Feast Days - Major Festivals - The Harvest

INTRODUCTION AND OVERVIEW – PART 1 Historically, the Nation of Isra’el was to act as a repository of the wisdom and Word of HaShem. With his Called-out Ones acting as a “fishbowl,” the surrounding nations were to learn about the Creator, the One True God of the Universe, from the everyday activities of the offspring of Avraham. This is one of the primary reasons that the Torah was graciously given to Isra’el. In both Biblical and Modern Hebrew, the word for “appointment” is מוֹעֵד “mo’eyd,” translated as “designated times” in Stern’s translation above. Interestingly, the root of the related word מִקְרָא “mikra,” translated as “convocations” by Stern, is קָרָא “kara,” and this root word conveys the sense of “rehearsals.” I like to think that in this way, HaShem masterfully designed the mikra’ey kodesh to act as sort of dress rehearsals for his children. “Of what?” you might ask. The Feasts of ADONAI are dress rehearsals of Messianic Redemption. Follow the Mikra’ey Kodesh “Holy Convocation” series on my personal Torah teaching website at this link: http://www.tetzetorah.com/holy-convocations Keep up with my Feasts of the LORD YouTube channel playlist by clicking on this link: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLWF4ID0xld0Pl1xKNm2mlcKoRnxzYwYzf Information about subscribing to my Weekly Messianic Newsletter: http://www.tetzetorah.com/newsletter Thank you for supporting Tetze Torah Ministries as the LORD leads you. Donate: https://tetzetorah.us9.list-manage.com/track/click?u=bcfc24ff1dedb4c016fec4069&id=d1a1124be1&e=1a79b390ef Tetze Torah Ministries is a collection of Torah-based, Yeshua-focused written, audio, and video bible teachings by Torah Teacher Ariel ben-Lyman HaNaviy

Is Conversion Required for non-Jews? Many non-Jews (i.e. Christians) have historically argued that since Christianity has been defined as a separate entity apart and distinct from Isra'el then the issues of [Old Testament] Torah are not relevant for their everyday lives. What is more, the question of Torah obedience among said Christians likewise becomes an archaic discussion. After all, the argument goes, since I am not “Isra'el” then all of those passages in the Old Testament do not even speaking to me as a New Testament Christian anyway. In fact, the argument continues, if I really wanted to get into Isra'el… If I really wanted to become “Jewish” wouldn’t I have to convert anyway? God is the God of both Jews and Gentiles! One need not change his station in life before God can accept him. What is more, the real change that takes place in a person’s life is effected by the Ruach HaKodesh when, because of Yeshua’s bloody, sacrificial death, the sinner takes on the status of righteous! A conversion to Judaism (a.k.a. circumcision), in Sha'ul’s mind, added nothing to those wishing to be counted as true Isra'elites in the Torah Community. To Sha'ul, their genuine faith in the Promised Word of HaShem, as evidenced by the genuine working of the Spirit among them, was all the "identity" they would ever need! Once counted as righteous by the Righteous One Himself, all the new [Gentile] believer needed to do was begin to walk in that righteousness, a walk already described in the pages of the Written Torah, a walk formerly impossible due to the deadness of flesh and imprisonment to sin. Torah: Negative, Neutral, or Positive? Our opinions of Paul and his letters should first and foremost be influenced by the raw data found within the Scriptures themselves, since it only stands to reason that historically when his letters were penned, the TaNaKH was the only inspired corpus of literature available to him. Thus, it is reasonable to presume that Paul would also expect his readers, particularly his Jewish ones, to hold similar views of the TaNaKH. “And just what view would that be?” Should it be: 1) Negative, as in the prevailing Christian view, that Torah was given merely to contain and limit transgressions so that man did not become excessively sinful? 2) Neutral, as in the Messianic Jewish view, that Torah was given to expose sin for what it really was, namely the transgression of God’s perfect standard of holiness? 3) Positive, as in recent Pauline authorship, that Torah was given to provide the means by which an existing covenant member might have his sins covered, with an ultimate view towards the coming eternal Sacrifice, Yeshua the prophesied Messiah? Conclusion: Our Response Torah Observance is a matter of the heart. It always has been and always will be. The Torah Proper (first Five Books of Moshe) instructed the people of Isra’el to “love ADONAI your God with all their heart, all your being and all your resources” (Deuteronomy 6:5). This is where “shomer mitzvot” begins—by loving HaShem, and accepting Him on His terms. By this, I mean accepting His means of covenant obedience. For today, this means acceptance of Yeshua, His only Son, for Jew and non-Jew alike. Covenants require a response on the part of the follower. HaShem, for His part, has provided the “promise of inheritance” for all those who participate in the Avrahamic Covenant. The response to this covenant is “faith”. The nature of the Moshaic Covenant is “blessing, maintenance, and enjoyment of promise”. For them that wish to participate, the response to this covenant is “obedience”. It’s that “easy”.

A SUMMARY OF THE PURPOSES OF THESE TWO COVENANTS (The following explanation was taken from Torah Rediscovered, Ariel and D’vorah Berkowitz, FFOZ Publications): ‘A person cannot appropriate the full blessings of the covenant with Moshe (the Torah) unless he first enters into the covenant with Avraham. The latter is done by faith and faith alone. The covenant of promise (through Avraham) gave Israel the physical promises. Not only are these physical promises a reality; they are also pictures of the spiritual relationship we have with HaShem. Moreover they are illustrative of the spiritual promises of inheritance obtained by all believers through faith in Yeshua. ‘For those who trust HaShem for the promises, the proper order for faith and obedience is set by the sequence in which the covenants were given. In other words, faith must precede obedience. But the kind of faith accepted by HaShem is one that naturally flows into obedience. True obedience never comes before faith, nor is it an addition to faith. It is always the result of true biblical faith. To rephrase this in terms of the covenants: the covenant of promise (Avraham) must come before the covenant of obedience (Moshe). If we were to put Moshe first, attempting to secure those promises by obedience, we would be going against HaShem’s order. (This, by the way, is the key to unlocking the difficult midrash used by Sha’ul in Galatians 4:21-31.) All we could hope for would be a measure of physical protection and a knowledge of spiritual things. But we could not receive justification or a personal relationship with the Holy One through obedience to the Torah; it all had to start with faith. Avraham came before Moshe, but Moshe did not cancel out Avraham! The two complemented each other—as long as they came in the proper order.’ What does this mean for the Jew as well as the Gentile? Apart from a being well reasoned theological argument for combating legalism, the concept taught here defines our identity, as, not only being grounded in the Torah—but it is who we are in Messiah! If the blood of the Sinless One has redeemed us from sin and unrighteousness, then we now have been clothed in his holiness! We now have a new identity—the righteousness of HaShem! The old man has died with the death of our Messiah; the new man has been raised unto life everlasting just like him (2 Corinthians 5:17-21)! And all of these promises are secured for us within the pages of God’s Torah! Shomer Mitzvot In Judaism, safeguarding and keeping the Torah is central to performing the will of HaShem. Indeed, as properly understood from HaShem’s point of view, the whole of Torah was given to bring its followers to the "goal" of acquiring the kind of faith in HaShem that leads to placing one’s trusting faithfulness in the One and only Son of HaShem, Yeshua HaMashiach. To this end, the Torah has prophesied about him since as early as the book of Genesis (3:15), and continues to speak of him until its conclusion in Revelation (22:20). In this capacity, the Torah hrwt acts like its etymological counterpart hry "yarah" (an archery term) in that it "teaches" its adherents how to properly identify with HaShem by helping them to "reach the mark.” To be sure, one of the most common Hebrew verbs used to identify "sin" atx “chatah” literally means, "to miss the mark.”

