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GOD'S  ANNUAL  HOLY  DAYS
IN  PROPHECY



annual, yearly

Seven Annual Holy Days

holy days




God established 7 annual holy days in the Old Covenant. These were
days of commanded rest.


It is hardly surprising that when the shadow meaning of these days
is considered that we gain an overall perspective into the plan of
God.


   First Month (meaning - 'chief month')

1) 1st day Feast of Unleavened Bread  - Departure from Egypt

2) 7th day Feast of Unleavened Bread  - Old Covenant Established


   Third Month

3) Feast of Weeks                     - Giving of the Holy Spirit


   Seventh Month

4) Day of Trumpets                    - Spiritual Witness

5) Day of Atonement                   - Satan thrown out of Heaven

6) 1st day Feast of Tabernacles       - Departure from 'Jerusalem'

7) Last Day                           - Kingdom of God



1ST DAY OF THE FEAST OF UNLEAVENED BREAD


The first holy day, on this Jewish calendar, was observed on the
15th day of the first month. This being the first day of the Feast
of Unleavened Bread.

    Lev   23:5   On the fourteenth day of the first month ...
            :6   And on the fifteenth day of the same month is
                 the Feast of Unleavened Bread to the LORD; seven
                 days you must eat unleavened bread.
            :7   On the first day you shall have a holy convocation
                 (assembly); you shall do no customary work on it.


On this day the congregation of the children of Israel began their
departure from Egypt.

    Num   33:2   Now Moses wrote down the starting points of their
                 journeys ...
            :3   They departed from Rameses in the first month,
                 on the fifteenth day of the first month; ...
                 the children of Israel went out with boldness
                 in the sight of all the Egyptians.


This day memorialized the start of the Exodus of the children of
Israel from Egypt. It was observed on the same date that they began
their journey out of Egypt.

  [ NB: The Exodus of the children of Israel from Egypt,
        particularly the Red Sea crossing, was in effect
        the event which marked the birth of the nation of
        Israel. God describes this nation as, "My son,
        My firstborn". Exodus 4:22.

        With the birth of this 'firstborn', the plan of
        God began to unfold. ]


7TH DAY OF THE FEAST OF UNLEAVENED BREAD


The second holy day is the 7th, and last, day of the Feast of
Unleavened Bread.

    Exod  12:15  Seven days you shall eat unleavened bread. ...
            :16  On the first day there shall be a holy convocation,
                 and on the seventh day there shall be a holy
                 convocation for you. No manner of work shall be
                 done on them; but that which everyone must eat; ...


This yearly holy day was the last of seven days in which the
Israelites ate unleavened bread.

    Exod  12:39  And they baked unleavened cakes of the dough which
                 they had brought out of Egypt; for it was not
                 leavened, because they were driven out of Egypt ...

           13:7  Unleavened bread shall be eaten seven days. ...
             :8  And you shall tell your son in that day, saying,
                 "This is done because of what the LORD did for me
                 when I came up from Egypt".



This day was also the day the children of Israel celebrated a feast
to God.

    Exod   3:18  The LORD God of the Hebrews has met with us; and
                 now, please, let us go three days' journey into the
                 wilderness, that we may sacrifice to the LORD our
                 God.


The Israelites had travelled three days from Rameses (Num 33:3-7),
walked through the Red Sea (Num 33:8 - apparently on the third
night) and then travelled three further days into the wilderness
(Num 33:8). On the 7th day they rested and held a feast to God,
as Moses had been previously instructed.

Although the Feast of Unleavened Bread lasted only seven days it
was also representative of the entire 40 years of travel from Egypt
to the Promised Land.

Toward the end of the 40 years the reproach of Egypt was removed.

    Josh   5:8   So it was, when they had finished circumcising all
                 the people, ...
            :9   Then the LORD said to Joshua, "This day I have
                 rolled away the reproach of Egypt from you."
                 Therefore the name of the place is called Gilgal
                 to this day.


During the 40 years the covenants were also established.

    Deut  29:1   These are the words of the covenant which the LORD
                 commanded Moses to make with the children of Israel
                 in the land of Moab, besides the covenant which He
                 made with them in Horeb.


FEAST OF WEEKS


Also known in the New Testament as 'Pentecost'. This particular
feast was observed on the 50th day from a particular day during
the Feast of Unleavened Bread.

 [ NB: The 50th day was calculated from the day the sheaf of barley
       was waved. For a detailed discussion on how this wave sheaf
       day was to be determined refer, TIMING - WAVE SHEAF DAY ]


This calculation meant that the third holy day would always fall
within the first half of the third month.


Pentecost was the very day the Holy Spirit was poured out.

