Sermon Tone Analysis

\\ | *THE FEASTS OF THE LORD* \\ \\ *And an overview of the fall feasts* |

I have been involved in leading a Messianic Congregation since 1984 and I can honestly say that every year I have become more and more convinced of how important the Feasts of the Lord are.

I learn something new and fresh about them every year.

Many believers have asked me over the years, should Christians observe these festivals.

Were they not given to the Jewish people?

I always say that as New Covenant believers we are grafted together as Jews and Gentiles into the same Olive Tree and are fellow partakers of the blessings of the Covenant.

The festivals of the Lord are part of God’s covenant blessing to His people.

\\ Over the past 1900 years Satan has deceived and deprived the Church of much of their Biblical heritage and in particular the Feasts of the Lord.

Sadly, the Church has drawn many of their traditions and customs from unholy roots and substituted them with holidays that were pagan in origin thus robbing the Church of great spiritual blessing.

This is one purpose why God is raising up Messianic Congregations in the Church today.

To be a voice.

We are a presence in the Church that is causing many Christians to feel uncomfortable.

For so long the Church has been taught that Jewish people give up their identity and heritage once they accept Jesus as their Messiah.

They are no longer Jews.

Traditionally the Church has taught that she replaced Israel in the plan and purposes of God because of their failure to recognize Jesus as their Messiah.

Throughout history it has been taught that the law , the Sabbath, the Feasts of the Lord as well as many other Jewish Biblical customs have been done away with.

But now, many in the Church are hearing that this is not so.

Prior to 1948 the Church thought that God was finished with the Jews.

But defying all odds Israel miraculously became a nation after being scattered for 2000 years.

That was 51 years ago.

Over the last 50 years the Church had to rethink much of their theology regarding Israel and the Church and in particular the Feasts of the Lord.

I trust that after I share this message with you it will open your eyes and help you to see that there is so much of Gods word that is yet to be discovered.

*I WOULD LIKE TO SHARE FIVE BASIC REASONS \\ WHY WE ARE TO OBSERVE THE FEASTS OF THE LORD:* \\ (Historic, Messianic, Prophetic, Redemptive, Instructive)

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The Feasts of the Lord are historic as they relate to Israel as a nation.

They help us to understand the historical & Hebraic roots of our faith through the nation of Israel.

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The Feasts of the Lord are Messianic in that they point to and our fulfilled in Yeshua.

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The Feasts are also Prophetic types and examples that foreshadow significant events in Gods plan of redemption.

In fact God has chosen to coincide significant events on the anniversary of these Holy Days.

They were intended to serve as a prophetic timetable and guide to future events describing Israel’s past as well as Israel and the churches future..

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The Feasts of the Lord are redemptive.

We can learn and understand the whole plan of redemption.

Each one of the feasts describes an essential part of our redemption and what man must do to appropriate God’s redemption.

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The feasts of the Lord are part of the Torah (the word Torah means instruction).

The purpose of the Torah is to instruct us and be our schoolmaster or tutor that leads us to the Messiah.

*GOD’S APPOINTED FEASTS \\ * \\ Leviticus 23 outlines the Feasts of the Lord in the exact order in which they are observed on the Jewish calendar.

\\ Moses said in Lev.

23: 1-2 “These are my appointed feasts, the appointed feasts of the Lord, which you are to proclaim as sacred assemblies.”

God said that these feasts are my appointed feasts!

Three times in Lev.

23:1-4 God emphasizes that these are my appointed Feasts.

God claims ownership of them.

This is one of the most overlooked points regarding the Feasts.

They are neither Old Testament Feasts, nor are they the Feasts of Israel or Jewish Feasts.

God says "These are My Feasts".

Israel did not establish these feasts to commemorate their achievements.

God established them as part of His covenant with Israel and with all of mankind.

Israel was the custodian, the stewards of the grace of God as Romans 9:1-5 says.

Since they are God’s appointed Feasts that means that they do have relevance for all believers not just Israel and the Jewish people.

They have a spiritual application that is intended to bring God’s people into a deeper experience of spiritual renewal and refreshing.

It is important to understand that all the Feasts we observe throughout the year are not disconnected and with no relationship to each other.

On the contrary they are all connected together by the scarlet thread of redemption.

\\ God gave us these appointed times in the season, to give us direction and focus in our spiritual lives.