Written Torah: “Torah she-b’ktav” The purpose and meaning of the Written Law or Torah, now codified in the Pentateuch, emanates from the Ten Commandments, which specify the covenant relationship between God and ‘Am Isra’el. The "covenant code" or the "book of the covenant" (Ex. 24:7) immediately follows the giving of the Ten Commandments (Exodus 20). The Covenant Code (Ex. 21:23) generally deals with civil and criminal laws, and consequently the literary form of the code takes a familiar legalistic structure. Casuistic and Apodictic There are two forms in the legal code: casuistic and apodictic. The casuistic form is found in the first section of the Covenant Code (Ex. 21:1-22:17), and the apodictic form is found in the second section (Ex. 22:18-23). The casuistic form first states a condition (the technical term for this is "protasis") and normally begins with words like "if" or "when." The protasis describes the circumstances or conditions that prompt the consequential injunctions. The second part, that is, the injunction, is called "apodosis." It contains a statement of legal consequences that may or may not begin with the word "then." Here are two examples: "When a man sells his daughter as a slave, she shall not go out as the male slaves do" (Ex. 21:7) and "If someone’s ox hurts the ox of another, so that it dies, then they shall sell the live ox and divide the price of it" (Ex. 21:35). Oral Torah: “Torah sh’be’al peh” The traditional interpretations of the Torah by the experts on the Torah as well as those of the Chazal (Our Rabbis of Blessed Memory), particularly after the destruction of Jerusalem in A.D. 70, became the “Torah sh’be’al peh” (Torah from the mouth), also known as unwritten or Oral Torah. The Oral Torah gained equal footing and took on the same kind of binding authority as the Written Torah. The function of the Oral Torah is to "make a fence for the Law" (Avot 1.1). The Written Torah is to be protected by keeping and observing the tradition (Oral Torah). Consequently, Judaism has been able “keep” the Written Torah merely by observing the Oral Torah. By obeying the tradition in concrete terms (no business on the Sabbath, for instance), they could observe the commandment about the Sabbath.

In HaShem’s order, acceptance is based on identity: Who are you? Are you a genuine and lasting covenant member? This question is of great significance to the Jew especially, but equally to the Gentile (Romans 1:16b). If you are Jewish must you leave Judaism and embrace Christianity and the Church to be accepted by HaShem? If you are non-Jewish, must you convert to Judaism before God will extend covenant membership to you? A study of the Torah will reveal the identity of both Jew and non-Jew. To be sure, misunderstanding who you are according to the Torah can have detrimental results. I want to start by briefly examining the meaning of the word “Torah”, and it’s definitions. Definition: Torah hrwt = Law, direction, instruction ; from the root Hebrew word “yarah” hry meaning “to shoot an arrow” or “to hit the mark” . Properly used, the word “torah” means, “[the] teaching”. I have stated this concept elsewhere in my commentaries but it is helpful to repeat it here: It is crucial for us to understand theologically, that the primary purpose in HaShem's giving of the Torah, as a way of making someone righteous, only achieves its goal when the person, by faith, accepts that Yeshua is the promised Messiah spoken about therein. Until the individual reaches this conclusion, his familiarity of the Torah is only so much intellectual nutrition. Only by believing in Yeshua will the person be able to properly understand HaShem, and consequently, his Word. In a broad sense, Torah is the revelation of HaShem to His people. Within this framework, and depending on the context, the term “Torah” can mean: (1) The five books of Moshe; (2) that, plus the Prophets and the Writings; (3) that, plus the Oral Torah, which includes the Talmud and later legal writings; (4) that, plus all religious teaching from the rabbis, including ethical and “aggadic” materials; or (5) all of the above as understood and interpreted in light of what Yeshua the Messiah and the rest of the New Covenant Scriptures have said about it. * For the most part we will be using definitions 1, 2, and 5 According to God’s Torah, there are at least two very important covenants that both Jews and Gentiles need to understand. • Avrahamic: (Genesis 12:2, 3; 13:14-18; chapter 15; 17:9-14; Matthew 1:1-16; Romans chapter 4; Galatians 3:6-18) • Moshaic: (Exodus 34:27; Deuteronomy 29:1; Psalm chapter 119; Matthew 5:17-20; 23:1-3; Acts 21:19-26)

Sukkot: Future Redemption Having just gone through Yom Kippur, and a study on the same, we as believers should now be intimately familiar with the effectual, atoning death of Yeshua, which brought about the very real and “present reality”, that today, anyone can become a child of God. To be sure, the Torah promises that the Ruach HaKodesh (Holy Spirit) will “dwell within” the believer, bearing witness with their ruach (spirit) that they truly are offspring of the Holy One, Blessed be He (Romans 8:16). At this time you may say, “But Ariel, I thought that Yeshua’s indwelling Spirit was an eternal one. What’s all this talk about a “temporary dwelling place?” Well, the study’s focus is on the “dwelling place of HaShem”. In a very real way, each and every one of us believers is Yeshua’s sukkah! We have become his “permanent dwelling place”, within a “temporary” vessel. Once this corruption is exchanged for incorruption, we will shed the “temporary” aspect (1 Corinthians 15:51-54). However, I’m still inquiring about the “dwelling place” of HaShem. Where is his sukkah today? Romans 11:25, 26 begins to hint of a future time when all Isra’el shall know the salvation of their God, once and for all (“Baruch HaShem! May that day come soon!”). Tied up within that future redemption, is the concept that HaShem started with way back in the days of the TaNaKH: “I [will] dwell among them” (Exodus 25:8, KJV, emphasis mine). From the prophetic book of Revelation, we learn that there will be a day, when the final plan of HaShem will be fully realized among men. Chapter twenty-one, verse 3, “And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Now the dwelling of God is with men, and he will live with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them” (NIV, emphasis mine). Don’t you see where this is all leading? The concept of HaShem making his final dwelling place with his people is so important that even the prophet Zechariah foretold of a time when everyone living in the Millennium will have a divinely-appointed opportunity to participate in the Feast of Tabernacles (see 14:16)! Even with the past history of the Tabernacle, and the present reality of Yeshua’s Spirit within us as believers, we still have a final, corporate sukkot to experience! Moreover, when Yeshua returns to rule from Yerushalayim (Jerusalem) in bodily form, even our current relationship with him, will take on an entirely different aspect! In our age, many Jewish people (and I imagine a few non-Jews as well) will participate in the Feast of Sukkot this year. Let us believers be ever mindful of the purposes that HaShem has for mankind, that are tied up in his Mikra’ey Kodesh, his Holy Convocations. Sukkot brings the Feasts in Leviticus Chapter twenty-three to a conclusion. HaShem has ended on the grand theme of “temporary dwelling places” involving mankind. Only, with the final “dwelling place” of HaShem, there will be nothing temporary about it! The Feast of Tabernacles is the end of the Mikra’ey Kodesh. The revelation of John’s vision is the end of the book! And so it is the end of our study.

