This evening begins the Hebrew month of Iyar, which is translated “reflected light.” This month is connected to the release of revelation and healing of “God’s light” through His Son Jesus, and an intimate time to receive intel of what God is saying and doing in the earth.

“But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin. (1John 1:7).

God’s pattern in biblical history is to start with His remnant first.  Prayer and availability to hear and see what He says are key. It’s time for the remnant to arise!  So, what is God saying at this hour?  What is He doing?  What must we sow (do) that will bring in a “harvest” for the kingdom?  These are the questions God wants to answer this month.

We are in the midst of a 50-day transition that ends May 31st, as the body of Christ prepares for a new move. We are being “reintroduced “to our Covenant Keeping God.  There will come a day when Christian nations who have been “oppressed” by the “mystery of Babylon” will be delivered out of the hand of the enemy because of repentance. Then they will be reintroduced to Jehovah Rafa who will heal their land (2 Chron. 7:14). They will encounter Jehovah Jireh, the Word, made manifest on the earth to establish His Kingdom (Rev. 19:13-15). And they will see Jehovah Nissi, the Commander in Chief and His Army who defeat the enemy (Rev. 19:19).  This is that month “Jehovah” wants to make Himself known to His people first so they are assured of His covenant promises in the wake of this transition.

The similarity between the children of Israel in the wilderness before arriving to Mt. Sinai and the time Jesus made Himself known before He ascended, is this same cycle of time in the Hebrew Covenant Calendar today.  Before God’s glory pours out upon the earth in greater measure, God prepares His people to encounter His glory. 

At Mt. Sinai, the glory rested upon them  (Ex. 19:18;24:16-18). At Pentecost, a portion of the glory dwelt within the disciples through the Holy Spirit (Acts 2:4). As we are heading into the Age of Tabernacles, we will experience a greater manifestation of His glory for those who abide in His Covenant. (Rev.21:3).

The tribe of Issachar is associated with the month of Iyar. They knew the timings of the Lord for the nation.  As one of the tribes who came alongside David when he was anointed as King, the Bible says in 1 Chron. 12:22-32 of Issachar, “ and the sons of Issachar who had an understanding of the times to know what Israel must do.”  I believe there is an anointing this month to go deeper in our understanding of the times we are in and our faith in a Covenant Keeping God so we can go out into the world with greater authority and power.

The Hebrew meaning of Issachar is “bringing reward.”  It comes from the root word “nasa” and means “to lift, to advance, arise, bring forth exalt or raise up.”  What better reward can we get than to humble ourselves and seek the Lord and get the treasures of seeing and experiencing the God of Covenant!

Issachar is nestled in between the tribe of Judah and Zebulun on the east side of the Tabernacle.  These three tribes formed a branch that the Lord chose to march out first when He instructed the tribes to go.  Judah would be given the charge to praise and worship, but Issachar understood the timing with which they were to depart and go.  Zebulun then came alongside the two and had the ability to provide the supply or “business” of what needed to be done.

Issachar’s symbol was a humble donkey.  He gets this symbol through Jacob prophesying over his tribe:  “Issachar is a strong ass couching between two burdens.”  Gen. 49:14 A donkey carries the burden of a load from one place to another.  Issachar represents a strong but humble servant of God who fulfills the law of Christ spoken of in Gal. 6:2 “Bear each other’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.”

Issachar is rewarded from the Lord for serving His people, standing in the gap, and carrying their burden whether it be through prayer or practical application.  Issachar is spoken of as carrying two burdens:  one for himself and one for a “brother in need.”  Rewards for intercession as well as carrying other’s burdens that the Holy Spirit is leading us to do is priceless and brings much joy.

This Hebrew month is critical to listen and receive God’s intel for the times we are living in because the landscape has changed.  Culture, strongholds, systems have shaken.  Out of the shaking comes revelation and a triumphant people who will go forth and take dominion and reign for Christ.  But, they must understand the strategy to face the giants that stand in their way and strategy so they can step out in boldness to pioneer into new places.

As we experience, acknowledge, and understand that God is love and that love is expressed through His Covenants found throughout the ages, we gain a greater understanding of His unfailing love and His desire for us to be a part of His family. Pray God gives you His Covenant secrets so we can come closer to Him and then reflect His light!

