A STUDY ON JEWISH FESTIVALS

1. A STUDY ON JEWISH FESTIVALS

2. THE ORDER OF JEWISH FESTIVALS IS OF PARTICULAR INTEREST-LEVITICUS 23:4-44/NUMBERS 28:16-31/29/ESTHER 9:25-32/JOHN 10:22 • I. THE PASSOVER (2) • II. THE FESTIVAL OF UNLEAVENED BREAD (3) • III. THE FESTIVAL OF FIRST FRUITS (6) • IV. THE PENTECOST (7) • V. THE FEAST OF THE TRUMPETS (1) • VI. THE DAY OF ATONEMENT (4) • VII. THE FESTIVAL OF TABERNACLES (5) • VIII. THE FESTIVAL OF DEDICATION (9) • IX. THE FESTIVAL OF PURIM (8) ANNUAL FESTIVALS ARE CELEBERATED TO REMEMBER/COMMEMORATE AN EVENT AND IT IS ONLY LOGICAL THAT THEY ARE CELEBERATED CHRONOLOGICALLY (I,E…IN THE ORDER, THEY OCCURRED HISTORICALLY). BUT WITH RESPECT TO JEWISH FESTIVALS, WE WOULD OBSERVE DIVINE PROVIDENCE AT WORK IN THAT, FESTIVALS DO NOT REFLECT THE ORDER IN WHICH THE EVENTS OCCURRED BUT RATHER HIGHLIGHT THE ORDER IN WHICH EVENTS IN CHRISTIAN HISTORY HAVE OCCURRED/WOULD OCCUR. ONE MORE PROOF THAT BY USING THE SACRED JEWISH FESTIVALS, THE ALMIGHTY HAS ALL ALONG WANTED TO CONVEY A SPECIAL MESSAGE TO THE WORLD. IN GOD’S SCHEME OF THINGS, WE OUGHT TO REMEMBER THAT AT TIMES, THERE IS SOMETHING MORE THAN THAT MEETS THE EYE! THE REVEALER OF SECRETS (DAN 2:22) WOULD HAVE US DEPEND ON HIM, IN ORDER WE PRAISE HIM, ALL THE MORE, WHEN HE REVEALS THE SECRETS TO US! • In the brackets by way of numbers, the chronological order of events that these festivals commemorate is noted, as opposed to the order (indicated by Roman numerals in red) the Jews follow in their annual calendar as per Divine instruction.

3. IN THE MANNER OF PROPHECIES, THE ALMIGHTY IN HIS SOVEREIGN WISDOM HAD ALSO IN ADVANCE ENSHRINED THE JEWISH FESTIVALS IN THE SCRIPTURES TO BE A POINTER TO THE COMING CHRIST AND THE EVENTS TO HAPPEN IN HUMAN AND MORE SPECIFICALLY CHRISTIAN HISTORY!WHEN SOMEONE IS WALKING TOWARDS US, WITH BRIGHT LIGHT IN THE BACKGROUND, WE ARE BOUND TO SEE HIS SHADOW FIRST AND THEN THE PERSON. WHEN THE SON OF GOD WAS COMING TO US, WITH THE INDESCRIBABLE LIGHT OF HIS FATHER (I TIM 6:14-16) BEHIND HIM, WE WERE BOUND TO SEE HIS SHADOW FIRST, AS A SURE PROOF OF HIS APPROACH. THE DIVINE INSTRUCTIONS ABOUT JEWISH FESTIVALS “HEWN IN ROCK” AS IT WERE IN THE SCRIPTURES SERVED AND STILL SERVE AS A “SHADOW OF CHRIST” TO COME NOT ONLY IN HIS FIRST ADVENT BUT ALSO IN HIS SECOND ADVENT! SOME INTRODUCTORY OBSERVATIONS HERE…

4. NO WONDER, APOSTLE PAUL, DESCRIBED THE JEWISH FESTIVALS AS “A SHADOW OF CHRIST” These (Jewish festivals) are a shadow of the things that were to come; the reality, however, is found in Christ.-Colossians 2:17

5. IN THIS STUDY, WE WOULD CATEGORIZE THE JEWISH FESTIVALS INTO TWO GROUPS • JEWISH FESTIVALS SIGNIFYING THOSE EVENTS IN CHRISTIAN HISTORY, WHICH HAVE ALREADY OCCURRED! SINCE THESE LANDMARK EVENTS IN CHRISTIAN HISTORY, OCCURRED ON JEWISH FESTIVALS-PUBLICLY-WE CAN ALSO DEEM THEM AS NATIONAL REVELATIONS’ TO JEWS! • II) JEWISH FESTIVALS SIGNIFYING THOSE EVENTS IN CHRISTIAN HISTORY, WHICH ARE YET TO OCCUR! THEY ARE ALSO SIGNIFICANT TO THE FUTURE OF THE JEWS.