Sukkot: Past History Having already quoted our theme verse for the Mikra’ey Kodesh series (Leviticus 23:1, 2), I want to go backwards into the Torah to a time period before the giving of the instructions for the Feasts, back to when HaShem instructed the people to build him a Tabernacle. Exodus chapter twenty-five (Parashah T’rumah in the weekly Torah readings) talks about gathering the materials together to construct a “dwelling place” for HaShem to live among the people, as their one and only God (Deuteronomy 6:4). This tabernacle was to be put together using materials that were freely and wholeheartedly contributed by Am Yisra’el (the people of Isra’el). They were not to be forced to give. The first point I want to emphasize is: the building of the “dwelling place” was an act of free will; the people wanted it built, and thereby contributed to its building. Only after this important detail of HaShem’s Tabernacle was addressed could he state in 25:8, “I [will] dwell among them” (KJV, emphasis mine). In Leviticus chapter twenty-three, HaShem instructed the people to build sukkot in memory of the temporary dwelling places that they had while wandering in the desert. But the most important temporary dwelling place during that period was still the Tabernacle. To be sure, according to past history, once the people built a Tabernacle for HaShem, he indeed did come to “dwell among his people” as he said he would, and they did behold his Sh’khinah (manifest Glory of God)! In the prophecy of Ezekiel 37:27, 28, HaShem is seen as saying once again that his “home will be with them”, however, this reference is in the future tense. What could he be saying to us? Let’s read on. Sukkot: Present Reality John’s opening account of Yeshua’s ministry here on earth is a most revealing one. In chapter one of his Gospel, we find a seemingly ordinary statement, until we examine the underlying Hebrew thought behind it. Here’s the statement: “The Word became a human being and lived with us, and we saw his Sh’khinah….” (Verse 14) This immediately brings to memory the indwelling, manifested Glory, present in the earthly Tabernacle. But the Tabernacle had long since been replaced by a more permanent Temple structure. Moreover, the Sh’khinah of HaShem is reported to have been displayed fully in the person of Yeshua (Colossians 2:9)! In John 14:23, and 17:23, Yeshua says that anyone who loves him will keep his words. The response is that the Father will demonstrate his own love for the individual, and that the both of them (Father and Son) would come to make their abode with him (KJV, paraphrase mine)! This type of “dwelling” is really a perfect one. One might even suppose that this type of “dwelling among men” was indeed the complete revelation of HaShem’s dwelling with men. Or was it? The book of Hebrews, chapter eight, tells us that our Great High Priest Yeshua was “a minister of the sanctuary, and of the true tabernacle, which the Lord pitched, and not man.” (Verse 2, KJV) It is true, our Messiah’s atoning death brought about the present reality that “any individual who calls upon his name, will receive HaShem’s salvation (Joel 2:32; Romans 10:13). Moreover, according to the Torah, this personal acceptance of Yeshua is the only sign of a genuine relationship between a Holy God and his people (John 14:6-21, Hebrews 8:10). But the Feast of Sukkot is a holy convocation that speaks of corporate involvement. Is there still some future “dwelling with men” that HaShem is waiting for? What does our prophetic Scripture (from Jeremiah) for this point say? “I will be their God, and they will be my people” (31:33). So God is consistent in his intentions.

13. Conclusions The thrust of this week's commentary, in the form of an apologetic, has been presented in an effort to educate the two camps, both Jews and Gentile Christians. Many Messianic as well as non-Messianic Jews still struggle with the intended meaning of "what it means to be a new creation in Messiah, walking out his Torah in our lives"; moreover, many Gentile Christians struggle with this issue as well. By default, the world does not struggle with these issues since it has not accepted HaShem on his grounds in the first place. 13.1 Messianic Symbolism in Yom Kippur The high priest had to enter every year with a new sacrifice. The sacrifice of Yeshua "a high priest forever" (Hebrews 5:6) is good forever. The old high priest entered a symbolic Holy of Holies, made with human hands. Yeshua entered the real Holy of Holies -- the very throne of God in Heaven. (Hebrews 9:11) The scapegoat carried away the sins of the people. In Yeshua all our sins are carried away "as far as east is from west" (Psalm 103:12). Once all the expiatory (sin-forgiving) sacrifices are done, the priest puts on his priestly robes again. When Yeshua had accomplished his sacrificial mission, he put back on the glory of his divinity. When the priest returned from the tabernacle (as Yeshua will return from Heaven), he offered the festival sacrifice. When Yeshua returns, it will be for the full and final redemption of his people Israel. (Ezekiel 16:63) 13.2 Introspection In addition to identifying with our people, we need another, more intimate reason for what we do. Yom Kippur is a good occasion to look inside and take a spiritual inventory. With its central themes of sin, atonement and forgiveness, the holiday naturally lends itself to this kind of spiritual introspection. Though we are made righteous in Messiah, we still sin. We are told to flee from sin and pursue righteousness, yet at the same time John bluntly reminds us, "If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us." (1 John 1:8) Yom Kippur focuses on the need to confess sin and receive God's forgiveness. It's not only tailor-made to promote our witness to others (as it gives occasion to discuss these spiritual issues), but it is also a holiday for us to take stock of our own lives before God. The litany of sins we confess in the Al Chet acts as a mirror so we can see ourselves honestly and come clean. Nevertheless, if you attend traditional Yom Kippur services, stay alert as you progress through the liturgy. The system that traditional Judaism has built to address the reality of sin and the need for forgiveness is not altogether theologically consistent with our faith. We do not believe that three books are opened at Rosh Hashanah and that we have ten days to make everything right before the books are closed and our fate sealed. We do not believe that repentance, prayer and charity (or good deeds) can secure God's forgiveness for sin 13.3 Intercession In Nehemiah fasting is used to deeply express the people's repentance (9:1). Later, God speaks through the prophet Joel and declares, "Even now, return to me with all your heart, with fasting and weeping and mourning" (Joel 2:12). In other instances fasting is a means of intensifying prayer in the face of dire need. This was often true when the enemies of Israel came against us (cf. Esther 4:3; II Chronicles 20:3) and our survival was on the line. So it is on Yom Kippur, when it is believed that our individual fate hangs in the balance. As believers we can certainly fast as an expression of repentance and as an intensification of prayer. But there is another reason to fast on Yom Kippur. That reason is intercession. When Ezra wanted to pray for the people leaving Babylon he called a fast (Ezra 8:21). When Esther was about to take a big risk she asked the community to pray for her, accompanied by fasting (Esther 4:16). Daniel fasted as he prayed on behalf of the exiled Jewish nation (Daniel 9:3).

12. Leviticus 18:5 - Torah Observance Equals Eternal Life? "You are to observe my laws and rulings; if a person does them, he will have life through them; I am ADONAI." (Leviticus 18:5) " Moshe spoke of the righteousness that is grounded in trust, in Vayikra 18:5, "That the person who does these things will attain life through them." Rashi (quoting the Sifra) comments: "It refers to the world to come; for if you say it refers to this world, doesn't everyone die sooner or later?" I understand the Torah then to be talking about eternal life. "That many Christians don't believe that the Torah teaches eternal life through the Teachings of the Mitzvot is irrelevant! If they have made a serious error in their theology, they must answer to HaShem for misunderstanding His Torah. Why do we become so "caught up in the middle" over false teaching? Is it because of the fence that we have built around Torah, that we defend it so fervently? In any case, they are wrong about Torah.... it is to be kept, not disregarded. It is the goal of the Torah to lead its followers to the righteousness grounded in trust. But have you ever stopped to think that they (the minim) may have understood a central part that our people, the Jewish community, miss? "The lesson in logic goes like this: the person who practices "the righteousness grounded in the Torah will necessarily have the trust in Yeshua the Messiah that the B'rit Chadashah proclaims. Why? Because legalism is the exact opposite of trust! The heresy of legalism, when applied to the Torah, says that anyone who does these things, that is, anyone who mechanically follows the rules for Shabbat, kashrut, etc., will attain life through them, will be saved, will enter the Kingdom of HaShem, will obtain eternal life. No need to trust HaShem, just obey the rules! The problem with this simplistic ladder to Heaven is that legalism conveniently ignores the "rule" that trust must underlie all rules following which HaShem finds acceptable. But trust necessarily converts mere rule-following into something altogether different, in fact, into its opposite, genuine faithfulness to HaShem. Therefore, "legalistic obedience to Torah commands" as well as "ethnic-driven corporate identity" (that is, "works of the Law" as expressed by a rabbinical conversion policy for Gentiles wishing to enter into Isra'el) is actually disobedience to the Torah! Sha'ul clearly taught in Galatians that "circumcision" (often used by the Apostle as shorthand for "proselyte conversion") as a prerequisite for covenant inclusion runs contrary to the genuine Good News of Yeshua, and consequently sets itself at odds with God's True Torah. "Now here's the sad truth! The evidence that non-Messianic Jews "have not submitted themselves to HaShem's way of making people righteous", which itself shows that their "zeal for HaShem" is "not based on correct understanding", is that they have not grasped the central point of the Torah and acted on it. Had they seen that trust in HaShem - as opposed to "being born Jewish", self-effort, legalism, and mechanical obedience to the rules - is the route to the righteousness which the Torah itself not only requires but offers, then they would see that, "the goal at which the Torah aims is [acknowledging and trusting in] the Messiah, who offers [on the ground of this trusting the very] righteousness (they are seeking). They would see that the righteousness, which the Torah offers, is offered through him and only through him. They would also see that he offers it to everyone who trusts - to them and to the Goyim as well, without having to convert to Judaism first!"