    Acts   2:1   When the Day of Pentecost had fully come, they
                 were all with one accord in one place.
            :2   And suddenly there came a sound from heaven, as
                 of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled the whole
                 house where they were sitting.
            :3   Then there appeared to them divided tongues, as
                 of fire, and one sat upon each of them.
            :4   And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and
                 began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit
                 gave them utterance.


This was the day the New Covenant was established.


 [ NB: The initial rendering of the 10 Commandments is generally
       thought to have also occurred on Pentecost. Chronological
       studies indicate the gap between these two events is the
       equivalent of thirty sets of fifty years, ie 1,500 years. ]


DAY OF TRUMPETS


This holy day was observed on the first day of the seventh month.
It was a day observed with the blowing of trumpets.

    Lev   23:24  Speak to the children of Israel, saying: 'In the
                 seventh month, on the first day of the month, you
                 shall have a sabbath-rest, a memorial of blowing
                 of trumpets, a holy convocation.
            :25  You shall do no customary work on it; ...

    Num   29:1   And in the seventh month, on the first day of the
                 month, you shall have a holy convocation. You shall
                 do no customary work. For you it is a day of
                 blowing the trumpets.


The blowing of trumpets is a reference to the blowing of the two
silver trumpets used for calling an assembly and directing the
movement of the tribes.

    Num   10:1   And the LORD spoke to Moses, saying:
            :2   'Make two silver trumpets for yourself; you shall
                 make them of hammered work; you shall use them for
                 calling the congregation and for directing the
                 movement of the camps.'


The trumpets were also to be sounded when the Israelites went to
war.

    Num   10:9   When you go to war in your land against the enemy
                 who oppresses you, then you shall sound an alarm
                 with the trumpets, and you will be remembered
                 before the LORD your God, and you will be saved
                 from your enemies.

The trumpets were to be blown only by the priesthood.

    Num   10:8   The sons of Aaron, the priests, shall blow the
                 trumpets; ...


As the first holy day of the seventh month, this day is the first
major prophetic event in the end-time. This is the arrival of the
Elijah who would arise just prior to the great and dreadful
day of the LORD. (The Malachi text is not a reference to Jesus
Christ.)

    Mal    3:5   Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before
                 the coming of the great and dreadful day of the
                 LORD.

    Matt  17:11  Jesus answered and said to them,
                 'Indeed, Elijah is coming first and will restore
                 all things'.

                 (John the Baptist was a type of the greater
                  end-time 'Elijah' which would come.)


The arrival of this 'Elijah' work, and its teaching, creates an
upheaval in the end-time Jewish and Christian scenes. (Just as the
arrival of Jesus Christ created an upheaval in the Jewish scene in
His time.) It is a time of great spiritual warfare in the upper
echelons.

    Rev   12:7   And war broke out in heaven: Michael and his angels
                 fought with the dragon; and the dragon and his
                 angels fought,


The Day of Trumpets was the first day of a prophetic period which
would extend to the 1st day of the Feast of Tabernacles.


DAY OF ATONEMENT


The next holy day was the 10th day of the seventh month.

    Lev   23:27  Also the tenth day of this seventh month shall
                 be the Day of Atonement. ...
            :28  And you shall do no work on that same day, ...


This day, was a day of commanded fasting.

    Lev   23:27  ... you shall afflict your souls, ...
            :29  For any person who is not afflicted in soul on
                 that same day shall be cut off from his people.


Every fiftieth year this day would initiate a Jubilee year, a year
of release of debt.

    Lev   25:9   Then you shall cause the trumpet of the Jubilee
                 to sound on the tenth day of the seventh month;
                 on the Day of Atonement you shall make the

                 trumpet to sound throughout all your land.
            :10  And you shall consecrate the fiftieth year, and
                 proclaim liberty throughout all the land ...


The 16th chapter of Leviticus describes a ceremony which was
conducted once a year on the Day of Atonement (verse 29). This
ceremony involved two goats,

   - one which was killed and had its blood sprinkled on the
     mercy seat (which was inside the veil) to atone for the
     sins of the children of Israel

   - one upon which all the sins of the children of Israel
     were confessed; before the goat was led into the
     wilderness by the hand of a suitable man.


The meaning of this goat ceremony is extremely important in
identifying the prophetic meaning of this holy day. It helps us
understand the day represents the time when the teachings of the
future Elijah will be shed (and sprinkled before the mercy seat
of God) and subsequently the dragon influence (the other goat)
will be led into the wilderness where it will die.


This is the time when the judgement of God will fall upon rebellious
Israel. It will strike both the houses of Israel and Judah.

    Hos    5:14  For I will be like a lion to Ephraim, And like
                 a young lion to the house of Judah. I, even I,
                 will tear them and go away; I will take them
                 away, and no one shall rescue.

It will be a time of religious judgement.