 

 

Beginning with the Feast of Firstfruits, which is always on the first day of the week following Passover, God instructed the children of Israel to count 50 days (or 7 Sabbaths) to the time they were to celebrate the fourth Feast called the “Feast of Weeks;” or most commonly known as Pentecost.

“And you shall count for yourselves from the day after the Sabbath, from the day that your brought sheaf of the wave offering, seven Sabbaths shall be completed.   Count fifty days to the day after the seventh Sabbath; then you shall offer a new grain offering to the Lord” (Lev. 23:15,16).

These 50 days were a significant reminder of the timespan between leaving Egypt and coming to the base of Mt. Sinai (Ex. 15-19).  

“In the third month after the children of Israel had gone out of the land of Egypt, on the same day, they came to the Wilderness of Sinai”(Ex. 19:1).

Years later in the New Testament, this same 50 day Feast blueprint corresponded to the time frame when Jesus visited His disciples after He was raised from the dead:  

“Now it came to pass, as He sat at the table with them, that He took bread, blessed it and broke it, and gave it to them.  Then their eyes were opened and they knew Him; and He vanished from their sight’ (Luke 24:30,31).

On the 50th day in the Old Testament, God revealed Himself by fire after speaking to the people His proposal of marriage to the Israelites:

“And Moses brought the people out of the camp to meet with God and they stood at the foot of the mountain.  Now Mount Sinai was completely in smoke because the Lord descended upon it in fire. It’s smoke ascended like the smoke of a furnace, and the whole mountain quaked greatly”(Ex. 19:17,18).

On the 50th day in the New Testament, the disciples were gathered together in the “upper room” when the Holy Spirit came upon them like fire:

“And suddenly there came a sound from heaven, as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting.  Then there appeared to them divided tongues, as of fire, and one sat upon each other them” (Acts 2:2-4).

Within the 50 day blueprint, God chose to “court” the Hebrews in the Wilderness by revealing His love through His provision and protection, meeting their needs and kindling their faith in Him, even while they were complaining.

In the New Testament, Jesus revealed Himself to the disciples intimately after His resurrection, showing them His hands and feet; eating, sharing, and encouraging the disciples He loved.  

So how did God reveal Himself to the Hebrews in the 50-day wilderness journey to Mount Sinai that was reflective of Christ Himself, coming in the flesh to restore that bond of love?  

One of the first ways God revealed Himself is when He performed a miracle by turning bitter waters sweet:

“So Moses cried out to the Lord, and the Lord showed him a tree.  When he cast it into the waters, the waters were made sweet” (Ex. 15:25).

In addition, God released water in the desert:

“Then they came to Elim, where there were twelve wells of water and seventy palm trees, so they camped there by the waters” (Ex. 15:27).

Jesus would later reveal Himself in this pattern through the New Covenant.  Those who were thirsty for truth and believed in Him would receive His living water. Christians would then have the ability to use that life flow to reach out to others with God’s love.

“And let him who thirsts come. Whoever desires, let him take the water of life freely”(Rev. 22:17).

After God provided water in the Wilderness, the Israelites soon complained about being hungry. God revealed Himself again through the supernatural unleavened manna:

“Then the Lord said to Moses, ‘Behold, I will rain bread from heaven for you.  And the people shall go out and gather a certain quota every day, that I may test them, whether they will walk in MY law or not.”

This bread that fell from the sky, known as “manna,” would be the tool God would use to introduce the Sabbath rest, prophesying of Jesus, the Lord of the Sabbath, whom by His sacrifice, would provide rest for all creation in heaven and earth through reconciliation with the Father.

“Then Moses said, ‘Eat that today, for today is a Sabbath to the Lord; today you will not find it in the field.  Six days you shall gather it, but on the seventh day, the Sabbath, there will be none” (Ex. 16:25,26).

Jesus would later declare that He was the Lord of the Sabbath (Luke 6:5), and that He was our provision, telling us He was the “bread of life” for those who believed in Him:

“I am the living bread which came down from heaven.  If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever, and the bread that I shall give is My flesh, which I shall give for the life of the world” (John 6:51).

The third time God revealed Himself intimately in the midst of the 50-day wilderness journey was when He provided protection and strength when the Amalekites were attacking the Israelites.