11. Yeshua’s Bloody Atonement Sacrifice and Leviticus 17:11 In an attempt to continue explain the matter, we need to understand the plans and purposes of HaShem as expressed in the whole of the Torah. From our vantage point and using twentieth century hindsight, it makes perfect sense to send the Messiah to atone for our sinful nature. After all, if God left things in the hands of mankind, each individual man would have to atone for his own personal sins and consequently every man would eventually have to die for such a payment. But what does the Torah say? "Here is how it works: it was through one individual that sin entered into the world, and through sin, death; and in this way death passed through to the whole human race, inasmuch as everyone sinned." (Romans 5:12) With the entrance of sin came the punishment for sin–death. So we see that HaShem is perfectly righteous when he says that the wages for our sin is death; every man does deserve to die. But here is where the mercy of HaShem comes in! He has lovingly provided a means by which mankind can redeem himself. In the period of the TaNaKH, the sacrificial system was that means! Even though it pointed towards something greater, it was authentically God’s solution. No Jew living in that time period was able to circumvent this system, and remain officially within the community. If we take HaShem seriously, them we will accept his provision–no matter what means, or how temporal that provision is! This is our first lesson in "Torah logic". In summary then, the sacrificial system was not designed to bring the participant to the goal, namely a purged conscience and salvation of the individual. Sacrifices were for dealing with sin in the flesh. Only genuine faith in the Promised One could move God’s heart to reckon to one’s account “righteousness” as was done for Avraham. The Torah was weak in that it could not bring to the goal of salvation the heart of an individual. Only the Spirit’s supernatural work could—and always will be able to—do that. There is only ONE path to positional righteousness. There is only ONE way to attain lasting salvation. Thus we see that the covenant spoken about by the prophet Jeremiah is surely a superior system. When HaShem says that he will remember our sins no more, that’s something to rejoice about! Why would anyone want to attempt to revert back to the former system, if it were possible? Unfortunately, today, many of my brothers according to the flesh are doing something similar to this. When a person rejects Yeshua HaMashiach as the final atonement for their sin, they are really rejecting the One who sent the Messiah in the first place! In other words, to reject Yeshua is to reject HaShem! This is where the corporate blindness of my people lies.

9. Talmudic Quotes The ancient Rabbis agreed that sacrifice without true repentance invalidates the sacrifice itself! The Talmud in Tractate Yoma clearly teaches this: The Master has said: Because it is written [Ex. xxxiv. 7]: "He will clear of sins," how is it to be understood? That is as we have learned in the following Boraitha: R. Elazar said: We cannot say it means, He clears of sins, because it is written further, "by no means" does He clear. We cannot say, He does not, because it is written "clear of sins." We must therefore explain the verse: He clears of sins those who do penance; and does not, those who are not penitent. 10. Scriptural Quotes This concept of intentional and unintentional sin and of penitence and rebellion is touched upon in the Torah at Sefer B’midbar (the Book of Numbers): Version: KJV Num 15:26 - Num 15:36 26. And it shall be forgiven all the congregation of the children of Israel, and the stranger that sojourneth among them; seeing all the people [were] in ignorance. 27. And if any soul sin through ignorance, then he shall bring a she goat of the first year for a sin offering. 28. And the priest shall make an atonement for the soul that sinneth ignorantly, when he sinneth by ignorance before the Lord, to make an atonement for him; and it shall be forgiven him. 29. Ye shall have one law for him that sinneth through ignorance, [both for] him that is born among the children of Israel, and for the stranger that sojourneth among them. 30. But the soul that doeth [ought] presumptuously, [whether he be] born in the land, or a stranger, the same reproacheth the Lord; and that soul shall be cut off from among his people. 31. Because he hath despised the word of the Lord, and hath broken his commandment, that soul shall utterly be cut off; his iniquity [shall be] upon him. In chapter 16 of our portion, we find the divine instructions for the sacred day of assembly known as Yom Kippur. HaShem has very explicit and important details that he expects Aharon the cohen gadol (high priest) to carry out. To be sure, as we shall find out, they had a very significant and far-reaching impact not just on the physical offspring of Avraham, but as the fullness of God's timetable would demonstrate, on the rest of humanity as well.

7. Apologetics – Part One Let us turn now to a discussion of the expiatory offerings and their bearing on Jews and Christians today. To be sure, this will be the central topic of my commentary. For the sake of this next apologetic section I would like to create two imaginary groups: the Missionary and the Anti-missionary. In reality both of these groups really exist but my commentary will of necessity be structuring their respective arguments for my readers. I would like to start by citing some somewhat “standard answers” to a few “Christian” objections, here presented as the “missionaries”, concerning the sacrifices and atonement. A sample missionary question will appear first with a “standard Jewish” answer, here read as the “anti-missionaries”, following. Later in the commentary I will take my own shot at refuting the “standard” anti-missionary answers. Q: How do Jews obtain forgiveness without sacrifices? A: Forgiveness is obtained through repentance, prayer and good deeds. In Jewish practice, prayer has taken the place of sacrifices. In accordance with the words of Hosea, we render instead of bullocks the offering of our lips (Hosea 14:3) (please note: the KJV translates this somewhat differently). While dedicating the Temple, King Solomon also indicated that prayer can be used to obtain forgiveness (I Kings 8:46-50). Our prayer services are in many ways designed to parallel the sacrificial practices. For example, we have an extra service on Shabbat, to parallel the extra Shabbat offering. Q: But isn't a blood sacrifice required in order to obtain forgiveness? A: No. Although animal sacrifice is one means of obtaining forgiveness, there are non-animal offerings as well, and there are other means for obtaining forgiveness that do not involve sacrifices at all. The passage that people ordinarily cite for the notion that blood is required is Leviticus 17:11: "For the soul of the flesh is in the blood and I have assigned it for you upon the altar to provide atonement for your souls; for it is the blood that atones for the soul." But the passage that this verse comes from is not about atonement; it is about dietary laws, and the passage says only that blood is used to obtain atonement; not that blood is the only means for obtaining atonement. Leviticus 17:10-12 could be paraphrased as "Don't eat blood, because blood is used in atonement rituals; therefore, don't eat blood." 8. Apologetics – Part Two Now I would like to supply some Messianic answers to these issues posed by my imaginary missionary and his imaginary anti-missionary opponent. This time the question could feasibly be posed by either a missionary or an anti-missionary, but the answers are definitely my [missionary] answer. Q: Is there atonement without the sacrifices? And if there is atonement, is such atonement offered for both intentional and unintentional sins? Let us now turn to a discussion about the efficacy of the animal sacrifices themselves, comparing popular Christian theology against the Torah. For this section I will provide the readers with an extended quote from a work by Walter C. Kaiser, Jr. His book ‘Toward Rediscovering The Old Testament’ has proven to be invaluable in helping to uncover the truth behind this crucial topic of discussion. 8.1 Were the Old Testament sacrifices personally and objectively effective? Some anti-missionaries would readily disagree with my above statement about Yom Kippur, teaching that there is no atonement for intentional sins. A well-known anti-missionary organization by the name of Jews for Judaism agrees with the notion of atonement for intentional and unintentional sins, but the means of such atonement is radically different than the accepted missionary approach.