In fact God’s calendar serves as a devotional tool to prioritize our time.

As we learn to live by God’s calendar it provides a spiritual guide for us through the year.

It becomes a means of spending consistent time with our Father on a weekly basis (Shabbat (incidentally is considered one of the feasts and it pre-dated Israel) as we gather together as a corporate family ) on monthly basis (Rosh Chodesh) and then on annual occasions, (seven times a year) Think of it this way.

The Lord has his own appointment book in heaven in which He schedules appointments to meet with his children.

These are His appointed times with us.

Leviticus 23 is a copy of God’s heavenly schedule.

If we approach these appointed times of sacred assembly with the right attitude, with humble, contrite and thankful hearts, we will experience anointed times of praise, worship, fellowship and seasons of refreshing.

God will reveal His presence through these special appointed times that He has chosen as He spends time with us reminding us of all that He has done for His people.

*OVERVIEW OF THE FEASTS*

Passover, Firstfruits and Pentecost are most familiar to Christians because these feasts were fulfilled in the Messiah at His first coming when the “Church age” began.

Most believers are not very knowledgeable with the fall feasts of Rosh Hashanah (Feast of Trumpets), Yom Kippur (Day of Atonement) and Sukkot (Tabernacles).

The first four feasts are interconnected; Passover, Unleavened Bread and Firstfruits occur within the same week, with Pentecost occurring fifty days later.

The Fall Feasts are interrelated, numbering ten days between Trumpets and Atonement and five days until Tabernacles.

The fall feasts follow a twenty one day cycle from beginning to end.

Just as the first Spring Feast Passover is a seven day celebration so also the final feast Tabernacles is a seven day celebration.

The seven feasts of the Lord are also progressive in nature.

Passover is a time of redemption while Sukkoth is a time of rejoicing.

Passover represented atonement for a family (Ex.

12: )Yom Kippur atonement for a nation, and the Messiah’s atonement is for all who believe both Jew and Gentile.

John 3:16

It is not enough to know that God has provided for our redemption we must appropriate it.

The Spring Feasts describe God’s provision for our redemption.

The Fall feasts describe what we must do to appropriate this redemption in our lives.

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REPENTANCE as observed on Rosh Hashanah

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ATONEMENT for sin on Yom Kippur

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REDEMPTION–The promise of rejoicing at Sukkot.

The promise of God’s abiding presence when the Holy Spirit comes in and dwells among us and seals our redemption with the Holy Spirit of promise.

The fall festivals occur during the fruit harvest and the autumn rains as the Spring festivals take place during the spring rains and the barley and wheat harvests.

The Spring Feasts begin the religious calendar , the Fall Festivals end it.

In the same way, the Spring Festivals begin what we understand the Church Age with the first coming of the Messiah; the Fall Feasts will end this age with His Second Coming.

The Spring feasts have three levels of interpretation.

A historical fulfillment for Israel, a spiritual, prophetic fulfillment in the Messiah and an ongoing spiritual experience in the Church.

However the Fall feasts are different.

The three levels of interpretation are there but they have a prophetic element that is yet to be fulfilled.

The fall feasts have an experiential fulfillment in the believer and the Church BEFORE they have a literal and PROPHETIC fulfillment in both Israel and the Body of Messiah.

Just as the Spring feasts were fulfilled to the exact day so also the fall feasts will have their literal fulfillment.

Ancient Rabbis acknowledged that although these fall festivals did have spiritual meaning to Israel, they were prophetic of future events.

According to the sages they taught that the Falls feasts have five basic themes.

The theme and mood of the fall feasts are repentance, holiness, judgement, Kingship and marriage.

The Fall feasts are all observed in the same month, the seventh month of Tishrei.

This seventh month is an overlapping month.

It is the end of the religious calendar which began at Passover thereby completing the cycle of the feasts.

It is also the beginning of the civil calendar commencing a New Year.

The seventh month is both a beginning and an ending.

\\ The Fall Feasts will have a prophetic fulfillment and will end what we call the “Church Age” and begin the “Kingdom Age” (The Millenial Kingdom) .

This transition from the Church age to the kingdom age will take place when the Messiah returns.

\\ As we approach the Fall Feasts on the prophetic calendar we will see their prophetic fulfillment unfold during these endtimes.

\\ The very mood of the fall feasts describes the type of mood that will characterize the last days.