    2Thes  2:10  ... because they did not receive the love of
                 the truth, that they might be saved.
            :11  And for this reason God will send them strong
                 delusion, that they should believe the lie,
            :12  that they all may be condemned who did not
                 believe the truth but had pleasure in
                 unrighteousness.


NB: The Day of Atonement differed from the other six annual assembly
    days:
      - It was the only day which required fasting,
      - It was a stricter sabbath than the other annual days,
      - It is the only annual assembly described in Leviticus
        chapter 23 as being a 'sabbath', using the same Hebrew
        word used for the weekly sabbath (Strong's 7676).

This day also represents an annual symbolic day which could be
removed from this list without altering the overall outline of
the plan of God.

The blowing of trumpets (giving of the warning - until fully given);
and the subsequent period of Tribulation are symbolized by this day.

The blood of the first goat serves the same purpose as the blood
of the Passover lamb (placed on the lentil and doorposts); it offers
protection from that which is to follow. 



1ST DAY OF THE FEAST OF TABERNACLES


The 15th day of this month is the first day of the seven day Feast
of Tabernacles (or 'Booths', ie a temporary dwelling place).

    Lev   23:34  Speak to the children of Israel, saying: 'The
                 fifteenth day of this seventh month shall be the
                 Feast of Tabernacles for seven days to the LORD.
            :35  On the first day there shall be a holy convocation.
                 You shall do no customary work on it.'

 [ NB: This feast is also known by the name 'Feast of Ingathering'.]


The seven day Feast of Tabernacles is a seventh month mirror image
of the seven day Feast of Unleavened Bread.

    Lev   23:41  You shall keep it as a feast to the LORD for
                 seven days in the year ... You shall celebrate
                 it in the seventh month.
            :42  You shall dwell in booths for seven days. All
                 who are native Israelites shall dwell in booths,
            :43  that your generations may know that I made the
                 children of Israel dwell in booths when I brought
                 them out of the land of Egypt: ...


The seven day period represents the period of sojourn of the end-
time Jews in the land of Christianity. Those Jews which were wise
enough to heed the warning to depart the Jewish faith before the
unleashing of the Great Tribulation.

    Matt  24:15  Therefore when you see the 'abomination of
                 desolation,' ...
            :16  then let those who are in Judea flee to the
                 mountains.
            :21  For then there will be great tribulation, such
                 as has not been since the beginning of the world
                 until this time, no, nor ever shall be.

    Rev   18:4   And I heard another voice from heaven saying,
                 "Come out of her, my people, lest you share in
                 her sins, and lest you receive of her plagues".


LAST DAY


Following the seven day Feast of Tabernacles was another holy day.

    Lev   23:39  Also on the fifteenth day of the seventh month,
                 when you have gathered in the fruit of the land,
                 you shall keep the feast of the LORD for seven
                 days; on the first day there shall be a sabbath-
                 rest, and on the eighth day a sabbath-rest.


This day of rest therefore fell on the 22nd of the seventh month.
This day was commonly referred to as the 'last day'.

    John   6:40  And this is the will of Him who sent Me, that
                 everyone who sees the Son and believes in Him may
                 have everlasting life; and I will raise him up at
                 the last day.

           7:2   Now the Jews' Feast of Tabernacles was at hand.
            :37  On the last day, that great day of the feast,
                 Jesus stood and cried out, saying, "If anyone
                 thirsts, let him come to Me and drink".

          11:23  Jesus said to her, "Your brother will rise again."
            :24  Martha said to Him, "I know that he will rise again
                 in the resurrection at the last day".

          12:48  He who rejects Me, and does not receive My words,
                 has that which judges him; the word that I have
                 spoken will judge him in the last day.


This day represents the time when the spiritually dead would be
raised and judged, judged according to the word of Scripture.
Some will be raised and esteemed, while others will be raised
and have to 'wear' their shame.

    Dan   12:2   And many of those who sleep in the dust of the
                 earth shall awake, some to everlasting life,
                 some to shame and everlasting contempt.


The notion of resurrection presented in the description of the Last
Day is also connected with the blowing of the 7th and last trumpet.

    1Cor  15:52  in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at
                 the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound,
                 and the dead will be raised incorruptible,
                 and we shall be changed.


PROPHETIC SUMMARY


In conclusion the last 4 holy days are predicting the following
arrangement.




            WARNING                TRIBULATION        RESOLUTION

  Day of                1st of                      Last
 Trumpets             Tabernacles                   Day
   |                       |                         |
   |                       |                         |
   |_______________________|_________________________|___________ 

   |---------------------->|------------------------>|---------->
  1st    Trumpets         15th 7 Days Tabernacles  22nd Last Day


           1ST GOAT                   2ND GOAT
         Blood Offered               Wilderness
          mercy seat                   to die
   |_______________________|_________________________|

                      Day of Atonement




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