These five are the types of offerings introduced in the opening pages of Leviticus: 'Olah (Burnt Offering) – Lev. 1:1-17 Minchah (Grain Offering) – Lev. 2:1-16 Sh’lamim (Peace Offering) – Lev. 3:1-17 Chata’at (Sin Offering) – Lev. 4:1-35; 5:1-13 ‘Asham (Guilt Offering) – Lev. 5:14-26 The first three could easily be considered “freewill offerings”, brought before HaShem by anyone at various times in the life of anyone in the community. The last two were required to make restitution for various sins. Such korbanot (chata’at and ’asham) are referred to as “expiatory”. The expiatory korbanot shall occupy the bulk of the latter part of this commentary.

“ADONAI said to Moshe, “Tell the people of Isra’el: ‘The designated times of ADONAI which you are to proclaim as holy convocations are my designated times.” (Leviticus 23:1, 2) YOM KIPPUR “Day of Atonement” “ADONAI said to Moshe, “The tenth day of this seventh month is Yom-Kippur; you are to have a holy convocation, you are to deny yourselves, and you are to bring an offering made by fire to ADONAI. You are not to do any kind of work on that day, because it is Yom-Kippur, to make atonement for you before ADONAI your God.” (Leviticus 23:26-28) Contents: 1. Introduction 2. ‘Olah 3. Minchah 4. Sh'lamim 5. Chata'at 6. 'Asham 7. Apologetics - Part One 8. Apologetics - Part Two 9. Talmudic Quotes 10. Scriptural Quotes 11. Yeshua's Bloody Atonement Sacrifice and Leviticus 17:11 12. Leviticus 18:5 - Torah Observance Equals Eternal Life? 13. Conclusions 1. Introduction With the arrival of Yom Kippur, comes another one of the central aspects of our relationship with our Holy God: atonement. Why is atonement so important to HaShem? Apparently, ever since the incident in the Garden of Eden, mankind has carried within himself the sinful propensity of that first act of disobedience, and consequently, the sinful results as well. Our sin nature is in direct conflict with the holy nature of HaShem. As a result, we cannot fathom approaching him without first making some sort of restitution that would satisfy HaShem’s righteous requirement. His nature demands that there be atonement for sin, for indeed, sin cannot exist in his sight. The word kippur connotes “atonement” or “expiation”. Related to this word is the Hebrew word kapporet, which is what we call the cover to the Ark of the Covenant. It is a fitting connection, since the lid of the Ark (Mercy Seat) is where HaShem spoke to Moshe face to face. This was also where the blood of the atoning animal was offered once a year during Yom Kippur (Leviticus 16:14-16). Most students of the Bible have been taught that it was in this way the blood of the sacrifice "covered" the sin of the person bringing it. Popular Christian theology regularly teaches that this type of atonement only covers the sin; it doesn’t allow it to be completely erased. In a very true way, this practice was temporary, awaiting its fullness when Messiah arrived. We shall examine these details at length later on. You might ask, "If HaShem knew the temporal aspect of this sacrificial system, why did he institute it in the first place? Why not just send the Messiah from the beginning, and skip all of those elaborate "middle steps"? This is a good and valid question, not entirely unlike those that I hear from most non-Jewish believers and a few Jewish folks as well. In order to gain a fuller appreciation for the Yom Kippur rituals, we should do a short study on the other types of sacrifices that took place in and around the Mishkan of that time. I shall go backward in the book of Leviticus and briefly study these korbanot (offerings).

Sa'adiah Gaon gives ten reasons for sounding the shofar on Rosh HaShanah. 1. Acknowledges God as Our King 2. Stirs Our Conscience 3. Reminds us of God's revelation at Sinai 4. Reminds us of the Prophets' warnings 5. Reminds us of the destruction of the Temple 6. Reminds us the ram offered by Abraham in place of his son Isaac 7. Reminds us to feel humble before God 8. Reminds us of the Day of Final Judgment 9. Foreshadows proclamation of freedom when exiled will return to Isra'el 10. Foreshadows inauguration of Gods reign of righteousness throughout the world SUMMARY The 'shofar,' the ram's horn trumpet, represents the spokesmen of HaShem the Almighty God of Isra’el; through whom His Spirit declares the Truth. It is a musical instrument of antiquity - of God's own making! 1 A 'divine shofar’ sounded at Sinai when the Creator of the mighty universe gave Isra’el His holy law - for all mankind! Blowing its earthly counterpart (the ram's horn) today, is declaring one's acceptance of God's eternal commandments and authority over us. 2 The shofar was, and still is, sounded on HaShem's High and Holy Days: i.e. the weekly Sabbath, the Feast of Trumpets, the Day of Atonement and in the day of the New Moon. Blowing it today is a reminder of the Everlasting Covenant between the Almighty God and His chosen people Isra’el. 3 The shofar was instrumental in triggering the Almighty's power when He demolished the walls of Jericho in the days of Joshua. Blowing it today is an act of living faith in the Almighty's ability to demolish the systems of this world, however high and mighty their ramparts may be. 4 The shofar will always herald victory in warfare, provided the people of the LORD are obedient to His law. Blowing it today is a call for divine assistance. 5 The shofar was sounded when king David brought the ark of the covenant back to Jerusalem. Blowing it today is a sign of our re-commitment to the Holy One of Isra’el. 6 The shofar was sounded when Solomon was anointed king of Isra’el. Blowing it today is a declaration of our loyalty to the King of Kings, Yeshua the Messiah, One who is wiser and greater than Solomon. 7 The shofar was sounded when the Temple was dedicated. Blowing it today is a call to worship. 8 The shofar was sounded when Isra’el’s exiles returned from captivity to rebuild the city of Jerusalem and the second Temple. Blowing it today is a symbol of the restoration of God's Truth. 9 The shofar was blown by the watchmen on Zion’s walls to warn the inhabitants of the sword of the enemy. Blowing it today is a signal to awake to the danger of Satanic attack. 10 The shofar was sounded by the watchmen and prophets of Isra’el to warn of sin. In like manner we must warn God's people else we will have blood on our hands! Blowing it today is a call to faith, repentance and obedience. 11 Before the end of this age, all humanity will hear the LORD Himself sound the Great shofar, the heavenly trumpet which will raise the dead. Blowing the ram's horn shofar today is a reminder that we are fast approaching that time. 12 Alas! Most people will not heed these warnings, even when they are backed by the Word of God. To them the shofar is an embarrassment and divine warnings only stir up contempt and anger. Do not let this happen to you, because that would be a disaster! For the fact is, the 'call of the shofar' signifies all that is dear to the God of Isra’el: truth, repentance, obedience, dedication, restoration, sanctification, warning, expectation, victory and resurrection from the dead! So in the future when you hear the 'call of the shofar' remember these things, humble yourself under the mighty hand of God and bless His holy Name. It may be that He will spare you in the fast-approaching Day of Judgment!

