General, Hebraic Calendar

A Spiritual Journey Thru the Hebraic Year 5783

A Year of God’s Favor

The current Hebraic year 5783 began this past Monday, September 26, 2022. Scripture verses the Lord put on my heart for this year are:

We will see God’s favor show up in four specific ways this year. As 5783 unfolds we will experience God’s favor to be restore, His favor to be secured, His favor to be strengthened and His favor to be established. I will be posing more about this favor during 5783 on Beyond the Dalet, Transitioning beyond the earthly ~ by the Spirit of the Living God and Thru the Dalet, A Revelatory Journey Thru Messiah Yeshua – the Living Word of God.

The Month of Tishri

We begin the year with Tishri. Tishri is the first month of the civil calendar and the seventh month of the religious calendar. Nisan is considered the first month of the year from a biblical perspective. Tishrei is considered the beginning when it comes to counting the years.

During Tishri we observe what are known as the High Holy Days; Rosh Hashanah (Head of the Year), Yom Kippur (Day of Atonement) and Sukkot, the Feast of Tabernacles.

Tishri is associated with the constellation Libre, the scales. The Hebrew word for Libra is moznayim which stems from the word for “ears” az’nayim. Thus, libra, implies equilibrium and balance (the inner sense of the ears). Tishri is a month to pay close attention to areas of our lives that need to brought into balance.

The Hebrew tribe connected to the month of Tishri is Ephraim which relays the concept to be fruitful and multiply. It is a time of new beginnings. Ephraim was Joseph’s son. The naming of Ephraim is recorded in Genesis 41.52 “And the second son he named Ephraim, saying, “God has made me fruitful in the land of my affliction.” Jacob blessed Ephraim with a greater blessing. (Ge. 48) Since Tishri is the time to observe the Day of Atonement and the Feast of Great Joy, Sukkot, it is a time of great blessing.

The Appointed Feasts

Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur, and Feast of Tabernacles

Tishri 1 is Rosh Hashanah, the Head of the Year. On 10th of Tishri Yom Kippur is celebrated. A fast is observed, from sundown on the 9th until sundown on the 10th. The ten days between Tishri 1 and Tishri 10 are known as the Days of Awe. The Days of Awe are a time to be circumspect and repentant. A time to humble oneself before God in Teshuva (repentance).

During the time of the Tabernacle and the Temple the Day of Atonement was observed by the High Priest entering the Holy of holies with an offering to atone for the sins of the nation.

Hebrews 9:24-28 Speaks of Christ as our High Priest performing His duty to apply His own blood upon the mercy seat in heaven.

For Christ did not enter into a holy place made with human hands, which was only a copy of the true one in heaven. He entered into heaven itself to appear now before God on our behalf. And he did not enter heaven to offer himself again and again, like the high priest here on earth who enters the Most Holy Place year after year with the blood of an animal. If that had been necessary, Christ would have had to die again and again, ever since the world began. But now, once for all time, he has appeared at the end of the age to remove sin by his own death as a sacrifice. And just as each person is destined to die once and after that comes judgment, so also Christ was offered once for all time as a sacrifice to take away the sins of many people. He will come again, not to deal with our sins, but to bring salvation to all who are eagerly waiting for him.

LET’S GO RIGHT IN!

On the Day of Atonement we celebrate what Yeshua accomplished on our behalf! We have no fear of judgment on sin. Our Christ has taken it out of the way. The sin of mankind has been atoned for once and for all!!!! Through this act, observed on Yom Kippur we can as the author of Hebrews wrote: “And so, dear brothers and sisters, we can boldly enter heaven’s Most Holy Place because of the blood of Jesus. By his death, Jesus opened a new and life-giving way through the curtain into the Most Holy Place. And since we have a great High Priest who rules over God’s house, let us go right into the presence of God with sincere hearts fully trusting him. For our guilty consciences have been sprinkled with Christ’s blood to make us clean, and our bodies have been washed with pure water.”

Feast of Tabernacles – Sukkot

Sukkot is a seven day celebration beginning on the 15th of Tishri. Two extra days were added on over the years. Shemini Atzeret, which means the “Eighth Day of Assembly,” and Simchat Torah the “Rejoicing in Torah.” During the time of the Second Temple Shemini Atzeret was a day devoted to the ritual cleansing of the altar in the Temple. Much of the significance of Shemini Atzeret has fallen into obscurity. Simchat Torah however is still joyously celebrated in Synagogues around the world. The Torah (first five books of the Bible) is central to the Jewish faith. It is not any less significant to our Christian faith. Since Yeshua is the living word of God Simchat Torah is a day to celebrate Jesus.

John 1:14 So the Word became human and made his home among us. He was full of unfailing love and faithfulness. And we have seen his glory, the glory of the Father’s one and only Son.

Feast of Tabernacle:

Feast of Tabernacles was ordained by God to be observed every year, just like Passover and Pentecost.

Leviticus 23:33-44

Then the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, 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. 36 For seven days you shall offer an offering made by fire to the Lord. On the eighth day you shall have a holy convocation, and you shall offer an offering made by fire to the Lord. It is a sacred assembly, and you shall do no customary work on it 

37 These are the feasts of the Lord which you shall proclaim to be holy convocations, to offer an offering made by fire to the Lord, a burnt offering and a grain offering, a sacrifice and drink offerings, everything on its day– 38 besides the Sabbaths of the Lord, besides your gifts, besides all your vows, and besides all your freewill offerings which you give to the Lord 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.  

40 And you shall take for yourselves on the first day the fruit of beautiful trees, branches of palm trees, the boughs of leafy trees, and willows of the brook; and you shall rejoice before the Lord your God for seven days. 41 You shall keep it as a feast to the Lord for seven days in the year. It shall be a statute forever in your generations. 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: I am the Lord your God.’ ” 44 So Moses declared to the children of Israel the feasts of the Lord.

illustration of sukkah decorated with leaves and fruit for sukkot

CELEBRATE

This is a time of great celebration! Let’s rejoice! This is a year of God’s favor to be restored, renewed, secured, strengthened and established!

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HOW ARE YOU CELEBRATING THE FEASTS THIS YEAR?