“Now Amalek came and fought with Israel in Rephidim.  And Moses said to Joshua, ‘Choose us some men and go out, fight with Amalek.  Tomorrow I will stand on the top of the hill with the rod of God in my hand…….So Joshua defeated Amalek and his people with the edge of the sword” (Ex. 17:8,9,13).

Jesus would conquer Satan through His death and resurrection, taking dominion over the enemy permanently, and giving us the ability to have dominion over the enemy as well:

“And what is the exceeding greatness of His power toward us who believe, according to the working of His might power, which He worked in Christ when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places, far above all principality and power and might and dominion” (Eph. 1:19-21).

Jesus perfected the pattern “…which are a shadow of things to come, but the substance is of Christ” (Col 2:17).

As we can see through the whole wilderness experience and the New Testament disciples, the people God chose lost heart and complained, even after experiencing God’s miracles.  And yet, God continued to choose them.   If we know Christ, He chose us as well, not because of our faithfulness, but because He loves us, flaws and all.  As we begin to recognize how Christ IS the substance of these Feast blueprints, our hearts are moved to set aside time to give thanks and to honor our Savior.

“You did not choose Me, but I chose you, and appointed you that you should go and bear fruits, and that your fruit” (John 15:16).W

Beginning with the Feast of Firstfruits, which is always on the first day of the week following Passover, God instructed the children of Israel to count 50 days (or 7 Sabbaths) to the time they were to celebrate the fourth Feast called the “Feast of Weeks;” or most commonly known as Pentecost.

“And you shall count for yourselves from the day after the Sabbath, from the day that your brought sheaf of the wave offering, seven Sabbaths shall be completed.   Count fifty days to the day after the seventh Sabbath; then you shall offer a new grain offering to the Lord” (Lev. 23:15,16).

These 50 days were a significant reminder of the timespan between leaving Egypt and coming to the base of Mt. Sinai (Ex. 15-19).  

“In the third month after the children of Israel had gone out of the land of Egypt, on the same day, they came to the Wilderness of Sinai”(Ex. 19:1).

Years later in the New Testament, this same 50 day Feast blueprint corresponded to the time frame when Jesus visited His disciples after He was raised from the dead:  

“Now it came to pass, as He sat at the table with them, that He took bread, blessed it and broke it, and gave it to them.  Then their eyes were opened and they knew Him; and He vanished from their sight’ (Luke 24:30,31).

On the 50th day in the Old Testament, God revealed Himself by fire after speaking to the people His proposal of marriage to the Israelites:

“And Moses brought the people out of the camp to meet with God and they stood at the foot of the mountain.  Now Mount Sinai was completely in smoke because the Lord descended upon it in fire. It’s smoke ascended like the smoke of a furnace, and the whole mountain quaked greatly”(Ex. 19:17,18).

On the 50th day in the New Testament, the disciples were gathered together in the “upper room” when the Holy Spirit came upon them like fire:

“And suddenly there came a sound from heaven, as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting.  Then there appeared to them divided tongues, as of fire, and one sat upon each other them” (Acts 2:2-4).

Within the 50 day blueprint, God chose to “court” the Hebrews in the Wilderness by revealing His love through His provision and protection, meeting their needs and kindling their faith in Him, even while they were complaining.

In the New Testament, Jesus revealed Himself to the disciples intimately after His resurrection, showing them His hands and feet; eating, sharing, and encouraging the disciples He loved.  

So how did God reveal Himself to the Hebrews in the 50-day wilderness journey to Mount Sinai that was reflective of Christ Himself, coming in the flesh to restore that bond of love?  

One of the first ways God revealed Himself is when He performed a miracle by turning bitter waters sweet:

“So Moses cried out to the Lord, and the Lord showed him a tree.  When he cast it into the waters, the waters were made sweet” (Ex. 15:25).

In addition, God released water in the desert:

“Then they came to Elim, where there were twelve wells of water and seventy palm trees, so they camped there by the waters” (Ex. 15:27).

Jesus would later reveal Himself in this pattern through the New Covenant.  Those who were thirsty for truth and believed in Him would receive His living water. Christians would then have the ability to use that life flow to reach out to others with God’s love.

“And let him who thirsts come. Whoever desires, let him take the water of life freely”(Rev. 22:17).

