which is then hidden somewhere in the room under a pillow. This broken Matzah is returned to the table towards the end of the meal.In the removal of that middle Matzah, we see a picture of the Lord Jesus, who left the Father and came to earth, to "dwell" with us. In the breaking of the Matzah in half, we see His death. Then as the broken bread is wrapped in white linen, we see His burial robe. It is then placed under a pillow somewhere in the room, reminding us of the Tomb.

During the Seder meal the son asked, "Why is this night different from all other nights?" Then later he and the younger children went to retrieve the Afikomen. We can almost hear Jesus replying to the boy's question, "it is because I came!"As the child lifts the pillow, he or she is like an angel of God rolling away that stone from the Garden Tomb, and from it appears the risen Lord Jesus. The Afikomen, is unwrapped and removed, but the linen cloth is left, signifying the burial cloth left in the empty tomb. As it arrives back on the table, the restored Matzah is broken into smaller pieces and is shared with all present. Then after the blessing, the following is said (in Hebrew), "Take eat, this is the bread of affliction, do this in memory of what the Lord God has done for us." All eat the Afikomen together, in memory of God's goodness in delivering Israel out of Egypt. Immediately after eating all partake of the third cup of wine, "the Cup of Redemption!"

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THE 10 PLAGUES OF EGYPT

SORROW WAS EXPRESSED OVER THE LOSSES OF THE EGYPTIANS

Blood (Exodus 7:19-20) The Nile river, the longest in the known world was worshipped, so God turned it into blood and all life in it died.	Boils (Exodus 9:8-9) God gave them boils, even their magicians had them, showing their powerlessness.
Frogs (Exodus 8:1-15) Heka, their goddess of intelligence, was represented by a frog, so God put them knee deep in frogs everywhere.	Hail (Exodus 9:23-25) Horus, the falcon sky god, was defeated as God destroyed their crops with great hail mixed with fire.
Lice (Exodus 8:16-21) The one thing Egypt's magicians could not produce was lice, so lice covered the people and their animals.	Locusts (Exodus 10:12-15) The locusts ravaged whatever the hail left.
Beasts (Exodus 8:24) The god Set. represented by a crocodile, had its own temples and priests, so God sent them wild beasts.	Darkness (Exodus 10:22-23) Ra, the hawk sun god, was defeated by three days of total darkness that could be felt.
Plague (Exodus 9:1-6) Their chief god was Apis, a bull, and they worshipped Osiris, a goat, and Isis, a cow, so God killed the cattle with a plague.	Death (Exodus 12:29) God's judgement upon His enemies is always "in kind". Just as the Egyptians would have had all the Hebrew sons killed, so God killed their firstborn sons on the first Passover

Passover Haggadah

Recipe : Matsah (Unleavened Bread)

 1 / 2 cup virgin olive oil, 1 cup water, 2 cups Kosher flower, 4 eggs, 6 packets of sugar or equal

 Bring the water to a boil then mix in the flower. Add the oil and 4 eggs, then add the sugar. Stir up real good. Pour onto a cookie sheet. Cook for about 40 minutes or until golden brown, Preheat stove to 350.

Passover Night in Shechem (Sychar)

The Samaritans seperated from Temple practices after Solomon's Kingdom was divided and thus were uneffected by the destruction of the Temple in 70 A.D.. Their practice of Passover has continued for thousands of years unto this day.

The Feasts of Israel

A Study in Symbolic Prophecy

 

"Let no one act as your judge in regard to food or drink or in respect to a festival or a new moon or a Sabbath day things which are a mere shadow of what is to come; but the substance belongs to Christ." Colossians 2:16-17

This statement by the Apostle Paul refers to the Jewish Feasts as a "mere shadow" of things to come, the substance of them being found in Yeshua, the Messiah. What Paul is saying here is that the feasts were prophetic types, or symbols, that pointed to the Messiah and which would be fulfilled in Him. ... Before we pursue that point to see how the feasts were fulfilled in Jesus, let's first of all familiarize ourselves with the feasts.

Origin and Timing of the Feasts

The feasts were a part of the Mosaic Law that was given to the Children of Israel by God through Moses (Exodus 12; 23:14-17; Leviticus 23; Numbers 28 & 29; and Deuteronomy 16). The Jewish nation was commanded by God to celebrate seven feasts over a seven month period of time, beginning in the spring of the year and continuing through the fall.You will find the timing and sequence of three of these feasts illustrated on the chart below.

