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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.

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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.

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Discussions Torah

Genesis 42:18-38: Broken hearts bring the heart of God to tears

The life of Yosef (Joseph) is a shadow of the life of the Messiah in a number of ways. In the latter half of Genesis 42, we see another shadow: Yosef was hidden from his brothers yet wanted to weep when he heard their penitence over the death they thought they had set in motion for him by selling him into slavery.

That’s the repentance God seeks from Israel for the treatment of God’s Messiah. The prophets and apostles foretell that day will come.

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Discussions Torah

Genesis 42:1-22: Messiah’s hidden meeting with Israel foretold through Yosef

When the brothers of Yosef (Joseph) came to Mitsraim (Egypt), even the second time, they did not recognize him at all. He was concealed from them behind a new name, Zaphenath-paneakh, and new appearance, shaved and in garb of his office.

Similarly, Yeshua (Jesus) the Messiah is known as Jesus Christ the Church-maker in the Gentile world, and He is hidden from the rest of the descendants of Israel.

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Discussions Torah

Genesis 41, part 2: Messianic connection between pharaoh and Yosef

Messianic figures in the Bible aren’t one-to-one representations of the Messiah, but the messianic figures of the pharaoh of Mitsraim (Egypt) and Yosef (Joseph) do give us a glimpse of the relationship between the Father and the Messiah.

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Discussions Torah

Genesis 41, part 1: Yosef foretells of seven famine years in Mitsraim

Yosef (Joseph) rose quickly from forgotten prisoner to second in command of Mitsraim (Egypt), all over two strange visions Pharaoh had of fat and famished cows then plump and withered heads of grain. Behind all this we see the Creator’s hand at work, teaching Pharaoh, Mitsraim and us about where we should put our trust.

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Discussions Torah

Genesis 39-40: Yosef resists wife of Potiphar and interprets three-days-related dreams of cupbearer and baker of Pharaoh

The Lord was clearly with Yosef (Joseph) in Potiphar’s house, yet Yosef was framed for jilting an adulterous wife. And the Lord was with Yosef in the prison he was thrown into, interpreting two dreams about the future of the pharaoh’s jailed wine server and baker. The symbols of wine and bread there point to the future life of Yeshua the Messiah.