Moedim

(The Appointed Times)/ Feast Days

Most believers fear the appointed times because they don’t understand, or it is looked at by most as the “Jewish holidays”. However, according to the scriptures we understand that this statement is not “truth”. Moedim are called the appointed times of the L-RD in the scriptures as they are seen in Leviticus 23:4-22 . These days are an essential part of believers worship unto G-D because the days are a reflection of who HE is, what HE has done, and is doing. It is important to our growth because interwoven in every appointed time is the revelation of G-D through HIS Son, Yeshua. This means that Yeshua is the revelation and the fullness of the appointed times. He is the picture of how and why G-D delivered us, made us free, and caused us to be fruitful. Most of the appointed times is centered around harvesting and bringing forth fruit. If there is no fruit or harvest, then there cannot be any offering of worship. This is why we are commanded to remember and celebrate because symbolically we are the harvest and our lives then becomes the fruit that is offered to G-d through Yeshua. For instance, Pesach finds its importance in the life of a believer because it is the commemoration and celebration of being brought out of Egypt (bondage/the things that has enslaved us in the world) into the promise (the Kingdom). According to Exodus 12:1-2 Adonai says to Moshe that Pesach shall be the beginning of months and the first of the year for them. This is significant because the season is opened with Moshe recognizing that G-d is the deliverer of Israel. This should be commemorated and celebrated with joy knowing that HE is the G-d that rescues one from bondage. As a result of this season, Yeshua now is the blood that is smeared on the doorpost of our heart. This is symbolic to the lambs blood being smeared on the doorpost of the houses of Israel protecting them from death and the judgment that was about to come upon Egypt. Likewise, Yeshua is the Passover lamb that gave His body and blood all to deliver us from the slavery and the power of sin and death. Pesach is the commemoration and celebration of Adonai sending HIS own Son as the lamb that would take away the sins of the world John 1:29. As the biblical new year, the season is opened up as G-d being a nations deliverer and then the worlds Salvation.

Pesach (Passover)

Passover- Pesach (Lev 23:4-5, Ex 12:1-4) Pesach finds its importance in the life of a believer because it is the commemoration and celebration of being brought out of Egypt (bondage/the things that has enslaved us in the world) into the promise (the Kingdom). According to Exodus 12:1-2 Adonai says to Moshe that Pesach shall be the beginning of months and the first of the year for them. This is significant because the season is opened with Moshe recognizing that G-d is the deliverer of Israel. This should be commemorated and celebrated with joy knowing that HE is the G-d that rescues one from bondage. As a result of this season, Yeshua now is the blood that is smeared on the doorpost of our heart. This is symbolic to the lambs blood being smeared on the doorpost of the houses of Israel protecting them from death and the judgment that was about to come upon Egypt. Likewise, Yeshua is the Passover lamb that gave His body and blood all to deliver us from the slavery and the power of sin and death. Pesach is the commemoration and celebration of Adonai sending HIS own Son as the lamb that would take away the sins of the world John 1:29. As the biblical new year, the season is opened up as G-d being a nations deliverer and then the worlds Salvation.

Chag HaMatzot (Unleavened Bread)

Unleavened Bread is a joyous occasion for believers to celebrate as it is the season commemorated as having all leaven removed from our lives because of Yeshua being the Lamb that delivered. Practically, celebrating this feast day, we would do a deep house cleaning that purges the house of any leavening items including household, cleansing, and oral hygiene products. Spiritually, this is symbolic of what G-D has done to the hearts of men through His Son Yeshua. The sacrifice of His Son purges the sin out of mankind. The leaven (hametz) is the sin and mankind’s life became the dough that carried the leaven that needed to be removed. Customary this day would be celebrated for seven days without eating any leaven with the first day being a Sabbath day of rest and the last day of Unleavened Bread being a Sabbath day of rest. This symbolically testifies to every believer the importance of keeping their houses (hearts) free of any leaven (Leviticus 23:6-8, Ex 12:15-20). Messiah, Yeshua is the house of bread that is free of all leaven and as we eat, our lives and hearts become the living substance of the life that Yeshua is.