As you study the chart, notice that the feasts fall into three clusters. The first three feasts Passover, Unleavened Bread, and First Fruits occur in rapid succession in the spring of the year over a period of eight days. They came to be referred to collectively as "Passover."

The fourth feast, Harvest, occurs fifty days later at the beginning of the summer. By New Testament times this feast had come to be known by its Greek name, Pentecost, a word meaning fifty.

The last three feasts Trumpets, Atonement, and Tabernacles extend over a period of twenty-one days in the fall of the year. They came to be known collectively as "Tabernacles."

The Nature of the Feasts

Some of the feasts were related primarily to the agricultural cycle. The feast of First Fruits was a time for the presentation to God of the first fruits of the barley harvest. The feast of Harvest was a celebration of the wheat harvest. And the feast of Tabernacles was in part a time of thanksgiving for the harvest of olives, dates, and figs.

Most of the feasts were related to past historical events. Passover, of course, celebrated the salvation the Jews experienced when the angel of death passed over the Jewish houses that were marked with the blood of a lamb. Unleavened Bread was a reminder of the swift departure from Egypt so swift that they had no time to put leaven into their bread.

Although the feasts of Harvest and Tabernacles were related to the agricultural cycle, they both had historical significance as well. The Jews believed that it was on the feast day of Harvest that God gave the Law to Moses on Mt. Sinai. And Tabernacles was a yearly reminder of God's protective care as the Children of Israel tabernacled in the wilderness for forty years.

The Spiritual Significance of the Feasts

All the feasts were related to the spiritual life of the people. Passover served as a reminder that there is no atonement for sin apart from the shedding of blood. Unleavened Bread was a reminder of God's call on their lives to be a people set apart to holiness. Leaven was a symbol of sin. They were to be unleavened that is, holy before the nations as a witness of God.

The feast of First Fruits was a call to consider their priorities, to make certain they were putting God first in their lives. Harvest was a reminder that God is the source of all blessings.

The solemn assembly day of Trumpets was a reminder of the need for constant, ongoing repentance. The Day of Atonement was also a solemn assembly day a day of rest and introspection. It was a reminder of God's promise to send a Messiah whose blood would cover the demands of the Law with the mercy of God.

In sharp contrast to Trumpets and Atonement, Tabernacles was a joyous celebration of God's faithfulness, even when the Children of Israel were unfaithful.

The Prophetic Significance of the Feasts

What the Jewish people did not seem to realize is that all of the feasts were also symbolic types. In other words, they were prophetic in nature, each one pointing in a unique way to some aspect of the life and work of the promised Messiah.

1) Passover - Pointed to the Messiah as our passover lamb whose blood would be shed for our sins. Jesus was crucified on the day of preparation for the Passover, at the same time that the lambs were being slaughtered for the Passover meal that evening.

2) Unleavened Bread - Pointed to the Messiah's sinless life, making Him the perfect sacrifice for our sins. Jesus' body was in the grave during the first days of this feast, like a kernel of wheat planted and waiting to burst forth as the bread of life.

3) First Fruits - Pointed to the Messiah's resurrection as the first fruits of the righteous. Jesus was resurrected on this very day, which is one of the reasons that Paul refers to him in I Corinthians 15:20 as the "first fruits from the dead."

4) Harvest or Pentecost - (Called Shavuot today.) Pointed to the great harvest of souls, both Jew and Gentile, that would come into the kingdom of God during the Church Age. The Church was actually established on this day when the Messiah poured out the Holy Spirit and 3,000 souls responded to Peter's first proclamation of the Gospel.

The long interval of three months between Harvest and Trumpets pointed to the current Church Age, a period of time that was kept as a mystery to the Hebrew prophets in Old Testament times.

That leaves us with the three fall feasts which are yet to be fulfilled in the life and work of the Messiah. Because Jesus literally fulfilled the first four feasts and did so on the actual feast days, I think it is safe to assume that the last three will also be fulfilled and that their fulfillment will occur on the actual feast days. We cannot be certain how they will be fulfilled, but my guess is that they most likely have the following prophetic implications:

5) Trumpets - (Called Rosh Hashana today.)

6) Atonement - (Called Yom Kippur today.) Points to the day of the Second Coming of Jesus when He will return to earth. That will be the day of atonement for the Jewish remnant when they "look upon Him whom they have pierced," repent of their sins, and receive Him as their Messiah (Zechariah 12:10 and Romans 11:1-6, 25-36).

7) Tabernacles - (Called Sukkot today.) Points to the Lord's promise that He will once again tabernacle with His people when He returns to reign over all the world from Jerusalem (Micah 4:1-7).

