Introduction to the Fall Appointed Times
Welcome to the Messiah Beyond a Shadow of Doubt. I'm Don McCluskey and we have reached a milestone in our study of the Messiah in the Appointed Times. We've completed a fascinating study of the Spring Appointed Times in Leviticus 23 and laid a foundation for learning about the Messiah in the Fall Appointed Times.
The Appointed Times on a One-Year Timeline
As you recall, this is our diagram of the Spring Appointed Times, and you've become quite familiar with it. You can probably describe it to your friends with the greatest of ease. You can no doubt explain how Jesus fulfilled each one in the timing and in the substance, and how it demonstrates that it is His signature, proving that He is the Messiah. So, I won't take your time to review them again. We'll just take the Spring Appointed Times and place them neatly in a box, and position them on our one-year timeline on the month of Abib, which is in the springtime.
Now, since the Spring Appointed Times form the Time Signature of the Messiah and positively identify Jesus as the Messiah, it becomes obvious that we must look into the Fall Appointed Times to see what they tell us about His Second Coming. Now, the Fall Appointed Times are laid out on a much simpler schedule than the Spring Appointed Times. There's no question about when they should be observed. So, let's briefly take a look at them.
Overview of the Fall Appointed Times
All of the Fall Appointed Times take place during the month of Tishri, which is in the September-October timeframe. The silver edge moon for the month of Tishri signals the beginning of the Day of Trumpets. It is a one-day Appointed Time and it is a High Sabbath. The next Fall Appointed Time occurs on the 10th day of the month. It is the very solemn Day of Atonement, and it is also a High Sabbath.
And finally, the last of the Fall Appointed Times is the seven-day Feast that begins on the 15th day of the month. As we've mentioned before, the Feast of Booths has High Sabbaths at the beginning and at the end, like bookends. And as you might guess, the first day of this feast is a High Sabbath, but it might surprise you to learn that the last day is not a High Sabbath. Rather the day after the last day of the feast is a High Sabbath. Very interesting. What do you think the reason is for that?
So, this is how they are laid out on the calendar. Now let's take a brief look into each of the Fall Appointed Times.
The Day of Trumpets
The Day of Trumpets is the first Fall Appointed Time. It is observed on the first day of the seventh month, and it seems to foreshadow the sounding of the trumpet that will signal the end of the world as we know it. That would be a pretty big event. The Book of Revelation reveals that a time is coming when seven trumpets will be given to seven angels. At the sound of each trumpet, something of apocalyptic magnitude will take place. But at the sound of the seventh trumpet, the Messiah will not only return, but the kingdom of the world will become His kingdom and He will take His great power and begin to reign. He will be crowned as the king of the universe and judge the dead and reward those who served Him. And then His wrath will be poured out on those who remain on earth, an awesome and fearful culmination to world history.
The Day of Atonement
Then the next fall Appointed Time occurs on the 10th day of the seventh month, and it is known as the Day of Atonement. You may have heard of this day, the one day each year that the high priest enters through the veil in the tabernacle, into the most holy place, taking with Him the sacrificial blood. The Book of Hebrews makes it very clear that the actions of the high priests in this ceremony are a shadow of Jesus' actions, when with His own blood, He entered the heavenly tabernacle that was made without human hands and He obtained eternal redemption. The Day of Atonement is the most holy day of the Jewish year, and indeed it foreshadows a pivotal event, the most significant event in all human history.
The Feast of Booths
Finally, the last Appointed Time is called the Feast of Booths, which is also known as the Feast of Tabernacles. All of the people of Israel were instructed to build a temporary dwelling out of living branches and foliage, which they call a booth, and they were to live in it for seven days. The Lord commanded them to celebrate, and rejoice, and feast together with friends and family, and give thanks for His provision in the harvest. Wow, what a great commandment from the Lord – have a great time, and that's an order!
So, what is the meaning or the substance of the Feast of Booths? When we consider the nature of this Appointed Time in light of some of the other hints in the Scriptures, it becomes evident that this feast carries the idea of taking up residence and it foreshadows taking up residence in heaven. The Messiah on His heavenly throne and the new Jerusalem, and believers taking up residence in the eternal homes with Him in paradise for all eternity. This is the Magnificent Hope of all those who follow Jesus, eternal life in paradise.
The Meaning of Their Order
Now, when you step back and take a look at the order of the Fall Appointed Times, can you see a logical progression of events? I certainly can. The return of the Messiah, His coronation, the gathering of His followers, judgment and reward, the atonement applied, and then taking up residence in the new Jerusalem with Christ on the throne and His followers in heavenly homes.
But let me caution you before jumping to that conclusion, because we must first study each Appointed Time on its own so we can understand them individually before making assumptions about how they fit together. Now, these shadows of fantastic things to come should raise some excitement in your mind, and possibly some anxiety for some of you, but I'm sure that it also incites your imagination and raises many questions. For example, since the Messiah's fulfillment of the Spring Appointed Times was so exact, does that mean that He will return exactly on Tishri 1, the Day of Trumpets even though He said that no one knows the day or the hour? Another interesting question to ponder. So, we have some very interesting ground to cover as we look into the Fall Appointed Times.