After God provided water in the Wilderness, the Israelites soon complained about being hungry. God revealed Himself again through the supernatural unleavened manna:

“Then the Lord said to Moses, ‘Behold, I will rain bread from heaven for you.  And the people shall go out and gather a certain quota every day, that I may test them, whether they will walk in MY law or not.”

This bread that fell from the sky, known as “manna,” would be the tool God would use to introduce the Sabbath rest, prophesying of Jesus, the Lord of the Sabbath, whom by His sacrifice, would provide rest for all creation in heaven and earth through reconciliation with the Father.

“Then Moses said, ‘Eat that today, for today is a Sabbath to the Lord; today you will not find it in the field.  Six days you shall gather it, but on the seventh day, the Sabbath, there will be none” (Ex. 16:25,26).

Jesus would later declare that He was the Lord of the Sabbath (Luke 6:5), and that He was our provision, telling us He was the “bread of life” for those who believed in Him:

“I am the living bread which came down from heaven.  If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever, and the bread that I shall give is My flesh, which I shall give for the life of the world” (John 6:51).

The third time God revealed Himself intimately in the midst of the 50-day wilderness journey was when He provided protection and strength when the Amalekites were attacking the Israelites.

“Now Amalek came and fought with Israel in Rephidim.  And Moses said to Joshua, ‘Choose us some men and go out, fight with Amalek.  Tomorrow I will stand on the top of the hill with the rod of God in my hand…….So Joshua defeated Amalek and his people with the edge of the sword” (Ex. 17:8,9,13).

Jesus would conquer Satan through His death and resurrection, taking dominion over the enemy permanently, and giving us the ability to have dominion over the enemy as well:

“And what is the exceeding greatness of His power toward us who believe, according to the working of His might power, which He worked in Christ when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places, far above all principality and power and might and dominion” (Eph. 1:19-21).

Jesus perfected the pattern “…which are a shadow of things to come, but the substance is of Christ” (Col 2:17).

As we can see through the whole wilderness experience and the New Testament disciples, the people God chose lost heart and complained, even after experiencing God’s miracles.  And yet, God continued to choose them.   If we know Christ, He chose us as well, not because of our faithfulness, but because He loves us, flaws and all.  As we begin to recognize how Christ IS the substance of these Feast blueprints, our hearts are moved to set aside time to give thanks and to honor our Savior.

“You did not choose Me, but I chose you, and appointed you that you should go and bear fruits, and that your fruit” (John 15:16).

After Passover was celebrated, and the Feast of Unleavened Bread commenced, the children of Israel were instructed to celebrate the third Feast to “set apart” provision in the Lord’s honor.  This was the Feast of Firstfruits and was celebrated on the day after the weekly Sabbath following Passover (which was the FIRST day, meaning Sunday) of the week.

The Feast of Unleavened Bread, which was a weeklong celebration, was still in progress while this third Feast was executed. 

The Feast of Unleavened Bread prophesied to the world that Jesus was the “Bread of Life” as His sinless (unleavened) sacrifice would connect us to the source of life:

“I am the living bread which came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever; and the bread that I shall give is My flesh, which I shall give for the life of the world.” (John 6:51)

However, in order to make way for a harvest (Christians) to become like Him, Jesus had to die as a sinless sacrifice, take the keys of Hades (overcome death because He had no “leaven” in Him) and rise and present Himself as a “firstfruits offering” to the Father. 

“Most assuredly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the ground and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it produces much grain” (John 12:24).

The resurrection of Jesus was amazing.  But it had to go through the “set apart” process of becoming “holy and acceptable to the Father.”  This completion process happened on the Feast of Firstfruits.

“For if the firstfruit is holy, the lump is also holy; and if the root is holy, so are the branches” (Romans 11:16).

The Gospel of John verifies this timing and fulfillment of the Feast of Firstfruits.  After three days and nights since the crucifixion of Christ, Mary visited the tomb early Sunday morning while it was STILL DARK.  Mary discovered the tomb open and empty, and began weeping.  Two angels appeared and said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping?”  Mary answered that she didn’t know where Jesus was, and when she turned to speak, Jesus was standing there but she didn’t recognize Him.  When she heard His voice, she knew it was Jesus, but He commanded her this:

“Do not cling to ME, for I have not yet ascended to My Father; but go to My brethren and say to them, ‘I am ascending to My Father and your Father, and to My God and your God'”(John 20:17). 