The Week of Millenniums

One final note about the feasts. Six of them the first six are related to man's sin and struggle to exist. The last feast, Tabernacles, is related to rest. It is the most joyous feast of the year. It looks to the past in celebration of God's faithfulness in the wilderness. It looks to the present in celebration of the completion of the hard labor of the agricultural cycle. And it looks to the future in celebration of God's promise to return to this earth and provide the world with rest in the form of peace, righteousness and justice

The seven feasts thus parallel what I call the "rhythm of God" that was established during the week of creation namely, six days of work followed by one day of rest. This rhythm is repeated over and over in the Scriptures, as illustrated in the chart below.

A Summary of the Weeks of Scripture

The Week	Length	Description	Scripture
1) Week of Days	7 days	God's basic pattern. Six days of toil followed by a Sabbath day of rest.	Genesis 1:31 - 2:3 Exodus 31:12-17
2) Week of Weeks	49 days	The period of time between the feast of First Fruits and the feast of Pentecost.	Deuteronomy 16:9-12 Leviticus 23:15-16
3) Week of Months	7 months	The seven months of the Jewis religious calender which contain all seven of the Jewish feasts.	Deuteronomy 16 Leviticus 23
4) Week Years	7 years	The Israelites were commanded to work the land for six years and then give the land a sabbath rest every seventh year.	Leviticus 25:1-7
5) Week of Weeks of Years	49 years	The period of time between each celebration of the Year of Jubilee.	Leviticus 25:8-17
6) Week of Decades	70 years	The life span alotted to Man.	Psalm 90:10
7) Week of Weeks of Decades	490 years	The period of time revealed to Daniel during which God will work through the Jews to fulfill His purposes in history.	Daniel 9:24-27

Because God's division of time into sevens, or weeks, so thoroughly permeates the Scriptures, the Jewish Rabbis concluded before the time of Jesus that human history would extend over a "Week of Millenniums," or for a period of 7,000 years.

According to the view most frequently expressed in the Talmud, there would be 6,000 years of human toil and strife followed by 1,000 years of peace. This Millennial Sabbath would be the period of the Messianic kingdom during which time the Messiah would reign in person over all the world from Jerusalem (Isaiah 24:21-23).

In other words, the Jews had concluded long before the book of Revelation was written that the Lord's reign on earth would last a thousand years. Revelation 20 confirmed this deduction by stating six times that the reign would last a thousand years.

The concept of the Millennium in the book of Revelation is therefore nothing new. The concept is rooted in the creation week of Genesis. It is reaffirmed in the week of feasts of Israel six feasts related to sin and toil leading up to a sabbath feast of rest.

We are near the end of the 6,000 years which the Jewish Rabbis believed would usher in the Millennial kingdom. We are standing on the threshold of the Sabbath Millennium. Yeshua is coming soon!

Why the Jewish Feasts
Move Around on the Calendar

One of the first things you will probably notice when studying any chart of the Jewish Feasts is that they do not fall on specified dates according to the Gregorian calendar that is used in the Western world. The reason is that the Gregorian calendar (adopted in 1582 during the reign of Pope Gregory XIII) is a solar one that is related to the earth's revolution around the sun. The Jews, in contrast, use a modified lunar calendar, or what might be called a lunar/solar calendar.

A year on the Gregorian calendar runs 365 days. But since it takes approximately 365¨ days for the earth to make a complete circle around the sun, an extra day is added in February every four years, making a Leap Year of 366 days.

The Jewish calendar is based upon the movement of the moon around the earth. A full circle takes about 29´ days. Thus, twelve of these lunar months add up to 354 days in a year. So, a solar year is 11¨ days longer than a lunar year.

If the Jews followed a strict lunar calendar, as the Muslims do, the feasts would migrate completely around the calendar (as the Muslim feast of Ramadan does.) But the Jews could not tolerate this since three of their feasts are related directly to the agricultural cycle. Therefore, they devised a method of modifying their lunar calendar to bring it in line with the solar year. They did this by adding an extra month of 29 days about every three years (7 times in 19 years). This month is called the intercalary month.

That's the reason that the feast of Passover, for example, can occur in either March or April. The feast migrates backward on the Gregorian calendar for three years and then is propelled forward 29 days when the intercalary month is added. Passover always falls on Nisan 14 on the Jewish calendar, but that date moves around on the Gregorian calendar as illustrated below.

