These are the set times of Yahweh to be celebrated as sacred occasions:
Leviticus 23:23-44
- On the first day of the 7th month sound the shofar;
- The 10th day of this month is The Day of Atonement;
- On the 15th day of this 7th month begin the Feast of Booths
- Followed by the 8th Day, a solemn gathering
It has been noted that Yah's Set Apart times are also types and shadows of things to come, that those which occur during the spring have been fulfilled by the death and resurrection of Yahshua, and that the ones which occur in the fall (the 7th month) are yet to be fulfilled. These could be related to events recorded in Revelation:
The 7th Seal, which has yet to be opened...
The 7 Shofars, which have yet to sound....
The Gathering of Yah's Chosen People...
Yahshua as our king and High Priest
After 1,000 years Yah restores all things
Leviticus 23:23
Yahweh spoke to Moses saying, "Speak to the Israelite people thus: In the seventh month, on the first day of the month, you shall observe complete rest, a sacred occasion commemorated with loud blasts. You shall not work at your occupations and you shall bring an offering by fire to YHWH Elohim.
23:27
The tenth day of this seventh month is the Day of Atonement. It shall be a sacred occasion for you: you shall practice self denial, and you shall bring an offering by fire to YHWH Elohim; you shall do no work throughout that day. It is a Day of Atonement on which expiation is made on your behalf before Yahweh your Elohim. Whoever does not practice self denial throughout that day will be cut off from his kin, and whoever does any work throughout that day, I will cause that person to perish from among his people. Do no work whatever; it is a law for all time, throughout the ages, in all your settlements. It shall be a sabbath of complete rest for you and you shall practice self denial; on the ninth day of the month from evening to evening, you shall observe this sabbath.
And again in Numbers 29 with more details:
In the seventh month, on the first day of the month, you shall observe a sacred occasion: you shall not work at your occupations. You shall observe it as a day when the horn is sounded (a day of festivity). You shall present a burnt offering of pleasing odor to YHWH: one bull of the herd, one ram, and seven yearling lambs, without blemish. The meal offering with them - choice flour with oil mixed in - shall be 3/10 of a measure for a bull, 2/10 for a ram and 1/10 for each of the seven lambs. And there shall be one goat for a sin offering, to make expiation in your behalf in addition to the burnt offering of the new moon with its meal offering and the regular burnt offer with its meal offer each with its libation as prescribed, offerings by fire of pleasing odor to YHWH.
29:7
On the tenth day of the same seventh month you shall observe a scared occasion with you shall practice self denial. You shall do no work. You shall present to YHWH a burnt offering of pleasing odor: one bull of the herd, one ram, seven yearling lambs, without blemish. The meal offering with them - of choice flour with oil mixed in - shall be 3/10 of a measure for a bull, 2/10 for the ram, 1/10 for each of the seven lambs. And there shall be one goat for a sin offering of expiation and the regular burnt offering with its meal offering each with its libation.
New moons, regular offerings, blasts of the shofars, atonement, 7th month, days of the month... how do we apply these rules to our modern days? How do we know God's Calendar of Months? If the temple nor the the priesthood exist, how are we to make offerings? Did Y'shua fulfill all offerings? How do we observe these times without causing YHWH to become upset with us?
We can keep these days as sacred occasions and not work at our occupations. We can shout out to YHWH on the first day and practice self denial on the tenth day. We can live as examples of what it means to be Set Apart and study out the Word of Elohim to be familiar with these appointments He put in place for us. We should not substitute other behavior or traditions and think we are pleasing Him.
A 'sacred occasion' is akin to a dignified ceremony; solemn; earnest. 'Self-denial' is akin to setting aside our own interests; restraining our own desires; being in control of our impulses as we refrain from indulging ourselves (turn off the TV, radio, computer, phones, etc...)
On the first day of the 7th month of Yah's Calendar we observe the Feast of Trumpets as a sabbath's day rest and do no work on this day. Shout praises unto Elohim, let Yahweh know you're here! Then on the 10th day of this 7th month, set it aside as a dignified ceremony wherein not only do we treat it as a sabbath of rest and do no work but also deny ourselves our usual activities. Go without eating regular meals this day, be in prayer about your life and where you stand in the Word and know Y'shua the Son of Elohim is making Atonement in our behalf. Let us be worthy of this friendship with the one who laid down his life that we could gain life eternal.
Sukkot = The Ingathering of Yah's People
This is one of the set times where the males traveled to Jerusalem, after the end of season harvest, to make the appropriate offerings at the temple, and they lived in huts or tents while there. Only during every 7th year did the entire household attend this Feast of Booths. We can treat the first day as a sabbath day of complete rest and do the same for the 8th day. If we want to 'camp out' in our own backyards, I don't see why not as long as we remember we do this so that we teach future generations that YHWH made His people live in booths when He brought them out of Egypt.
There are many groups who like to advertise a gathering place for folks to celebrate Sukkot, which seems like a good thing, when in reality Yah chose Jerusalem, the last place He attached His Name was there, so how can we think we are honoring him if we do it our own way, where ever we choose? We should know enough by now not to make it up as we go along.
!!! HOLD EVERYTHING !!!
Here is one of the unforeseen benefits of studying topics such as this. I had recently read a post from folks already celebrating the First Day of the 7th Month, which I thought was aligned in October, not September, but I never followed that trail at the time. Right now while looking for a calendar to share I found out where that discrepancy came from... turns out to be a rabbinic error in adding a leap month when it was not necessary. Here is a quote from The Refiner's Fire:
For 2016 our calendar and the traditional Jewish calendar are FAR off! The reason is, the traditional calendar applies a fixed cycle of leap years, so for 2016, the traditional calendar is a leap year when it should not be! It has Nisan a whole month late! Our calendar has Nisan falling at the correct date so Pesach (passover) falls just after the Vernal Equinox, i.e., Spring. Thus our calendar for 2016 differs from the rabbinic 2016 calendar for all dates after February 9th!
So let it be known - how can we please our Creator if we don't even know what day it is? and whose fault is that? and how do we remedy this? I see another study on the horizon! Stay tuned!
And I also see why YHWH Elohim said this:
Isaiah 7:11 What need have I of all your sacrifices... I have no delight that you come to appear before Me - trample My courts no more. Bringing your offerings is futile, incense is offensive to Me. New moon and sabbath you proclaim solemnities and assemble with wickedness I cannot tolerate. Your new moons (months) and your fixed seasons (man's traditions and substitutes for Yah's moedim) fill Me with loathing - they have become a burden to Me, no longer a joy. When you lift up your hands in false praise and worship I will turn My Eyes away from you.