The reason Jesus had not yet ascended is that He was waiting to offer Himself up to the Father at the EXACT time the Firstfruits Offering was offered up by the High Priest to fulfill the Feast blueprint (Lev. 23:11).  

“But now Christ is risen from the dead and has become the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep” (1 Cor. 15:20).

Later that evening, when He appeared to the disciples, Jesus showed them His hands and feet, ate and drank, and allowed Thomas to touch him.  He could do this now because He had already presented Himself as the “firstfruits” offering, crowned High Priest and King, and transformed into His glorified body.

Now Jesus could ascend and descend from heaven to earth to be seen by many witnesses, which He continued to do so for 40 days.  Afterward, He ascended until the next SET TIME.  But between now and then, Jesus would send us a helper, a “firstfruits” deposit of His glory, to comfort us.

“But each one in his own order: Christ the firstfruits, afterward those who are Christ’s at His coming” (1Cor. 15:23).

 

 

 

 

Passover and the beginning of the Feast of Unleavened Bread basically happen in succession, which makes it a bit difficult to discern between the two, but I will attempt to do so very simply.  Passover begins at twilight on the 14th day of Nisan (sundown).  And since the next Hebrew day begins after sundown, the Feast of Unleavened Bread commences after Passover at the beginning of the 15th day of Nisan.  Literally, one rolls into the next.

Both Passover and the Feast of Unleavened Bread were established as a blueprint to remember how God delivered the children of Israel from the hand of Pharaoh and the death plague.  And because of the rapid exit that the children of Israel made out of Egypt, they didn’t have any time to allow the bread to go through the leavening process.

The Feast of Unleavened Bread was a week-long Feast (Lev. 23: 6). The first day and seventh day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread were considered “High Holy Days, or also referred to as “Sabbaths.” These “Sabbaths” were similar to a weekly Sabbath in that all the children of Israel were to cease from work and rest.  But the “High Holy Days” were specific to the Sabbaths of the Feast days:

“Therefore, because it was the Preparation Day, that the bodies should not remain on the cross on the Sabbath (for that Sabbath was a high day), the Jews asked Pilate that their legs might be broken and that they might be taken away” (John 19:31).

Most Christians would read these New Testament scriptures and never know there is a difference between the Sabbaths.  But understanding the distinction helps to break down the truth of the events that happened when Jesus fulfilled scriptures and became the sacrificial Passover lamb.

Christ, Himself knew when it was His time to begin His ministry, and when it was His time to go to the cross.  This is why Jesus went willingly when the Roman soldiers came to take him away.  However, what is so amazing is that the Father Himself had to orchestrate the rest of the events to line up with the blueprint of prophecy and the dress rehearsal of the Feasts. Jesus could do nothing to help fix the outcome because he wasn’t able.

For example, the law said that the Passover lamb used was not to have any bones broken (Ex. 12:46; Num. 9:12; Ps. 34:20).  Most of the time, a Roman soldier would break the legs of someone being crucified because they would try to use their legs to get air. Without the help of their legs, they would die of suffocation.  This happened to the two thieves who were crucified next to Jesus.  They both had their legs broken (John 19:30-37).  But when they came to Jesus, He was already dead, so there was no need.  Instead, they pierced his side, which allowed the blood and water to spill out.

In thinking about the Feast of Unleavened Bread, I am in awe of a few more things.  First, it is impossible to be righteous without Christ, which most of us understand and is why we ask Jesus to be our Savior.  Jesus Himself had to rely on the Father’s help to perfect prophecy concerning His birth, death, and resurrection.  God worked miracles through time, weather, circumstances, as well as moving on the hearts of men.

Secondly, it is equally impossible to be a “perfect” Christian.  If you have ever tried to edit a book or made sure a room was germ-free or cleaned your house, you know how hard it is to get it completely free of dirt, errors, or invaders.  Getting rid of the leaven in our lives as Christians are all a part of the journey of “sanctification.”

Even though Jesus covers our sins, the wages of sin (death) has not been removed from our bodies as of yet.  We can rest knowing that JESUS was without ANY leaven.  HE alone is perfection.  And in Him, we can abide in His perfection.  But it takes time for our soul to understand this truth.  And it will take Jesus coming back until we get bodies that have NO death in them but are a reflection of His glory.