Dates of Passover
1992-1995

Year	Jewish Date	Gregorian Date
1992 1993 1994 (Intercalary month added) 1995	Nisan 14 Nisan 14 Nisan 14 (Intercalary month added) Nisan 14	Sunday, April 17 Monday, April 6 Saturday, March 26 (Intercalary month added) Sunday, April 14

In 1997 an intercalary month will be added. Without it, Passover would fall on the evening of March 23rd. But with the month added (March 10 - April 7), Passover falls on the evening of April 21st.

Another difference between the calendars that should be noted is that the Gregorian day begins at midnight and runs until the next midnight. The Jewish day begins at sundown (approximately 6:00pm) and runs until the next day's sundown. The Passover meal is celebrated at the beginning of Nisan 14, which would be in the evening.

"Let no one act as your judge in regard to food or drink or in respect to a festival or a new moon or a Sabbath day things which are a mere shadow of what is to come; but the substance belongs to Christ." Colossians 2:16-17

The Apostle Paul refers to the Jewish Feasts as a "mere shadow" of things to come, the substance of them being found in Jesus, the feasts were prophetic types, or symbols, which were fulfilled by Jesus

John the Baptist Born on Passover

First, we need to establish the date of the birth of John the Baptist, who preceded Jesus by six months. This is provided through the cycle of duties of the priests in the Temple and through knowing the "course" of service under which Zacharias, the father of John the Baptist, served.

" So it was, that while he was serving as priest before God in the order of his division, according to the custom of the priesthood, his lot fell to burn incense when he went into the temple of the Lord. And the whole multitude of the people was praying outside at the hour of incense. Then an angel of the Lord appeared to him, standing on the right side of the altar of incense. And when Zacharias saw him, he was troubled, and fear fell upon him. But the angel said to him, "Do not be afraid, Zacharias, for your prayer is heard; and your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you shall call his name John. (Luke 1:8-13)

"And so it was, as soon as the days of his service were completed, that he departed to his own house. Now after those days (of his Temple service) his wife Elizabeth conceived (in June) ; and she hid herself five months, saying, "Thus the Lord has dealt with me, in the days when He looked on me, to take away my reproach among people.

The Bible tells us clearly that Elizabeth, conceived immediately after Zacharias returned home from his priestly service. Luke 1:5 also states that Zacharias was a priest of the "course of Abijah." 1 Chronicles 24 divides the priestly families into 24 groups or "courses." 1Chronicles 24:10 designates the "eighth course" as that of Abijah. Zacharias finished his first period of duty about the middle of June (Sivan) at the season of Pentecost. Because of his unbelief, God struck him dumb. Nevertheless, he went home to his wife and she became pregnant. Count off 40 weeks, the usual period of gestation, and we get to the Feast of Passover the following year which begins on the 14th of April, and lasting for eight days. John the Baptist having been born at Passover coincides with the Jewish expectation that Elijah would come at Passover It has always been custom to put an extra cup of wine on the table at Passover in the hope that Elijah will come and drink it.

Jesus is Conceived on the Feast of Hanukkah

Now in the sixth month (of Elizabeth's pregnancy) or December during the Feast of Hanukkah, which is celebrated for eight days. Hanukkah is also called the Festival of Lights, ( Jesus is the Light of the World.) the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth, to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. The virgin's name was Mary. (Luke 1:23-27) So in late December the angel Gabriel appeared to Mary in Nazareth and announced that she was to be the mother of Jesus the Messiah. From this annunciation we get the first part of the song, "Ave Maria" or "Hail Mary".

"And the angel said unto her, Fear not Mary: for thou hast found favor with God..And, behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name Jesus. ..He shall be great and shall be called the Son of the Highest: and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David...And he shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end." Luke 1:30-33

Mary accepts the word of the angel concerning the conception of Jesus the Messiah in her, and after her marriage to Joseph she journeys from Nazareth to Hebron the home of Elisabeth and Zachariah in the Judean mountains about a three days journey from Nazareth. Mary was probably going there to celebrate Hanukkah and to help Elisabeth with her pregnancy, as well as to tell Elisabeth about the angel's visitation. Upon Mary's greeting Elisabeth responds, calling her "the mother of my Lord". This demonstrates that Mary was already pregnant with Jesus. Thus, Jesus was conceived at Hanukkah,

Jesus is shown celebrating Hanukkah in John 10:22,23. It is at this celebration that He declares "I and My Father are One" [John 10:30], which testifies to His Divine origin in His conception. It also reinforces Hanukkah as the time of His conception. Historically, then, it is more accurate to celebrate Jesus entering the world through conception rather than to celebrate His birth at Christmas,.in that it falls approximately at the time of year when Jesus was conceived by the Holy Spirit.)