Shavuot (Feast of Weeks)

Shavuot is a season that reflects and is a picture of redemption. It is celebrated fifty days after Pasach (Passover). It was customary to bring the grain that was collected for fifty days to the priest as the new grain was presented as a first fruit unto G-d. We can see this same process through the death, burial, and resurrection of Yeshua. He is the grain that died in the ground John 12:24 29 and when His FATHER raised Him up, He became the first fruit presented to G-d as an offering. Now it was customary for Israel to be counting omer (sheaf/new grain) the day after the Sabbath of Unleavened Bread for 49 days. Then on the fifth day Israel would present all of what was collected over those 49 days and present the new grain to the priest as a first fruit offering. Messiah is the first grain offering unto the L-RD, we see Him presenting Himself as alive for 40 days in Israel which is during the same time of counting omer Acts 1:3 and Matthew 27:52-53. As the scripture says, if the first piece of the dough is holy then the lump is also holy. Those that have been risen from the dead with Yeshua are the new lump, producing the fruit of HIS Spirit without having leaven in the flesh.

Yom Teruah (Feast of Trumpets)

Yom Teruah is a season that should be joyous for all believers in Messiah as it is a day of remembering all what G-D has done. Its commemoration is seen through being instructed to blow our trumpets Leviticus 23:23-25. Teruah means great shout. This is parallel to our lives being the vessels (trumpets) that remembers and releases the sound of what G-D has done and is doing. During this season we are reminded that it is G-d has gone before us and has caused and will cause us to be victorious in every area in our lives. It’s having the testimony of knowing that nothing and no one is greater than G-d Numbers 23:19-23!

Yom Kippur (Day of Atonement)

Yom Kippur commemorates for a believers rejoicing about how G-d has provided a sacrifice sufficient enough to cover and remove the sins of mankind. There was no longer a need for the sacrifices of goats, bulls or lambs. Yeshua became and is the sufficient sacrifice. Yom Kippur is celebrated by fasting for one day and being able to reflect on those things of the soul that maybe causing a lapse in our life growing in the ways of the L-RD’s ways. This day celebrates bringing affliction to the soul by confessing, acknowledging sins and repenting. Due to G-D’S atonement of sin through Yeshua, we are able to ascend into the Holy Place without having any accusations in our lives.

Sukkot ( Feast of Tabernacles)

Feast of Booths or Tabernacles-Sukkot (Lev 23:33-43, Neh 8:14-17) Sukkot is known as “Feast of Tabernacles” which is a week-long celebration of the fall harvest. This is a time when booths are built to remember how the Hebrew people lived as G-d cared for them during the forty years in the wilderness. This feast is a feast of rejoicing reminding us of G-d’s faithfulness and protection. Isaiah 49:6 reads, “I will also make you a light to the nations, so my salvation can spread to the ends of the earth.” On the last day of Sukkot people would carry torches and march around the Temple then put the lights around the wall of the Temple, indicating that Messiah would be a light to the Gentiles. A priest would also carry water from the pool of Siloam to the Temple symbolizing that when Messiah comes the whole earth will know G-d “as the waters cover the sea” (Isaiah 11:9). This is one of the three feasts that all men appear before the presence of Adonai where He chooses with an offering; none can come empty handed.

Hanukkah (Feast of Dedication)

Feast of Dedication- Hanukkah (John 10:22) Hanukkah is the Jewish word for “dedication” and is also known as the Feast of Dedication or “Festival of Lights.” It celebrates the Maccabees’ victory over the Greeks and the rededication of the Temple in 165 BC. This celebration centers on the lighting of a menorah, or candlestick. Every night the center candle called the shammash, or servant candle, is used to light one candle starting from left to right each night until all are lit. During the cleansing of the Temple the supply of oil to relight the eternal flame, which was a symbol of G-d’s presence that was in the Temple, was only enough for one day. But a great miracle happened, the flame burned for the eight days necessary to purify new oil. This should be a reminder that in the time of persecution for righteousness that G-d remains faithful; that His protection is upon us. We should not lose faith or become faint in the time of distress but know that He is with us. Adonai not only freed the children of Israel out of bondage or freed His people from the oppression of Antiochus Epiphanes but from sin and death. As sons of G-d we do not have to abide in sin which leads to death but in His righteousness, His perfection. This should not be a time that we compromise with the world or what the world is doing, but we should remain in what the Lord has commanded and that is to keep the days that He have called Holy from generation to generation and not the tradition of men (Mark 7:8).