The Jewish High Holidays
The three fall feasts of Israel occur on the holiest month on the Hebrew calendar, the sacred month of Tishri. Of note, all three occur this month (on our Gregorian calendar). Rosh Hashanah, the Feast of Trumpets – also known as the Civil New Year, begins the year 5785 on the Hebrew calendar and starts at sundown on the night October 2. Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement, begins on October 11th; while five days later, on October 16, Sukkot or the Feast of Tabernacles, is celebrated. Interestingly, these fall feasts of Israel thematically picture the beautiful road to redemption for us as followers of Jesus, the Messiah.
Let me explain.
Specifically, the fall feasts are unique among God’s appointed times because they form a natural progression of thought. Writes Mitch Glaser in his book “The Fall Feasts of Israel”:
“The Feast of Trumpets (Rosh Hashanah), teaches repentance; Yom Kippur, The Day of Atonement, redemption, and Sukkot, the Feast of Tabernacles or Booths, rejoicing. On the Feast of Trumpets, the sound of the ram’s horn calls upon each Jew to repent and confess his sins before His maker. The Day of Atonement is that ominous day when peace is made with God. On the feast of Tabernacles, Israel obeys God’s command to rejoice over the harvest and the goodness of God. It’s necessary to pass through repentance and redemption in order to experience His joy.”
Rosh Hashanah (Leviticus 23:23-25) is the Jewish New Year and literally in Hebrew means “head of the year.” During this time the shofar is sounded, beginning what is known as the Ten Days of Awe. It’s a time of repentance, a time when Jewish people would and still do examine their lives and repent of sins.
Similarly, the pronouncement of Jesus’ mission and the content of His own message was a call to repentance. John the Baptist prepared the way for Jesus, calling out, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand,” – echoing the theme Jesus himself repeated throughout His earthly ministry (Matthew 3:2; 4:17).
After Rosh Hashanah, it’s with a repentant heart that the Jewish people approach Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement (Leviticus 23:26-32). The word yom means day. Kippur means atonement, which comes from the Hebrew word Kapper, to cover. All day Jewish people fast and implore God for forgiveness, and asking Him to place their name in the Book of Life (Psalm 69:27-28; Daniel 12:1).
As Christians, we celebrate in the redemption accomplished through the person and work of Jesus, “In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace” (Ephesians 1:7). Because we have been redeemed, our names are inscribed in the Book of Life, as the New Testament reveals (Philippians 4:3; Revelation 3:5; Revelation 20:12).
Lastly, the Feast of Tabernacles (Leviticus 23:33-34, 39-43) or Sukkot in Hebrew, occurs five days after Yom Kippur. As the sun goes down, marking the end of the Day of Atonement, Jewish people begin to build the Sukkah Booth. In Biblical times this was a joyful celebration of the final fall harvest. The Feast of Tabernacles also commemorates God’s deliverance of His people from Egypt and their 40 years of wilderness wandering, when they dwelt in tents. God’s tabernacle was with them. We remember and rejoice in God’s faithfulness and His provision!
As believers, we remember and rejoice in God’s provision of salvation found in the person and work of our Jesus, who has delivered us from sin’s bondage, and in His continual faithfulness to us as we journey life’s road on our way to our own promised land – the New Jerusalem (Revelation 21).
So, our salvation journey follows a similar thematic progression as the Fall Feasts of Israel: for we repent of our sins, experience God’s redemption as we put our trust in Jesus, and rejoice in His salvation!
This is a wonderful season to be praying for and witnessing to Jewish people in your lives, as spiritual sensitivity toward things of God is elevated, even for many who are nominally religious or even irreligious.
Additionally, as we ponder our road to redemption and the joy our salvation brings, may that joy be a powerful witness to those who’ve not yet recognized Jesus as the Way. Amen.
To learn more about the Jewish holidays, check out our collection of DVDs here.