Mary stayed with Elisabeth for three months, which was until the birth of John the Baptist.. Since a full pregnancy term is 41 weeks, and 27 weeks makes up the first six months (two trimesters), which is exactly the time from the priestly discourse of Abijah to Hanukkah, that leaves 14 weeks to accomplish the last trimester and bring the pregnancy to full term. There are exactly 14 weeks from Hanukkah to Passover. Therefore, John the Baptist was born at Passover. He was circumcised on the eighth day, which would be the last day of Passover/Feast of Unleavened Bread. John would "go forth" in the strength and power of Elijah [Luke 1:17]. Jewish teaching was that Elijah would come again at Passover (this is still a tradition of Judaism today). parts from David M. Hargis

Jesus is Born on the Feast of Tabernacles

April, when John was born, is the first month of the Hebrew year. Mary conceived six months after Elisabeth conceived, which means Jesus' birth would have to come six months after John's birth, during the seventh Hebrew month of Tishri. Since we know that John was born at Passover/Feast of Unleavened Bread, we learn the time of Yeshua's birth by counting six Hebrew months from Passover. The Feast of Unleavened Bread begins on Nisan 15 and six months later the Feast of Tabernacles begins on Tishri 15. Therefore, Jesus was born on the first day of the Feast of Tabernacles..

A decree of the Roman Emperor Caesar Augustus caused Mary and Joseph to make the difficult trip southeast to cross over the Jordan River and follow its western banks down to Jericho and across the Jordan again and climb up the steep winding path to Jerusalem, turning south to Bethlehem, the city of King David's birth. This massive annual visitation to Jerusalem during the Feast of Tabernacles was the logical time for Herod to impose his census and tax. It is important to note that the Hanukkah season, which coincides with the traditional December 25th birthdate for Jesus does not make such a demand for the sons of Israel to journey to Jerusalem, and would have been a very impractical time to collect a tax and to count the population. It is most likely the date of the Angel Gabriel's visit and the Conception of Mary.

The first day of Tabernacles is a Sabbath rest, so it fits that Joseph and Mary planned their journey to Bethlehem so they would finish their journey before the festival Sabbath. They found lodging just in time. Evidently, God intended the entire Feast of Tabernacles to be set aside in order to celebrate Jesus's birth. God provided two holy feasts that lasted eight days, Passover/Unleavened Bread and the Feast of Tabernacles. John the Baptist, the forerunner of Jesus, was born and circumcised in the eight days of the first, then six month later Jesus, the Messiah, was born and circumcised the eight days of the second. John came in the first month of the year and Jesus came in the seventh month. In ministry, John introduced the way through Messiah and then Jesus perfected it, even as the first and seventh months signify.

 Jesus was born about 4 or 5 B.C. in the Year of Rome 749 and the Year of the World 3970 at the season when other Passover Lambs were born ..... . Herod the Great (who gave the order to kill all children of Bethlehem two years old and under) died on the 13th of March 4 B.C. (about 18 months after the birth of Jesus.) .... The actual birth year of Jesus was 4 or 5 B.C. due to an error in the 6th century when the Roman monk and astronomer Dionysis Exeguus, reformed the calendar to pivot around he birth of Christ. He dated the Nativity 753 years from the founding of Rome calculated to the date King Herod died. But Dionysis miscalculated because Herod died 749 years after the founding of Rome in 4 BC. Christ was born a year or two before Herod died.

 

Bethlehem was prophecied by Micah [5:2] to be the birthplace of the Messiah. Justin Martyr A.D. 100- 167 first recorded that the site of the Nativity was a cave. The nearby Inn of Chimham [Jer.41:17] has been the starting point for caravans to Egypt from ancient times and there are numerous caves nearby that have been used as stables. Bethlehem, meaning "house of bread" is 2700 feet above sea level and located five and one half miles southwest of Jerusalem . Salma,the son of Caleb was the "father of Bethlehem" [1Chr 2:51]. Ruth married Boaz, David's great grandfather in Bethlehem [Ruth 1:2] King David was born here.