“Your glorying is not good.  Do you not know that a little leaven leavens the whole lump?  Therefore, purge out the old leaven, that you may be a new lump since you truly are unleavened.  For indeed Christ our Passover was sacrificed for us.  Therefore, let us keep the feast, not with old leaven, nor with the leaven of malice and wickedness, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth” (1 Cor. 5:6-8).

The greatest difference between the Old and New Covenant is this:  In the Old Covenant, man was trying to work at meeting the requirements of Covenant with God.  But in the New Covenant, man rests in the knowledge that the requirements of Covenant will be performed and perfected by God Himself.  The Old Covenant places trust in man’s effort.  The New Covenant places trust in God’s finished work.  When we get to the place in our hearts that we can rest in that knowledge, we have removed the “leaven” from our hearts and are “abiding in Christ alone.”

“I am the vine, you are the branches.  He who abides in Me, and I in Him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing” (John 15:5).

 

Passover 2018 and 2019 happened to fall on the same day as Good Friday, which I believe was not a coincidence since God is helping the body of Christ see the significance of these Feasts.  

Many Christians really aren’t aware that Good Friday and Easter were dates that the Catholic Church created as their “holy days” to honor Christ.  Through the adoption of Good Friday and Easter into our Christian culture, the body of Christ lost all connection to the Feasts calendar God established to honor His Son.

The problem of “changing God’s time and law” isn’t new since Christ came (Dan.7:25).  In the Old Testament, it most notably happened after the reign of King Solomon when the Israelites split into two kingdoms (families). Ten of the tribes of Israel formed the House of Israel and removed themselves from Solomon’s son’s reign. But out of fear that the people would go to Jerusalem to celebrate the Feasts and not return, the leader of the ten tribes, Jeroboam, decided to change the Feasts times, laws, and place of worship (1 Kings 12:26-33).

“So, he made offerings on the altar which he had made at Bethel on the fifteenth day of the eighth month, in the month he had devised in his own heart” (1 Kings 12:33).

This change opened up the door for iniquitous roots to plague the House of Israel in years to come, and which is why most of the kings who ruled the House of Israel were wicked and rebellious towards God (1 &2 Kings).  

However, the House of Judah, who remained in Jerusalem, had times in history they didn’t follow the Feasts Calendar as well.  We know this because when you read the story about King Hezekiah in 2 Chron. 29-31, the worship and celebration of the Feasts were restored.

“The king appointed a portion of his possessions for the burnt offering; for the morning and evening burnt offerings; the burnt offerings for the Sabbaths, and the New Moons, and the set feasts as it is written in the Law of the Lord” (2Chron. 31:3).

Because King Hezekiah restored honoring God’s Covenant calendar and what was right in His law, the people were healed (2 Chron. 30:20).  In addition, unity, prosperity and protection were given to them by the Lord, and Hezekiah’s leadership kept Jerusalem safe against the Assyrian army.

Unfortunately, subsequent kings of the House of Judah didn’t follow the integrity of King Hezekiah’s leadership in honoring God’s laws.  Eventually, God’s judgment came forth because they didn’t honor the Sabbaths, and the House of Judah was taken captive by the Babylonian army.

“And those who escaped from the sword he carried away to Babylon, where they became servants to him and his sons until the rule of the kingdom of Persia, to fulfill the word of the Lord by the mouth of Jeremiah, until the land had enjoyed her Sabbaths.  As long as she lay desolate, she kept Sabbath, to fulfill seventy years” (2 Chron. 36:20,21; Lev. 26: 34-43).

After serving out their 70 years of captivity in Babylon, the Judeans (Jews) were able to return to the Promised Land and rebuild the temple in Jerusalem.  Led by Ezra the High Priest and Nehemiah, the Jews were given an opportunity to start again.

Ezra was used by God to “awaken” the remnant to God’s truth by sharing the Law.  The construction of the temple had just finished, and after hearing about God’s “Holy Days” found in the pattern of the Feasts, the Jews chose to celebrate the Passover:

“And the descendants of the captivity kept the Passover on the fourteenth day of the first month.  For the priests of the Levites had purified themselves; all of them were ritually clean.  

