Fall Feasts

 “Therefore let us celebrate the feast, not with old leaven, nor with leaven of malice and wicked-ness, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth” (I Cor. 5:7).  

Hey Gang:  Have you noticed that the world seems to be coming unglued?  If you know the bride of my youth, you know she is a compulsive reader.  She consumes books and marks the parts I should read, which opens many avenues for me that would otherwise stay closed for books of more than ten pages without pictures is a challenge for me. 

One of her favorite writers is Ken Gire, who I would classify as a ‘Wordsmith’.  I had just finished reading Bill Koenig’s weekly update as a Whitehouse reporter, and happened to notice Ken’s book. I  flipped it open and happened to come upon his prayer, following a very moving introduction to his book The Weathering Grace of God.

He prayed, ”Dear Lord, I believe You are a sovereign God, Creator of the heavens and the earth.  I believe You are ruler of the universe and Lord of the landscape of my life.  However small a parcel of ground that is within Your universe, it is still within Your universe, and still under Your watchful eye.  I believe You know what happens there, and that You care what happens there, especially in times of upheaval.  I believe You are good and work all this for good to those who love You and are called according to Your purpose.  I believe You are all-powerful, and that You make everything beautiful in its time.  All these things, I believe, Lord, Help my unbelief.”

I think I will put that prayer on a three by five card and keep it in my shirt pocket, close at hand, for I sense there are very dark clouds gathering on the horizon. 

In the last morning message we briefly looked at the spring Feast of Passover, The Feast of Unleavened Bread, the Feast of Firstfruits and the Feast of Pentecost; this morning we are going to briefly look at the fall feasts which take place in the Biblical seventh month, the month of Tishri. (late September or early October on our solar calendar).

The first Fall Feast is Trumpets.  The Jews call it Rosh Hashanah.  It falls on the new moon which is the first day of their month.  It is also their New Year’s Day.  This Feast will be fulfilled when the Trumpet sounds and God’s family is called up to meet Him in the sky.  Will it happen on that exact day – we shall see but changes in the calendar over the years has added some confusion as to the exact moment this will happen.  Just know that it is going to happen. Folks!

Many feel that seven years later Jesus will return on the Feast of Day of Atonement (Yom Kippur) to end the battle of Armageddon, put away the Antichrist and many believe that is when the Jews will accept Him as Messiah.  Can you say “Whoopie” to that?    The neat part of this Feast is we are part of it and will return with the King of kings and Lord of lords who will subdue slue foot and all his minions.  What a glorious day that will be!

Five days later is the seventh feast, the Feast of Tabernacles.  Many feel that Jesus will fulfill  this Feast by the setting up of the Kingdom of our Lord Jesus Christ and the beginning of the 1000 year reign we call the millennium.   

Pastor Godwin wraps up his teaching on the Feasts with this closing statement: “Passover, Unleavened Bread and Firstfruits are God’s plan to redeem man and get back this fellowship.  Pentecost is Christ empowering the church to go out and get people saved, which brings in more folks to fellowhip with God. The Feast of trumpets is the great harvest of souls.  It is in the fall and harvest time.  It is the Bridegroom coming for His bride.  We then have a seven-day wedding celebration in Heaven, while the Tribulation is going on down here on earth.  Then we come back with the Bridegroom riding His White horse on the Feast of Atonement and He set up the 1000 year Kingdom Age where we will live and reign with the Lord.”

Soooo, my friends and neighbors, I pray your understanding of the Feasts of the Lord is more clear now than when we started.  One last point before we close this segment, it was required of all Jewish men to return to Jerusalem to celebrate Passover, Pentecost and Tabernacles each year.  It has been our prayer to return to Jerusalem for the Feast of Tabernacles this year but thus far God has not said yes.  But this we know, one day we will celebrate the Feast of Tabernacles with Jesus in the New Jerusalem! 

Blessings,

Gramps