Names, Themes, and Hebrew Idioms associated with Rosh HaShanah: 1. Season of T’shuvah – this title, borrowed from the proximity of this particular feast to the Day of Atonement, suggest the attitude that is assumed during this most important time of the year. The Jewish nation as a whole wanted to spiritually prepare their hearts to meet their Creator on the Day of Atonement, hence the title given to the entire time period. As believers in Messiah, we already recognize the significance of his effectual blood sacrifice, thus we too can appreciate the state of mind that the Nation of Isra’el was trying to reach. Because many Jewish people as of yet do not have a personal relationship with Yeshua, I feel that their attitude during this time is appropriate, as, according to rabbinical belief, the Messiah could come to vindicate his chosen people during this season. 2. Rosh HaShanah – as previously stated, this day is recognized and celebrated as the head of the Jewish Calendar year. 3. Yom T’ruah – because the Torah explicitly commanded Am Yisra’el to sound the shofar on this day, it is called by this name. In Hebrew thought, a shofar is used to sound an “awakening blast” to the listener. Sometimes the call was to assemble, while at other times, the call was to war. In the case of the latter, usually a trumpet was used, instead of the traditional ram’s horn. At any rate, the Chazal (Sages of Antiquity) taught that the sound that the shofar made during this time period was to awaken the sleeping sinner from his spiritual slumber, and challenge him to make t’shuvah, repentance, unto the LORD his God. Because of this, Yom T’ruah is better translated as “Day of the Awakening Blast”. A spiritual call to assembly was what the writer of the New Covenant had in mind, when he penned the famous words in 1 Thessalonians 4:13-17. That quite a few believing Gentiles and Messianic Jews (myself included) teach that our Messiah could return on or around this season, is no small secret. We would do well to study this feast more in our non-Jewish Church settings. 4. Yom haDin – translates as “The Day of Judgment”. On this day, the rabbis believed that three great books in heaven were opened, and HaShem the Almighty Judge would weigh each man’s worth (Talmud, Rosh HaShanah 6b). During this time period, all of the dead was raised to face the Ancient of Days, linking this day also to the great time period of resurrection. This is quite possibly the time period that Dani’el was referring to in Chapter 7, verse 10, of his book. Also the apocalyptic author John made references to books in Revelation 20:12-15. 5. Chevlai shel Mashiach – translated as “the Birthpangs of the Messiah”. This final theme associated with Yom T’ruah is a much-repeated one throughout the Torah, especially in the prophets. The idea that one day there would be a great time of trouble on the earth, focusing primarily on the Nation of Isra’el as a people, is a major theme even in some New Covenant passages. Perhaps the most well known passage comes from the book of Jeremiah. In 30:4-7, the prophet speaks of the coming time of dread and terror as likened to a woman in the pains of childbirth. In other words, the Torah suggests that one day, most likely before the Messiah returns, the peoples of the world, and the Nation of Isra’el in particular will have to suffer a horrendous time of “birthing”. This “birthing” is necessary for the Messiah to be “born”. The language here can be confusing if you fail to remember that this is very figurative writing here. The authors employ heavy uses of real life images to convey what they are seeing in the Spirit. We know that Messiah was already born once. Yet, in a spiritual sense, the Torah teaches that all of creation is still waiting for him to be “born”. For in this second “birth”, the new heavens and the new earth will finally come forth also.

“Day of the Awakening Trumpet Blast” “ADONAI said to Moshe, “Tell the people of Isra’el, ‘In the seventh month, the first of the month is to be for you a day of complete rest for remembering, a holy convocation announced with blasts on the shofar. Do not do any kind of ordinary work, and bring an offering made by fire to ADONAI.’” (Leviticus 23:23-25) Contents: Part One – A Ram’s Horn vs. a Metal Trumpet Part Two – Yom T’ruah Part Three – The Sounds of the Shofar on Rosh HaShanah Part Four – The Shofar and Spiritual Warfare In the seventh month, on the first day of the month…a sacred occasion commemorated with loud blasts. Note the same system of dating in verse 5 above and subsequently in verses 27, 33, and 39. Hebrew zikhron teru’ah means literally “commemoration by blasting” the shofar. The same designation of this occasion occurs in Numbers 29:1. The sounding of horns had various functions in ancient Isra'el, as well as elsewhere in the ancient Near East. Usually, it was a method of assembling the people before moving on to a new location or of mustering troops for battle. There were cultic uses as well. Horns were blasted when sacrifices were offered, and they were used by Temple musicians. In our text, the horn was blasted to announce the forthcoming pilgrimage festival, which occurred two weeks after the first day of the month. Thus we read in Psalms [sic] 81:4 literally, “Blow the horn on the New Moon,/on the full moon for the day of our pilgrimage festival.” Chapter 23 presents this occasion as a day of rest and of sacred assembly. It is not conceived of as a New Year at this stage, but, rather, as an occasion preliminary to the Sukkot festival.” Notice carefully, the pasuk from the book of Psalms, “Blow the horn…” The careful student will go back and check the Hebrew of this verse and notice that the word rendered “horn” is in fact “shofar:” “Tik-u va-chodesh shofar ba-keseh, l’yom chageynu.” ...although the text in Leviticus merely recognizes that an awakening sound is to be made, without clear reference as to whether we use a ram’s horn or a man-made trumpet (chatsots’rah?), we may safely state that the psalmist must have envisioned a shofar being used to announce both the new month (for so the text directly states “va-chodesh”), as well as the festival of Yom T’ruah (for so the text directly states “l’yom chageynu”), even though the text in Leviticus 23 does not explicitly mention the shofar, and even though the psalmist may have been speaking with poetic license. To state it plainly, the Hebrew of Leviticus 23:24 and Numbers 29:1 omit the word “shofar,” however, Psalm 81:4 adds it. (FYI: the LXX inserts the Greek word salpinx at Lev. 23:24, and keras at Ps. 81:3) Rosh Hashanah is the Jewish New Year. In fact, Judaism has four "new years" which mark various legal "years", much like 1 January marks the "New Year" of the Gregorian calendar. Rosh Hashanah is the new year for people, animals and legal contracts. The Mishnah also sets this day aside as the new year for calculating calendar years and sabbatical (shemitta) and jubilee (yovel) years. Adding extra months keeps the calendar in line with the solar seasons, but the true length of a lunation is 29.53 days, not 29.5, and the true length of an astronomical lunar year is 354.367 days, not 354. This means that every few years an extra day has also to be added at the end of the year to keep in line with the true astronomical lunar year. It also means that before the Exodus, the lunar calendar had fallen behind the true astronomical lunar year by about 1 day every 3 years and the new year did not always start at a new moon. However, after the Exodus the new lunar calendar had to come into line with the astronomical lunar year so that the extra months would then bring the lunar year into line with the solar year. That meant the calendar had to advance 10 days to start the new year following the Exodus at a new moon.

The Spirit and the Word The believer's relationship with the Ruach HaKodesh is both critical and progressive: critical, in that one learns that the Torah life is a life of faith rather than a life of works and has little reference to emotions ("The just shall live by faith."); progressive, in that, as one walks consistently in the power and control of the Ruach HaKodesh, the fruit of the Spirit will be produced in his life. A word of caution is in order. Do not seek an emotional or mystical experience. Do not depend on mystical impressions. That is not to say that when the Spirit comes upon an individual that emotions will not be involved. To be sure, most people express experiencing quite an emotional outburst connected to an encounter with the Divine. Yet, the objective Torah of God and the Fruit of the Spirit must be the basis of measuring and tracking our spiritual growth. There is an interesting parallel between Ephesians 5:18, which admonishes us to be constantly and continually directed and empowered by the Ruach HaKodesh, and Colossians 3:16, which admonishes us to "let the Word of Messiah richly dwell within you..." We know that it was the Torah, the very same teachings that we have today, that was inscribed upon the stone tablets that day. We also know that this same Torah is to be inscribed upon our hearts as we serve Yeshua (Jesus), to the glory of HaShem the Father. How do we get the Torah into our hearts? The Spirit of the Holy One makes real the fact that Yeshua the Messiah, in obedience to the Father, emptied himself on our behalf, and became as sin, that we might, consequently, become the righteousness of the Father! In other words, because the Ruach HaKodesh makes the effectual, sacrificial death of Messiah, a living reality in our hearts, we are now free to walk in newness of life! This act of faith on our part brings about the inscription of the Torah upon our hearts! To be sure, the Torah says that HaShem himself does this (Ezekiel 36:26, 27; Jeremiah 31:33)! We are free to pursue the Torah of Truth without condemnation (Romans 8:1)! This new identity in Messiah is the righteous relationship that our Heavenly Abba (Father) intended for us all along. The details surrounding that eventful Shavu'ot in Jerusalem now serve to remind us of this present reality. If you have not yet experienced this wonderful truth, that HaShem desires to have a personal relationship with you, then I urge you to accept his Messiah today! The Spirit of the Holy One will fill your life to overflowing, giving you a new and fresh purpose for living! His Spirit will write the Torah upon your heart! To be sure, he has promised to place within you a new voice and a new tongue! Such a tongue sings praises to the Father of Mercies! This very same Father is the one who sent his only and unique Son into the world to die for the sins of all men! “Chag Sah-meach Shavu’ot!” (Happy Festival of Weeks!) For further study, read: Ex. Chapter 19; Deut. 10:12-16; 30:6; Josh. 1:8; Ps. 19:7-11; 32:1, 2; Prov. 2:5, 6; Isaiah 53:5; Jer. 31:33, 34; Ezek. 36:25-27; John 1:14; Rom. 8:16; Eph. 2:4-10; Phil. 2:10, 11; Heb. 11:6.