6. THE FIRST GROUP OF JEWISH FESTIVALS SIGNIFYING THOSE EVENTS IN CHRISTIAN HISTORY, WHICH HAVE ALREADY OCCURRED! THE PASSOVER THE FESTIVAL OF UNLEAVENED BREAD THE FESTIVAL OF FIRST FRUITS THE PENTECOST I REITERATE THAT WHEN SOME OF THE HISTORICAL CHRISTIAN EVENTS UNFOLDING THE REDEMPTION PLAN OF GOD FOR THE ENTIRE MANKIND, HAPPENED EXACTLY ON THE DAYS OF RELEVANT JEWISH FESTIVALS, THEY OUGHT TO HAVE SERVED AS A PUBLIC, NATIONAL REVELATION TO MANY, MANY JEWS! PRAISE GOD, IT DID SERVE AS A REVELATION FOR MANY JEWS OF THE FIRST CENTURY, WHO RECEIVED CHRIST AS THEIR SAVIOUR IN THEIR LIVES (ACTS 2:41/5:14)!

7. THE SECOND GROUP OF JEWISH FESTIVALS SIGNIFYING THOSE EVENTS IN CHRISTIAN HISTORY, WHICH ARE YET TO TAKE PLACE! THEY ARE ALSO SIGNIFICANT TO THE FUTURE OF THE JEWS. THE FEAST OF THE TRUMPETS THE DAY OF ATONEMENT THE FESTIVAL OF TABERNACLES THE FESTIVAL OF DEDICATION THE FESTIVAL OF PURIM

8. THE FIRST GROUP OF JEWISH FESTIVALS SIGNIFYING THOSE EVENTS IN CHRISTIAN HISTORY, WHICH HAVE ALREADY OCCURRED!I REPEAT THAT THEY WERE A NATIONAL REVELATION TO JEWS, AS THEY HAPPENED MOSTLY ON THEIR FESTIVALS’ DAY!

9. THE FIRST GROUP OF JEWISH FESTIVALS SIGNIFYING THOSE EVENTS IN CHRISTIAN HISTORY, WHICH HAVE ALREADY OCCURRED!

10. THE FIRST GROUP OF JEWISH FESTIVALS SIGNIFYING THOSE EVENTS IN CHRISTIAN HISTORY, WHICH HAVE ALREADY OCCURRED!

11. THE FIRST GROUP OF JEWISH FESTIVALS SIGNIFYING THOSE EVENTS IN CHRISTIAN HISTORY, WHICH HAVE ALREADY OCCURRED!

12. THE FIRST GROUP OF JEWISH FESTIVALS SIGNIFYING THOSE EVENTS IN CHRISTIAN HISTORY, WHICH HAVE ALREADY OCCURRED!

13. THE FIRST THREE JEWISH FESTIVALS, TAKE PLACE WITHIN A SPAN OF 50 DAYS. CRUCIFIXTION, RESURRECTION OF CHRIST AND COMING OF THE HOLY SPIRIT ON THE DISCIPLES SIGNIFYING THE BIRTH OF THE CHURCH AGE (IN THAT ORDER PROVIDENTIALLY) TOOK PLACE IN THAT PERIOD. AFTERWARDS NOTE THE CONSIDERABLE GAP (4 MONTHS), WHICH REPRESENTS THE EXISTING CHURCH AGE!

14. IF PARAMOUNT EVENTS IN CHRISTIAN HISTORY, SUCH AS CRUCIFIXTION OF CHRIST, COMING OF THE HOLY SPIRIT ON THE DISCIPLES TOOK PLACE EXACTLY ON THE DAY OF RELEVANT JEWISH FESTIVALS, WILL NOT OTHER IMPORTANT FUTURE EVENTS RELATED TO CHRISTIANITY TAKE PLACE ON THE DAYS OF OTHER RELEVANT JEWISH FESTIVALS? THE ANSWER IS YES. PERIOD!