The Hebrew calendar is kept updated to this modern day, and every year the Feast of Tabernacles (Sukkot) is absolutely set from Tishri 15 to Tishri 22. Because the Hebrew calendar is based on the course of the Moon (Lunar) and the modern calendar is based on the course of the Sun (Solar), the two move in relation to each other. This means the Feast of Tabernacles will always occur somewhere between mid-September and mid-October, but not on the exact same Gregorian calendar dates every year. For instance, in 1995 the Feast of Tabernacles was October 9-October 17, but in 1996 the Feast of Tabernacles was September 28-October 5. While this is initially confusing to the unlearned mind, a combination Gregorian/Hebraic calendar will easily clarify how the dates relate. Many local funeral homes provide free Hebrew calendars each year showing the modern dates for the holy Feast Days (ask for a Jewish calendar).

It may help you to understand the seeming movement of Jesus' birthday by looking at your own birthday. Even though your birthday might keep the same number year after year, the day of the week it falls on changes. In like manner, Jesus" birthday is on the same Hebraic calendar number each year, Tishri 15, but in relation to the Gregorian calendar it changes. However, you can plan for His birthday to always occur sometime between the latter part of September and the early part of October.

The Feast of Tabernacles is a most important comemoration. Zechariah 14:16,17 tells us that one day all nations will be required by law to honor this feast. For what greater reason, than it is the birthday of the King of Kings!

It was the Feast of Tabernacles in October and the Temple Shepherds were watching their flocks of Passover Lambs born to be offered as a sacrifice for sin. It was at this time and in this very place that Jesus the Messiah was born.

Daniel's prophecy in Chapter 9 verse 25 establishes the birth date of Jesus as follows: 483 years (69 weeks of years) was the period from the Dedication of the Great Temple at Jerusalem By Ezra in October 458 B.C. until Jesus was anointed the Messiah at His baptism by John in October of A.D. 25. Then backing up thirty years ( according to Jewish Law and Custom, Jesus could not teach until age thirty ) we come to October again, the actual date of His birth.

Jesus was circumcised on the eighth day, Simhat Torah - the "great day" of the Feast of Tabernacles. The circumcision would have occurred on Simhat Torah as life is counted as beginning when a male child survives to the day of circumcision eight days after his birth, at which time he formally receives his name.

The Feast, known as Simchat Torah, commonly thought of as part of Tabernacles, occurs on the eighth day of the Feast of Tabernacles. (It was celebrated Friday October 5 2007 ) The Festival of Tabernacles begins on Tishri 15, the fifth day after Yom Kippur. It is a drastic transition, from one of the most solemn holidays in the year to one that is so joyful that it is commonly referred to as the Season of our Rejoicing.

Tabernacles is the last of the three required pilgrimage festivals. Like Passover and Pentecost, Tabernacles has a dual significance: historical and agricultural. Historically, Tabernacles commemorates the forty-year period during which the children of Israel were wandering in the desert, living in temporary shelters. Agriculturally, Tabernacles is also a harvest festival and is sometimes referred to as the Festival of Ingathering.

Tabernacles lasts for seven days. The two Feasts following the festival are Shemini Atzeret and Simchat Torah. These festivals are "compacted" into a single eighth day. called The Last Day - the 8th day of the Feast of Tabernacles. These holidays but are commonly thought of as part of Tabernacles. Simchat Torah means "Rejoicing in the Torah or the Law of the Lord" The holiday marks the completion of the annual cycle of weekly Torah readings. Each week in synagogue a few chapters from the Torah are read starting with Genesis 1 and working around to Deuteronomy 34. On Simchat Torah, the last Torah portion is read, then proceeds immediately to the first chapter of Genesis, symbolizing that the Torah is a circle, and never ends. The idea that Torah study is cyclical finds expression in the joyous ritual of dancing around and around the Torah, known as hakkafot. There are processions around the synagogue carrying Torah scrolls and plenty of high-spirited singing and dancing with the Torahs. Traditional Foods are Tasty Challah, Caribbean Fish, Spinach Salad, Roast In Apricot Sauce, Jerusalem Kugel and Strawberry Rhubarb Pie - RECIPES

Jesus is the Living Word, written upon our hearts so that we can truly dance and embrace the Truth given from God. Indeed, Jesus did not come to destroy the Torah but to fulfill it in our lives (Matthew 5:17-20).

"Behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel, and with the house of Judah: Not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day that I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt; which my covenant they brake, although I was an husband unto them, saith the LORD: But this shall be the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel; After those days, saith the LORD, I will put my law (Torah) in their inward parts, and write it (the Torah) in their hearts; and will be their God, and they shall be my people. And no longer shall each one teach his neighbor and each his brother, saying, 'Know the LORD,' for they shall all know me, from the least of them to the greatest, declares the LORD. For I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more." (Jeremiah 31:31-34)

This Old Testament idea is clearly re-affirmed in the New Testament. As Christians, then, we have the greater reason to celebrate Torah, Jesus is the Central Message of the Torah -- its inner meaning and incarnation. He is the Torah or Word made flesh (John 1:14), the faithful Mediator of the New and Better Covenant and He does what Moses and the Sinatic covenant could never do, namely, write the Torah within our inward parts and upon our hearts so that we might truly be the people of God By means of His sacrificial death, the righteous demands of Torah are fully satisfied, and the LORD is glorified as both just and merciful (i.e., the justifier of those who put their trust in Him). By means of His sacrificial suffering, we are now enabled to truly dance!

The Torah or Law is holy, just and good, but those seeking righteousness based on itís demands will discover the fact that it is powerless to impart righteousness and life. It is sin within the human heart that condemns people - The crucifixion of Jesus condemned sin in the flesh. Now the righteousness of God is imputed to those who embrace Jesus by faith. Enabled by the Holy Spirit, with the Law now written upon our hearts, we are empowered to fulfill the requirements of the law based on a new covenant relationship with God . We obtain righteousness by receiving the free gift of Jesus righteousness imputed to us through Faith

 

The water pouring ceremony of Sukkot (Feast of Tabernacles)

The Feast of Tabernacles (Harvest) includes a Water Pouring Ceremony called the Feast of the Rejoicing of the House of the Water-Pouring (Simcha Bet Ha-sho-evah). on the last day (Hoshanah Rabah, the day of the Great Hosanna) was a ceremony of messianic significance in which water drawn from the pool of Siloam was poured out from a golden vessel in the Temple at the time of the morning sacrifice.. A Priest would take a water pitcher from the pool of Siloam and would bring it back to the Temple. Crowds of people would follow him dancing and singing the Hellel, (Psalms 113-118) The highlight of this ceremony was when the Priest would pour this water at the altar of the Temple. It became known as "Simcha Bet-Ha-sho-evah" (The rejoicing of the House of Drawing Water)

Prayers were also made for good rainfall during the coming season. This Water Pouring Ceremony commemorated two things: 1. The water smitten from the rock at Sinai, Exodus 17:1-7 and 2. The coming Millennial Reign of the Messiah and the Millennial River of Living Water that flows from His throne.

"Afterward he brought me again unto the door of the house; and behold, waters issued out from under the threshold of the house eastward: for the forefront of the house stood toward the east, and the waters came down from under, from the right side of the house, at the south side of the altar. And it shall come to pass, that every thing that liveth, which moveth, withersoever the rivers shall come shall live: and there shall be a very great multitude of fish, because these waters shall come thither: for they shall be healed; and every thing shall live whither the river cometh" Ezekiel 47:1,9

The Nicanor Gate in the Court of Women

The Levites accompanied the Festival of the drawing of water with song and music. They stood on the steps leading to the gates of Nicanor to accompany the dancers. There were a dozen singers, playing nine lyres and two harps. The choir conductor held the cymbals and two trumpeters stood on either side. The children of the the singers stood at the foot of the dias. The public sometimes sang with the choir, such as Psalm 118, when the congregation chanted responsively "His mercy endures forever" The water-pouring ceremony involved three divisions of priests. The first division would slay and prepare the sacrifices. The second division went out of the Temple through the East Gate to the valley, where they dumped the ashes from the sacrifice after each Shabbot service. There, they cut down willows measuring 25 feet in length. The priests then would line up shoulder to shoulder in rows 30 feet apart holding their willows. The road back to the Temple would be filled with pilgrims waving palm branches and chanting the Hallel (Psalms 113-118). The closing words of Psalm 118 are "Ana Adonai Hoshiana'' ("Save now, I beseech thee, O Lord...Blessed be He that cometh in the name of the Lord...''). This day was known as the "Great Hosanna'', a day of prayer and great rejoicing for speedy salvation through the Messiah.

The priests would then start their return journey. When they stepped to the left, the willows would be moved to the left; when they stepped to the right, the willows would be moved to the right. Meanwhile, the third group (led by the High Priest ) exited out the Water Gate to the pool known as the Pool of Siloam (Shiloach - Pool of Gently Flowing Waters). There the High Priest drew the water known as "Living Water'' into a golden vase. His assistant carried a silver vase containing wine. As the priests with the willows marched, the High Priest and his group made their way from the pool back to their respective gates.