And they slaughtered the Passover lambs for all the descendants of the captivity, for their brethren the priests, and for themselves.  Then the children of Israel who had returned from captivity ate together will all who had separated themselves from the filth of the nations of the land in order to seek the Lord God of Israel.  

And they kept the Feast of Unleavened Bread, seven days with joy; for the Lord made them joyful and turned the heart of the king of Assyria toward them, to strengthen their hands in the work of the house of God, the God of Israel” (Ezra 6:19-22).

Ezra directed the Jews back to honoring the Feasts, which resulted in joy and gladness amongst the people.  Even Nehemiah goes into detail in chapter 8 on how they celebrated the Feast of Tabernacles according to the blueprint of the law, which hadn’t been done since the days of Joshua!

Unfortunately, because God’s people chose not to separate themselves from the idolatrous culture, the people reverted back to their lawless ways.  Ezra was beside himself since they had just come out of the 70-year bondage.  He pleaded with the people to separate themselves for God’s service since they had been given a second chance:

“Since the days of our fathers to this day we have been very guilt, and of our iniquities we, our kings, and our priests have delivered into the hand of the kings of the lands, to the sword, to captivity, to plunder, and to humiliation, as it is this day.

“And now for a little while grace has been shown from the Lord our God, to leave us a remnant to escape, and to give us a peg in His holy place, that our God may enlighten our eyes and give us a measure of revival in our bondage” (Ezra 9:7,8).

The people responded to Ezra’s plea, but the idolatrous culture kept pulling them away again. 

In addition, between the 400 years from Ezra to when Jesus arrived on the scene, the Judean leaders began creating their own “holy” book of rules called the “Talmud.” Regulations were added even with celebrating these Feasts.  But many of these traditions weren’t written by the Lord, but by men themselves, and the heart and purpose of why God established the Feast blueprint became more of a ritual.

“These people draw near to Me with their mouth, and honor Me with their lips, but their heart is far from Me.  And in vain they worship Me, teaching as doctrines the commandments of men” (Matt. 15:8,9).

Regardless of the religious practices that the Jews added, at least they followed the Feasts.  Even Paul the Apostle made sure he didn’t miss a Feast.  All of Paul’s missionary work was targeted to adhere to the Feast schedule because he understood the importance of honoring those Feast times.  But the Feasts needed a New Covenant revelation of why and how they were to be celebrated.  In addition, they were not to be pegged to an “earthly Jerusalem” any longer.

Since believers are the “temple of God” (2 Cor. 6:16), there was no need to have to go to the temple in Jerusalem to worship the Lord.

Ironically, the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 A.D. would actually help “cut off” having to go to Jerusalem to honor the Feasts, as well as the “traditions” that were created. 

There are many reasons why the Church at large has not embraced the Feasts as a part of their “Holy” Calendar for the past 2,000 years, but in general, they are the same reasons we have just outlined from the past. Patterns of sin repeat themselves, and this pattern of getting God’s people away from honoring God’s Calendar has been on Satan’s radar for centuries, so it must have some intrinsic value to the redemption plan of God.

Today, I believe that God is awakening the body of Christ to the heart of His “Holy” calendar.  This will give the body of Christ what Ezra and the people experienced,” a measure of revival in our bondage,” which will ultimately lead to healing and joy for the Church at large.

And how about the timing today?  Israel just celebrated their 70 anniversary as a nation.  This is a completion of time of looking to the Old Jerusalem and its man-made temple constructed under the Old Covenant as a pattern of the shadow of things to come.  NOW is the time for our eyes to adjust and shift to a NEW Jerusalem; a temple not made of hands.  Israel may try to build a third temple, but the Lord will not allow for it to stand because He has already made way for a better plan.

“Then I, John, saw the holy city, NEW Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. (Rev. 21:2).

Time is the one common denominator that the entire world is on the same blueprint.  We are all accountable to our days, months and years to the time-established universal.  But for those Christians who God has put a desire to be a part of the redemption plan and building His Kingdom here on the earth, we need to honor God’s time so we can sync into His plan.

“They shall keep My laws and My statutes in all My appointed meetings, and they shall hallow My Sabbaths” (Ez.44:24).

The Feasts give us the corporate pattern of how we become what God prophesies about, “The New Jerusalem.” That alone should get every Christian interested in discovering the value of the Feasts.

 

 

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