What then is the “work of the Spirit” taught throughout the Apostolic Scriptures? Simply the subsequent empowering of an already saved individual to do things that he normally could not do under his own power. The crucial key to unlocking the debate over “IN” vs. “ON” is knowing that the Ruach HaKodesh firstly works “IN” us to bring about regeneration and then works “ON” us to bring about empowerment to do the Will of God. I personally think we should change our language from “IN” vs. “ON” to a more accurate depiction of “IN” as well as “ON.” The Spirit saves and the Spirit empowers! Why can’t we grasp these two important biblical truths simultaneously? The “Old Testament saints” were saved exactly the same way as we in the 21st century are saved: by grace, through faith in the gift of God, namely, the Son of God and the Spirit of God within us. Controlled by Messiah To be filled with the Ruach HaKodesh (Holy Spirit) is to be filled with Messiah (Christ). The Ruach HaKodesh came to glorify Messiah. Therefore, if I am filled with the Spirit, I am abiding in Messiah. I am walking in the light as he is the light, and the blood of Yeshua the Messiah (Jesus Christ) will cleanse and keep on cleansing me from all unrighteousness. I am controlled by Messiah because the word "filling" means to be controlled. And if I am controlled - not as a robot but as one who is led and empowered by the Spirit - the LORD Yeshua will walk around in my body, as it were, and live his resurrection life in and through me.

Shavu’ot in the New Testament: Round Two According to the Scriptural account in the Apostolic Scriptures/B’rit Chadashah (New Covenant, a.k.a., New Testament), HaShem allowed his Spirit to be experienced by all of the believers, as well as by the other men gathered there. The result was the disciples’ ability to speak in languages not yet personally learned. To be sure, the text says that Jews from every nation under heaven heard in their respective language, the Good News! This was amazing indeed! In fact, Kefa (Peter) had to defend their state of sobriety, as they were accused of being drunk so early in the morning! Were they indeed drunk? Yes, drunk in the Spirit! Tongues of fire and the sound of a violent wind also accompanied this magnificent display of the Spirit’s power. Actually, the Hebrew word for “spirit”, “breath”, and “wind” are all the same—ruach! Some believers today refer to this record as the birth of the Church although I do not hold to such a view personally. The Ruach HaKodesh – The Power to Live a Changed Life! BAPTISM IN THE RUACH HAKODESH (HOLY SPIRIT) - We believe by perfect faith that the Holy One, Blessed be He, desires that all of his children appropriate and internalize the power and fullness of his gracious Spirit. The Baptism in the Ruach HaKodesh and fire is a gift from HaShem as promised by Yeshua the Messiah to all believers and is received subsequent to the New Birth (Matt. 3:11; John 14:16, 17; Acts 1:8; 2:38, 39). The gift of tongues is but one of the many manifestations of the Ruach HaKodesh (Acts 2:4; 19:1-7; 1 Cor. 12:1-13; ch. 14). We believe in the operation of all of the gifts of the Ruach HaKodesh as enumerated in HaShem's Word. We embrace the complete ministry of the Ruach HaKodesh (Rom. 12; 1 Cor. 12:1-13).

Two Significant Scriptural Shavu’ots? Historically, the rabbis figure the giving of the Torah at Mount Sinai to have occurred on this day, that is, in the third month after Am Yisra’el came out of Egypt. Actually, the exact date of this familiar encounter, recorded for us in the book of Exodus, is not explicitly stated; the chronological evidence is convincing, however. At any rate, the author of the book of Acts does testify of the precise timing of the festival of Shavu'ot, and he specifically relates this festival to the pouring out of the Ruach HaKodesh, that is, the Holy Spirit, unto the believers gathered there in Jerusalem. Matan Torah (Giving of the Torah)

“Observe the festival of Shavu’ot with the first-gathered produce of the wheat harvest….” (Exodus 34:22) “From the day after the day of rest—that is, from the day you bring the sheaf for waving—you are to count seven full weeks, until the day after the seventh week; you are to count fifty days; and then you are to present a new grain offering to ADONAI.” (Leviticus 23:15-16) “The festival of Shavu’ot arrived, and the believers all gathered together in one place. Suddenly there came….” (Acts 2:1, 2a) “Not Skipping a Beat…” To create a seamless transition from Pesach to Pentecost—just as the Torah intended—I have decided to pick up the discussion about the timing of the Counting of the Omer from my Omer Reisheet commentary. Witness of the Septuagint

Suppose the Sadducean/Boethusian view is correct? Suppose that Omer Reisheet really starts on the morrow following the weekly Shabbat? This would put the festival on a Sunday every year. What is the impact on us now? Allow me to midrash in a different direction this time. There are seven festivals mentioned on the biblical calendar of Leviticus 23. Each festival carries a similar aspect that ties it into the complete cycle of yearly gatherings. In every single feast except one, we can observe that the instructions to “have a holy convocation” are given (technically, Pesach does not bear this description but I safely assume that the historical example of the inaugural Pesach in Egypt covers the technicality). The one that is singled out as not being identified as a convocation (gathering) is Omer Reisheet. What could the Holy One possibly be conveying to us here? The following explanation will serve as a personal drash (homiletic application) on the calendar and this day that follows the Shabbat. It is not to be understood as the objective interpretation of the text rather, it is identifiably subjective. I base my understanding, however, on the objective findings of the text itself. Isra'el was destined to be great among the surrounding nations. Theirs was a call to holiness, vividly demonstrated by their unique, God-given calendar. Surely, the many cultures and peoples that they interacted with had calendars of their own, identifying their various holy days and such. Yet Isra'el was to showcase the heavenly reality, through earthly means, that there was only One, True God under heaven worthy to be identified and worshipped as Creator. Isra'el was to teach the surrounding nations—by their own lifestyle—that “God is One” (Deut. 6:4). The pagans brought their worship of the Sun into Christianity, and its traces can be observed even today. Easter is rightly recognized as the “holiest” gathering within Christianity. Billions of followers flock to sunrise services all over the world to pay homage to the True Son who was resurrected on this day—and rightfully so! Were it not for the awesome resurrection of our LORD Yeshua from the power of death, we believers—Jew and Gentile, would have no hope in this world! Moreover, he did defeat death on that day, and we do have reason to celebrate! But do we have a biblical injunction to gather on this particular day? It is my premise that we do not. Our theology seems to be correct, yet our methodology lacks authenticity. Today, tradition still blinds us to the unchanging Truth of God’s Word—a Truth that should not be compromised! The world is watching us believers. They are observing whether or not we will make a difference between the clean and unclean, the holy and the profane, life and death! HaShem did not tell ‘Am Isra'el to “gather” on Omer Reisheet—the day after the Shabbat—which, according to the Sadducees, is Sunday itself!—in order to separate his truth from the error of paganism (remember sun worship has existed since the days of Bavel). I believe that the people of the TaNaKH set the biblical example NOT to gather on that special Sunday during the Passover Week for a true heavenly reason. Why have we failed to grasp this truth? Surely Yeshua was raised from death to life on that morning following the Sabbath! Surely he is the “firstfruits from the dead”! He is the first person to be raised unto a resurrection of incorruptible flesh! Although our flesh still houses sin, his flesh was sinless before his death on the execution stake; his resurrection demonstrates for us genuine believers what a resurrected body will be made like—raised to life everlasting! Why then do we continue to confuse this wonderful truth with our man-made traditions? Isn't it time we start demonstrating his holiness by the very days that we gather together on?