As they walked, the willows would make a swishing sound, like the wind. It must have sounded like a rushing wind (Spirit) approaching the city (a picture of Pentecost). A Shofar (horn) was blown as they reached their respective gates, and then a man stood up and played the flute and led the pilgrims up to Jerusalem to worship as the call went out, "Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord.'' and then sounded the call for the Ruach (Wind) and the Living Water to enter the Temple.

The priests with the willows entered the Temple and circled the Altar seven times, swishing the willows back and forth. The priests began laying their willows against the Altar, making a Succah (tabernacle). The other group of priests, those who slew the sacrifices, then ascended to the top of the Altar and laid the sacrifices on the Altar. The people gathered in the courts and the area around the Temple. The High Priest took his vase and poured it on one corner of the Altar where the horns were. There were two bowls built into the corner of the Altar, each with a hole in it. The highlight of the ceremony came when the priest dramatically poured the Living Water over the Altar of the Temple from the gold vase. The wine from the silver base was also poured out over the Altar.

After attending the ceremony for seventeen years, Jesus was now anointed as the Messiah and so it was difficult for Jesus to just sit there! At the conclusion Jesus leaped to his feet and cried out!

"In the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried saying, 'If any man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink. He that believeth on me, as the Scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow Rivers of Living Water.' (But this spake he of the Spirit, which they that believe on him should receive: for the Holy Ghost was not yet glorified.) Many of the people therfore, when they heard this saying, said, 'Of a truth this is The Prophet.'" John 7:37-40 ... The Lord used the water-pouring to picture the outpouring of the Holy Spirit upon, and the outflowing from, the believer. This was fulfilled on the Day of Pentecost.

The religious leaders, however were alarmed over this disturbance in their rituals and asked the Temple police why they did not arrest Jesus. They replied, "Never a man spoke like this Man." At the close of the 7 days another Sabbath was added...the 8th day (Numbers 29:35-40).

 

 The Ceremony of Lights

In the courtyard of the Temple stood 4 towering golden lamp towers 75 feet high. The golden bowls at the top held over 10 gallons of oil each. Each lamp had 4 ladders leading up to the lamps. Young priests would climb the up the ladders with the wicks, carrying large pitchers of olive oil to refill the lamps, something like the Olympic torch. This lamp lighting ceremony was repeated every night from the second night until the final night of the Feast of Tabernacles.... Josephus records that when the lamps were lit at sundown the light was so bright that every home in Jerusalem could see the light.

When the children of Israel came out of Egypt and bondage there was a pillar of fire each night to guide them and protect them ...Exodus 13:20.

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    Israel National News Thursday, December 23, 2004 / 11 Tevet 5765 ...

New excavations in Jerusalem's City of David, now the Arab neighborhood of Silwan, have revealed the location of the most joyous of all Temple services. A large paved assembly area and water channel, used for the festive Simhat Beit HaShoeva in the times of the Holy Temple, has been uncovered in recent days at an excavation in the City of David, next to Jerusalem's Old City.

The water channel and assembly area were integral parts of what Jewish tradition calls "the most joyous celebrations of the year." Water accumulated by the newly discovered channel was conducted to the Shiloah Pool, from which water libations brought to the Holy Temple's altar in the Holy Temple on the final day of the Sukkot Festival. The excavation was led by Eli Shukrun of the Israel Antiquities Authority and Dr. Roni Reich of the Hebrew University. The waters of the Shiloach Spring, where the High Priest would immerse himself in Temple times, were collected in the Shiloach Pool and used in purification ceremonies. .... The new discoveries add to other finds which together make it possible to see more clearly how the site looked at the time of the Second Temple. In the period immediately before the modern State of Israel, British archaeologists uncovered parts of a stepped street descending the length of the City of David from the Temple Mount to the north. The street surely led to the section of pool that has now been excavated.

 In the Millennium, when the saints occupy the Earth the breathtaking bliss of the Great Day of our Rejoicing will begin to be appreciated as each anniversary - through the endless ages of eternity - brings unspeakable joy to the ransomed host. The Great Day will have begun - never to end! ...A special invitation to this great spiritual banquet of an endless life of bliss is given to you by the Master Himself in John 7:37-39. "On the last day, the Great Day of the Feast, Jesus stood and cried, saying, If any man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink.. He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water. (But this spake he of the Spirit, which they that believe on him should receive: for the Holy Ghost was not yet given; because that Jesus was not yet glorified.)" .... The next day, (Sunday) was the day when the pilgrims would leave Jerusalem for their journey back home.