Categories
Apostolic Writings Appointments With God Discussions Firstfruits Passover Pentecost/Shavuot Prophets and Writings Tabernacles The Eighth Day Torah Trumpets Unleavened Bread

God’s appointments with humankind gain meaning over time — not obsolescence

A number of theologians have wondered publicly if the festivals of the LORD are relevant for today or are just historical or intellectual curiosities. Many dismiss Sukkot as either a harvest festival only applicable in the Land of Israel or only relevant with a standing temple. Let’s explore what the Bible says about the past, present and future layers of meaning in these annual appointments and how they teach us about the Messiah and ourselves.

We will look at the different layers of the festivals: past, present and future.

In a sense, they are like a wedding anniversary, on which the couple remembers all the experiences layered on top of one another since the cutting of that first wedding cake.

Categories
Apostolic Writings Appointments With God Atonement Discussions Prophets and Writings Torah

Yom Kippur: Day of hope in the covering and removal of our sins via blood of Yeshua

All of the Torah speaks about Yeshua. In remembering Yom haKippurim through Leviticus 16 and 23, Isaiah 58 and Hebrews 8-10, we see Yeshua as the High Priest, the goat that was slain and the goat that was cast away. We fast because this is a little token, it’s the least we can do in response to the immeasurable sufferings of the Messiah Yeshua. It’s not a day of darkness, but of hope, not just for me but for all mankind.

Categories
Apostolic Writings Discussions

Luke 19:29-40, part 2: Donkeys in Scripture point to Messiah’s entry to Yerushalayim

There is so much emphasis in Luke 19:29-40 about Yeshua’s riding into Yerushalayim (Jerusalem) on a donkey that had never carried a burden and about the proclamation, “Blessed is he who comes in the name of the LORD.” That donkey’s first burden was a profound burden, and we see throughout Scripture a number of donkeys carrying important burdens that prophetically point toward that triumphal entry.

Categories
Apostolic Writings Discussions

Luke 19:29-44: Lamb of God takes prophetically foreboding donkey ride into Yerushalayim for Passover

Two key themes in this passage are the arrival of Yeshua into Yerushalayim on a donkey and the responsive public cry, “Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord.” That blessed One came as the Lamb of God, yet Israel’s “shepherds” ignored Him, searching for the prophesied Lion of Yehudah. When the Lamb of God returns as the Lion of Yehudah, no one will be able to ignore Him.

Categories
Apostolic Writings Discussions

Luke 18:18-19:28: Eyes to see what God really values

These seemingly randomly inserted passages do fit the previous theme of learning to see people how God sees them: Few rich people in heaven, a camel through the eye of a needle, a warning about the restoration of Yeshua three days after humiliation and suffering, healing of a blind man, repentance of Zakkai (Zaccheus) the tax collector, parable of 10 coins for servants of a king.

Categories
Apostolic Writings Discussions

Luke 18:9-27: Enough with trust in our righteousness and other stuff!

There are several questions posed in Luke 18 on faith, which as we’ve seen in verses 1–8 is better translated as trust. Do we trust in God’s justice or our own vengeance? Do we trust in God’s righteousness or in our own righteousness?

Categories
Apostolic Writings Discussions

Luke 18:1-8: Loss of trust in God’s promises, justice

In Luke 18:8, Yeshua said that before the Son of Man’s return that “the faith” would be scarce on Earth. From the Greek word for “faith,” pistis, we learn that we need to seek God’s strengthening of the “pillars” that supporting our role as “temples” for God on Earth: trust in God’s promises and justice.