Yom Teruah
Genesis 21:1- 34; Numbers 29:1- 6
1 Samuel 1:1- 2:10
1Thessalonians 4:13-18

Days of Promise

In just a few short days we will enter into the Fall Festivals. It is a season which will bring many varied thoughts and emotions as we celebrate these wonderful appointed times. Just what are these days all about? How should we approach them so as to draw their full meaning? Let me take them one by one, and then pull them together at the end.

Yom Teruah - This is a day with multiple meaning. It is the "Day of the Sounding of the Shofar." It is also known as "The Day of Remembrance." Modern day Judaism has changed its name to mean the "Head of the Year," but we can clearly see from scripture that this is a departure from its original meaning and one which has brought confusion and more to the Jewish community.

Tradition holds that it was on this day that Isaac the son of promise was born. It is a day that Elohim proves that nothing is too difficult for Him and that when He speaks, His promises are true no matter what the circumstances of life may seem. We also see this as a day to remember the family we are adopted into and the great promises which are coming true before our eyes to bring this family from the corners of the earth back to the home of our promise. Hearing the shofar on this day should awaken every true believer to the hope and confidence of a God who has and will keep every promise He has made.

Yom Kippur - To many Yom Kippur almost seems out of place in the Fall Festivals. It is a day to spend in reflection and examination. During this 24 hour period we are to put down the games we play with sin and come clean, not only with our Creator but also with each other. Some may say this should be done on a daily basis and the truth is it should be, but for most of us it is not done. It is a day to "make it right" and do everything within our power to live at peace with those around us. It is a day of sorrow, for we understand that Yom Kippur speaks of a judgment yet to come.

There will be a day in the future when those who have not received Yeshua will stand on their own before YHVH to give an account for the deeds of their lives. On that day there will be no scale of good deeds vs bad deeds. It will be a day of mourning like no other and a day in which destiny is sealed. There will be no second chance. For those who have placed their trust in Yeshua, it is a day to be thankful of the forgiveness that is ours, but also to remember that forgiveness is not a license to turn our backs on Torah and live in whatever manner we desire.

Sukkot - If you look forward to camping out for eight days no matter what climate you live in; you just might be a Torah observant believer in Yeshua!

It is true, for many of us Sukkot is the time we live for. Bunnies and trees with lights, stars and presents we did not really want have given way to the greatest celebration of all, The Feast of Tabernacles. Many of us spend our whole year planning for this event. But what are these days all about? Is it the family reunion with people you like that we enjoy so much? Is it the waiting in line to use a porta-potty or take a cold shower? Is it just a good excuse for a vacation with like-minded people? In some strange way we could answer yes to even the cold shower, but Sukkot is so much more.

The days of Sukkot are made special because of Him. It is a time we put aside the cares of this world and look to a Kingdom which is rapidly approaching. These are days we practice for a Kingdom we do not fully comprehend. Sukkot is literally a taste of a thousand year Kingdom to come and the eternity it will usher in.

Sukkot is not so much about what is happening today, but what will happen soon. It is about the "Back of the Book" coming to pass. Sukkot is about the restoration of all things and His presence forever reigning not only in us, but with us. Sukkot for a believer is the culmination of all our hopes and dreams.

As you know, I believe these days of the Fall Feasts will mark great change on planet earth. I believe we will one day look back to these days and see that they began the final ticks of the clock called prophecy fulfilled. Do not go into these days with an attitude that it is just another vacation to play and see old friends. Treat these days as what they are intended to be. These are appointed times for the earth. They are times that in the end will separate sheep from goats, sheep from wolves.

It is my prayer for each of you that these days will be filled with His presence in your life. May you see His promises unfold personally with each day of the season.