These Days Of Awe

In Jewish tradition, The Days of Awe are ten days from Rosh Hashanah to Yom Kippur. These days are considered the holiest days on the Jewish calendar. They are a time for reflection, fasting, and repentance. During this time Jews ask forgiveness from those they have wronged and forgive those who have wronged them. On Yom Kippur (The Day of Atonement), Jews believe that the fate of the Jewish people will be sealed by God's judgment over them on this day.

I wish it were easier, but it's not. There are multiple names for everything in Judaism. These fall feasts are also called the High Holy Days. Not only are they called feasts, they are also called festivals and holidays. The word "feasts" is the Hebrew word "mo'ed," which means to "keep an appointment" or "appointed times." The term, "holy convocation" refers to a "rehearsal" of God's people before His appearance in judgment against sin and rebellion. God has always had a prophetic calendar. The feasts of the Lord were "dress rehearsals" in God's prophetic calendar for Israel to rehearse and worship on so they would remember when their promised Messiah came and what He did.

These feasts were given to the children of Israel by Moses, who received this calendar as part of God's revelation on Mount Sinai. All of the festivals that take place in the spring were fulfilled in the person of Jesus, the Messiah. They all point to His first coming. These High Holy Days are the final three appointed times and we believe they relate to His second coming.

Before We Get Any Further

Rosh Hashanah, referred to by many as The Jewish New Year, begins in late summer or early fall (in September or October). There has been confusion over time since technically this is not truly the beginning of the year in Biblical terms. It marks the beginning of the civil year. The Biblical term for this holiday is Yom Teruah, meaning the Day of Trumpets. This year it starts at sundown Sunday, September 6, 2021. It begins with the blowing of the shofar (ram's horn) and ends with Yom Kippur on Wednesday, September 15. All of the High Holy Days come to a close with Sukkot, also known as The Feast of Booths or Tabernacles, which begins on the evening of Monday, September 20. Sukkot lasts for seven days with a final day of celebration known as Hoshana Rabba.

Let's take a quick overview look into these feasts.

Feast of Trumpets - Yom Teruah

Rosh Hashanah falls on the first and second days of Rosh Hashanah. The entire day is holy, with no work permitted. Jews believe that these are the holiest days on the Jewish calendar. They are a time for reflection, fasting, and repentance. They are considered to be the precursor to Yom Kippur (The Day of Atonement). During this time, Jews ask forgiveness from those they have wronged and forgive those who have wronged them. During the day a person's fate for the new year is sealed by God's judgment over them on this day. On Rosh Hashanah, Jews believe that their fate for the next year will be sealed by God's judgment over them on this day.

In Messianic Judaism, the Feast of Trumpets carries a deeper significance. It is a day ordained by God to call His people together and stir their hearts for the coming King of Israel, who will reign over all the earth. This Feast speaks of many things including (1) The rapture; (2) The gathering together unto Christ; (3) The return of our Lord; and (4) A prophetic look forward and backward.

For a deep dive on this holiday and all the rest, be sure to listen to The Jewish Road Podcast and our series on the Feasts of Israel.

Day Of Atonement - Yom Kippur

Yom Kippur is a day that begins with fasting. On Yom Kippur, Jews believe that their fate for the next year will be sealed by God's judgment over them on this day. This is the most important of all the holidays because it is on this day that individuals are judged by God. At night, Jews gather together to read from scriptures and say prayers. This was the one day during the year when the high priest of Israel would go into the Holy of Holies, a small room in the Tabernacle or Temple that was off-limits to everyone - except for this one day. The high priest would sacrifice a goat and place his hands over it as he affirmed that the people were forgiven of their sins. The priests believed that God would then look at the blood on the goat and remember the people's sin no more.

For Jews who believe in Jesus, this Day of Atonement is fulfilled by the blood of Jesus. His death brings an end to sin so that there is no longer a need for sacrifices to be made on this day. In the Bible, when an animal is sacrificed for sin, God believed that it was a representation of what was to come. So when Jesus died on the cross and shed His blood for our sins, He did this in order to "turn away God's wrath from us." Because of His sacrifice, we can be forgiven and experience eternal life.

Feast of Tabernacles - Sukkot

Sukkot is a holiday with an agricultural origin and is also known as the Feast of Ingathering. It celebrates the harvest and commemorates God's protection of His people during their wandering in the desert. Jews build a temporary shelter (called a Sukkah) and eat their meals in this shelter for seven days to commemorate their time in the desert when they had little to no shelter and lived under the stars.

For the Jewish people today, there are four basic tenets to Sukkot: (1) eating in a sukkah, (2) sitting in a sukkah, (3) sleeping in a sukkah, and (4) studying Torah in a sukkah. Sukkot is one of three pilgrimage festivals (Passover, Pentecost, Tabernacles) during which Jews were commanded to go to the Temple in Jerusalem. It is believed that God's presence was always present at the tabernacle and later temple during these times.

Jews who believe in Jesus recognize that Sukkot foreshadowed their Messiah who would come and stay with them for this time - not in a temple or tabernacle - but in the person of Jesus Christ.

The Feast of Tabernacles holds prophetic significance. We believe that this feast points forward to the second coming of Jesus when He will reign over the earth. On this day, God will no longer just dwell in the Holy of Holies behind a veil, but He will come to earth and live with mankind. The Bible says, "On that day the Lord will become king over all the earth. On that day He will be one and His Name will be one." (Zechariah 14:9)

Celebrate With Anticipation

So, as you celebrate these holidays this year, remember that they are not just about tradition or history or law. They are also divine appointments with God. They tell the story of God's redemptive plan for mankind and on each day, we are reminded that the Messiah is coming back!

Until He does, our desire is to remain focused on Him as we "wait with an assured expectancy" for His return. We look forward to being able to worship Him again face-to-face one day soon!