The foregoing considerations have shown, first, that the sign of Jonah given by Yeshua to prove His Messiahship consisted not in an exact 72-hour entombment, but in His Resurrection on the third day after His death. Second, the phrase "three days and three nights" (Matt 12:40) is an idiomatic expression which in Bible times meant not necessarily three complete 24-hour days (72 hours), but rather three calendric days, of which the first and the third could have consisted of only a few hours. The latter conclusion is supported by the prevailing inclusive method of day-reckoning, by the parallel usage of the phrases "after three days" and "on the third day," and by the uninterrupted chronological sequence of days which does not allow for three complete 24-hour days. A recognition of these facts adequately explains how Yeshua fulfilled His prediction of a "three days and three nights" entombment by being buried on Friday afternoon and rising early on Sunday morning.

Issues Surrounding the “Timing” of Omer Reisheet Some readers will readily note that history has been generally “unkind” to this particular festival. What do I mean by “unkind”? I mean to draw your attention to the fact that no less than three prominent Jewish sects have come to interpret the timing associated with the start of this count in at least three respective, but differing ways. Author Tim Hegg has brilliantly noted such differences in his short paper ‘Counting the Omer’, viewable from his web site http://www.torahresource.com/ At least three different sects understood the chronology of the omer counting differently: a) the majority of the Jewish community, and perhaps particularly those in Judea, near Jerusalem, considered the phrase “the morrow after the Sabbath" to be the day following the opening sabbath of Chag HaMatzot, that is, the 16th of Nisan; b) a sub-group of the Sadducees, the Boethusians, took the Leviticus text to mean “the morrow after the (weekly) Sabbath," and thus commenced their counting on the day following the first weekly Sabbath within the festival week. c) the Qumran sect apparently understood the Sabbath in question to be the final day of Chag HaMatzot, and thus began their counting on the first day of the week following the completed festival. So, which view is correct and how does it impact you the reader? Depending on which view you go with, the impact will determine the date you celebrate Shavu’ot fifty days later!

The wonderful reality that is ours is that the [1 Cor. 5:7, 8] directly associates us with “unleavened bread”. This is our new identity in Yeshua HaMashiach! This is our true identity! His sacrifice redeemed us from the slavery of the sin of “spiritual Egypt”, and changed our very constitution! We are actually a completely new batch of dough! Rav Sha’ul is therefore instructing us to start living as if this reality has been internalized already—for indeed it should be by now! His further instructions in this passage act as an explicit teaching for the Messianic Community of the first century not to neglect the divine invitation to observe the Passover, complete with HaMatzah. After all, is not the verse saying, “So let us celebrate the Seder….”? These instructions can be applied to the Body of believers today, without falling into the trappings of legalism and the like. I hope that each believer reading this article will at some time in his or her spiritual walk desire to attend a Passover Seder. I encourage each one of you to expand your understanding of these biblical feast days. Finally, with the feast of HaMatzah comes the understanding that only the Messiah Yeshua is the sinless Lamb of God. In my opening statement to the commentary on Pesach I stated that Yeshua literally fulfilled each of the first four feasts of Leviticus chapter 23. How did he fulfill HaMatzah? Aside from celebrating this feast with his Torah-observant family year after year, his body—the True Bread from heaven, was without leaven in any sense of the word. His sinless life represents the heavenly matzah offered on HaShem’s Passover plate. During our earthly Seders, we partake of the middle piece of matzah, also known by its Greek name “afikomen”. It is this middle piece that is hidden and redeemed during the ceremony. Messianics understand this symbolism to represent Yeshua’s “unleavened body” being placed in the grave (hidden) for three days and nights, only to be redeemed (rise again) by his resurrection power from on high. We believers so aptly capture this reality in our various “communion” services. Let us celebrate the festival of HaMatzah with joy! Personal examination. Take time to conduct a spiritual inspection of your walk with HaShem. Allow this Spirit-led introspection to reveal where the leaven is hidden. You just may be surprised to find out where the leaven in your life is hanging out! I know that I always am. In order to make this time period more effective, we need to use the most effective tool for this particular job! The Torah.

Should Christians celebrate Passover? The short answer is “yes,” Christians should celebrate Passover. After all, Paul explicitly tells us to in 1 Cor 5:8. He says, “Let us therefore celebrate the festival…” and then he goes on to tell us how to celebrate it. But the point I am making is that he actually TELLS us to keep it. Whoever says that the NT doesn't command Gentile believers to keep parts of the Torah (Law) has obviously missed this verse. What does Paul mean when he says to not let anyone judge us in regard to keeping the Sabbath? The verse should be interpreted as Paul telling these Messianic Gentiles, “Don't worry if the unbelieving religious Jews judge you for KEEPING kosher, Feasts, New Moons, and Sabbath observances—without becoming legally recognized Jews first. You are grafted into Isra'el—as Gentiles—via your faith in the King of Isra'el. In the end, you will most likely get kicked out of their synagogues and out of their festive celebrations because you did not change your ethnicity, but don't worry, those things are a shadow nonetheless. You have the SUBSTANCE that those shadows point to—which is Messiah himself.” What does the Bible say about Christian liberty? Biblical freedom does not mean free from Law. Again, knowing that Yeshua set us free from sin, its proclivities, its bondage, and its ultimate penalty, helps us to understand Paul’s teachings on this subject. The paradigm set by the Exodus narrative teaches us that sin (bondage) prevents us from truly worshiping God the way he deserves to be worshipped. Speaking for God, Moses said, “Let my people go so that they may serve me!” Once Yeshua makes us alive in him and sets us free indeed, we are then free to worship God properly without the fear of condemnation or bondage to sin. This means we are free to walk into Torah the way God intended it to be walked out: in imitation of Messiah, by the Spirit, and to the glory of God the Father. What does it mean to be circumcised in Christ? The short answer is that to be circumcised in Christ means one is saved, taking the word “circumcision” here to refer to “circumcision of the heart, indicative of genuine faith in Yeshua (Jesus).” To be sure, a few verses later we read,” For what does the Scripture say? “Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness.”” (Rom 4:3) Circumcision implies cutting something away, whether it is physical foreskin, or spiritual unbelief. Circumcised in Christ means unbelief has been cut away from the heart so that one sees Messiah by faith, and such faith saves him.

Commentary Contents: Introduction and English/Hebrew Liturgy (Exodus 13:1-16) Are Isra’el and the Church the same thing? Does God still have a plan for Isra’el? Should Christians celebrate Passover? What does Paul mean when he says to not let anyone judge us in regard to keeping the Sabbath? What does the Bible say about Christian liberty? What does it mean to be circumcised in Christ? Okay, are you ready to tackle some possibly debatable Jewish-Christian topics related to Passover? I personally love a good Bible debate/discussion, as long as the differing parties agree beforehand to keep things civil, professional, and bathed in the love of Yeshua. For that reason, let us be careful to invite the Ruach HaKodesh into our Q/A session, with the conviction that all things should be done in order to exhort one another towards brotherly love and growth in the Body, amen? I have laced the answers themselves with links to eBible.com and their wonderful scriptural resources. In reality, all of the questions and answers in this commentary can be found on the eBible.com site itself; the questions were sent in by real people (they are not set-up questions), and the answers are my own. Follow this link to read more questions and answers that I personally have addressed: https://ebible.com/users/492502/profile I believe this first question and answer—actually made of two separate questions—forms the foundation towards appreciating the importance of the subsequent Passover related questions and answers that will be presented in this commentary. In my estimation, once we as Jews and Gentiles in Messiah begin to understand our place within salvation and election history, we will subsequently have a better chance at comprehending the oft-controversial topics of exactly who should be following Torah, who should be keeping the Feasts, is the Torah bondage, and what exactly the value of circumcision is from a biblical perspective. Are Isra’el and the Church the same thing? Does God still have a plan for Isra’el?