Overview of the Jewish Teachings of the Fall Appointed Times
Now, at this point I would like to take a slight detour and give a high-level overview of the Jewish teachings of how the Fall Appointed Times fit together. Not so we can simply mimic their interpretation, but for the purpose of comparison and to highlight the differences between the Appointed Times holy days and the non-Appointed Times holy days. We want to keep a laser sharp focus on the Appointed Times in order to see how they speak of the Messiah. And you'll see that it is especially important to do this for the purpose of clarifying the terms to make sure that you have a clear understanding of the things that are related to the Appointed Times and those which are not.
Rosh Hashana
To begin, you may have heard the term Rosh Hashana, which is the name given to the Jewish Civil New Year's Day. Rosh Hashana means head of the year, and it is observed on Tishri 1, which is the same date as the Day of Trumpets. So, we have to be careful not to confuse the two. You should be aware that Rosh Hashana is not an Appointed Time, so we must not mingle its meanings and traditions with the Appointed Times that the Lord gave to Moses.
According to the Jewish Talmud, Rosh Hashana is one of four Jewish New Year's days and it marks the first day of the year for ordinary years. In other words, it begins a new year for civil events and dates. Now, it may sound a bit strange to have two holidays in the same day, but it's very important that we keep our focus on the Appointed Times, since it is they that speak of the Messiah. There's nothing wrong with observing multiple New Year's days. The idea is very similar to a fiscal year or to a school year, but once again, we must be careful that we honor the Appointed Times by keeping them separate from non-Appointed Time observances.
So, let's take a look at the Jewish teachings about the events and observances of the fall holy days. One of the main emphases of Rosh Hashana is to reconcile with people whom you have wronged during the past year and to turn from your ways that offend people. The Jewish Talmud teaches that the Day of Atonement provides forgiveness for the sins that are committed against God, but it is up to each person to atone or make things right when they've sinned against another person.
Scrolls in the Heavenly Realm
According to Jewish tradition, three books, or scrolls, are opened in the heavenly realm on Rosh Hashana. One of the books will contain the names of those who are wholly wicked or evil. Those names are inscribed in the book on the day of Rosh Hashana, and the scroll is then closed and sealed on that same day and their fate is sealed, and these people are destined for destruction during the next year.
Another book contains the names of those who are wholly good or wholly righteous. Their names are inscribed in this book on the day of Rosh Hashana, and it is also closed and sealed on that same day, and these people are destined to live throughout the next year.
The Book of Life
But the third book is for the average class of people, those who are neither wholly wicked, nor wholly good, and these people hang in the balances during the 10 days between Rosh Hashana and the Day of Atonement. This book is called The Book of Life or the Book of the Living from Psalm 69:28. People are able to get their names inscribed in this book by proving themselves worthy through three acts: prayer, acts of charity, and repentance.
The Book of Life remains open for 10 days, beginning with Rosh Hashana on Tishri one through the Day of Atonement on Tishri 10. Then on the Day of Atonement, the Book of Life is closed and sealed, and according to the Talmud, if people prove themselves worthy, they are inscribed for life. If not, they're inscribed for destruction. These 10 days are known as the Days of Awe or the Days of Repentance, and they're a solemn time in the life of Jewish people as they seek reconciliation with those whom they have wronged. It is a time of serious introspection of their actions of the previous year, making things right with the hope of getting their name inscribed in the Book of Life.
The Jewish people have a common greeting during this time of year that reflects their sincerity and goodwill. You may hear them say, “May your name be inscribed and sealed for another good year.” Now, you should know that the people do not just start changing their behavior and seeking reconciliation when Rosh Hashana arrives on Tishri one. They actually begin preparing for these days of repentance for an entire month prior to Tishri, which is the month of Elul. The 30 days of Elul, plus the 10 days between Rosh Hashana and the Day of Atonement are referred to as the Forty Days of Repentance. Once again, it is a solemn time of introspection and making things right with others.
Now, it's interesting that only five days after the solemn Day of Atonement that the most joyous Appointed Time of all, the Feast of Booths, is celebrated. The Jewish people believe that this joyous Appointed Time is affirmation that they are the people of God, and they revel in it with great joy. This final Appointed Time seams all of the Fall Appointed Times together from the 30 days preceding the Day of Trumpets to the Day of Atonement, and all the way to the Sabbath that concludes the Feast of Booths.
Focus on the Appointed Times
But for our study, we will return to our investigation of the Appointed Times and examine the shadows of Messianic events to come, events of Messianic magnitude that will literally shake the heavens and the earth. Does it sound interesting? Learning about the future is always interesting. Please join me in the upcoming lessons as we explore the Messiah in the Fall Appointed Times.