15. THE SECOND GROUP OF JEWISH FESTIVALS SIGNIFYING THOSE EVENTS IN CHRISTIAN HISTORY, WHICH ARE YET TO OCCUR ! THEY ARE ALSO SIGNIFICANT TO THE FUTURE OF THE JEWS.

16. IF MOMENTOUS EVENTS IN CHRISTIAN HISTORY, SUCH AS CRUCIFIXTION OF CHRIST, COMING OF THE HOLY SPIRIT ON THE DISCIPLES TOOK PLACE EXACTLY ON THE DAY OF RELEVANT JEWISH FESTIVALS, WILL THE RAPTURE TAKE PLACE ON THE DAY OF YET ANOTHER JEWISH FESTIVAL-THE FESTIVAL OF TRUMPETS? THE ANSWER IS YES. BUT , HEY DOESN’T THE BIBLE SAY THAT NO ONE KNOWS THE DATE OF RAPTURE (MATT 24:36)? YES! WHILE, I AM AFFIRMING THAT THE RAPTURE WOULD CERTAINLY TAKE PLACE ON THE DAY OF THE FESTIVAL OF TRUMPETS IN THE COMING YEARS, PLEASE NOTE THAT I AM NOT EXACTLY SPECIFYING EITHER THE DAY (THIS FESTIVAL IS SPREAD OVER 2 DAYS, SO WILL RAPTURE TAKE PLACE IN THE FIRST DAY OR SECOND DAY OF THE SAID FESTIVAL IS STILL MATTER OF CONJECTURE) OR AM I SPECIFYING THE YEAR!!!

17. JEWISH FESTIVALS SIGNIFYING THOSE EVENTS IN CHRISTIAN HISTORY, WHICH ARE YET TO OCCUR ! THEY ARE ALSO SIGNIFICANT TO THE FUTURE OF THE JEWS.

18. SIGNIFICANCE OF THE FESTIVAL OF TABERNACLES (IN HEBREW LANGUAGE CALLED SUKKOT)- AT ONE TIME THE LAST OF JEWISH FESTIVALS IN THE JEWISH CALENDAR NOTES IN THE TABULAR COLUMN AVAILABLE ON THE NEXT PAGE….

19. JEWISH FESTIVALS SIGNIFYING THOSE EVENTS IN CHRISTIAN HISTORY, WHICH ARE YET TO OCCUR ! THEY ARE ALSO SIGNIFICANT TO THE FUTURE OF THE JEWS.

20. JEWISH FESTIVALS SIGNIFYING THOSE EVENTS IN CHRISTIAN HISTORY, WHICH ARE YET TO OCCUR ! THEY ARE ALSO SIGNIFICANT TO THE FUTURE OF THE JEWS.

21. JEWISH FESTIVALS SIGNIFYING THOSE EVENTS IN CHRISTIAN HISTORY, WHICH ARE YET TO OCCUR ! THEY ARE ALSO SIGNIFICANT TO THE FUTURE OF THE JEWS.

22. JEWISH FESTIVALS TOUCH UPON ALL THE THREE DOCTRINES OF CHRISTIANITY 1.JUSTIFICATION: PASSOVER ,FESTIVAL OF UNLEAVENED BREAD AND FESTIVAL OF FIRST FRUITS 2. SANCTIFICATION: PENTECOST 3. GLORIFICATION: FESTIVAL OF TRUMPETS, DAY OF ATONEMENT,FESTIVAL OF TABERNACLES , FEAST OF DEDICATION AND FESTIVAL OF PURIM

23. AMAZING, ISN’T IT…THE STUDY OF JEWISH FESTIVALS? THE GOOD LORD HAS CONCEALED THE ENTIRE HISTORY OF OUR TIMES IN IT! It is God’s privilege to conceal things and the king’s privilege to discover them – Proverbs 25:2 38

24. For more information please contact J and SM Ministries 413, 3RT SANJEEVA REDDY NAGAR HYDERABAD – 500 038, A.P. INDIA Ph : 040 – 2370 2431 Mobile : 098490 09104 Email : manoharansuresh@yahoo.com Web: jandsmministries.com