Seven Holy Feasts of Israel (Part III)

The final edition of the last two feasts of Israel is detailed as follows:

Feasts of the Jews	In Relation to Jesus
1.       Day of Atonement or Yom Kippur (Lev 23:27) ·         Occurs 10 days after the Feast of Trumpets ·         Happens around Sep or Oct every year ·         Most solemn day when the High Priest will enter the Holy of Holies to seek atonement for himself and the Israelites every year ·         Four elements of this feast: Holy convocation (gathering before the Lord), prayer & fasting, offerings and prohibition from labour (as it is a Sabbath of rest)	·         As the high priest of the Old Testament entered the Holy of Holies with the blood of sacrificial animals, Jesus entered heaven itself to appear on our behalf in front of the Father (Hebrews 9:11,12). ·         This ritual was an annual reminder that perfect and permanent atonement had not yet been made; but Jesus, through His very own blood, accomplished eternal redemption for His people (Hebrews 9:12).
2.       Feast of Tabernacles or Booths (Lev 23:24) ·         Occurs five days after the Day of Atonement ·         Happens around Sep or Oct every year ·         An 8-day feast which starts on Sabbath and ends on Sabbath ·         The Jews lived in booths during the 8 days, taking choice fruit from the trees, leafy branches and rejoice before the Lord, remembering how their God took care of them during the wilderness where they lived in tents or booths ·       On the final day of the feast, the high priest of Israel would descend from the Temple Mount, filled a pitcher from Pool of Siloam and pour the water out of the pitcher onto the altar, asking God to provide them with the early rains for the crops.	·       John wrote: "In the last day (eighth day), that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried out, saying, If any man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink. He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his heart shall flow rivers of living water" (John 7:37-38). The Son of God was saying in the clearest possible way that He alone was the source of life and blessing; that He could meet every need of the human heart ·       This feast speaks of Christ's millennial Kingdom - of a new beginning without the ravages of the curse of sin. Tabernacles speak of the day when the Son of God will dwell among men, wipe away every tear and bring in the ‘Golden Age’ that men have dreamed of

When I read the feasts of Israel and how Jesus came to fulfil every one of them in the precise timing, I caught a glimpse of how much God loved Israel. He did all these to prove to the Jews that Jesus is truly their Messiah. Although the Jews may not see this truth now, the bible says that one day, all Israel will see Jesus as their Messiah and they will cry out 'Lord Lord!'. In that day, all Israel will be saved! Let's continue to keep Israel in prayers!