This Site is dedicated to our family members and ancestors who now live in our hearts Site Created by Scott R Huffman son of (Wayne R Ryan)--RIP Father
As we were erecting our family Sukkah this season, I was reminded by the imagery it communicates - that we are but pilgrims/sojourners dwelling here temporarily on this earth. My family was working hard to setup something that then had to be broken down after the 8th day. The transient nature of their labors became apparent to me and yet we are commanded to be “joyful” during this season of celebration/“Chagag”. Sukkot follows the solemn day of repentance of Yom Kippur exactly five days later. What a drastic change from solemn to the most joyous day of the year. The climax of the Fall Festivities according to G-d’s redemptive calendar is Chag Sukkot/Festival of Booths. It was known throughout the centuries as the Zeman Simchateinu/Season of our Rejoicing. Tehillim/Psalm 136 would be recited as part of the tradition as pilgrims would make their way to Yerushalayim /Jerusalem:
Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good, for his steadfast love endures forever. (Tehillim/Psalm 136:1)
But what if I don’t feel like rejoicing? What am I supposed to be rejoicing about anyway? Why should I even care about this ancient Jewish holiday? These are all great questions. Let’s take a journey thru the Scriptures to discover the Past, the Present and the Future of this Moedim/Appointed Time that the G-d of the Universe and the G-d of Israel has established – its meaning to our lives, its application to our faith and its future prophetic fulfillment.
Any journey has to have a starting point. In our case, we begin with where this Festival is 1st mentioned in the Scriptures which takes us back to Shemot/Exodus. After Israel’s deliverance from Egypt, G-d gave the Torah to His redeemed people (a mixed multitude that left Egypt), and part of that instruction for this Fall Appointed Festival is given in Shemot/Exodus 23:16-17:
…You shall keep the Feast of Ingathering at the end of the year, when you gather in from the field the fruit of your labor. Three times in the year shall all your males appear before the Lord G-D.
In Chapter 19 of Shemot/Exodus, G-d descends on Mt. Sinai and speaks 10 words, known as the 10 commandments; thus, the context of this verse is G-d giving the Torah to His people Israel before the Golden Calf incident.
After the Golden Calf incident, Moshe/Moses pleas on behalf of Israel before G-d and G-d reiterates His steadfast love for His people. In light of this, we read again about His Moedim/Appointed Times:
… and the Feast of Ingathering at the year's end. Three times in the year shall all your males appear before the LORD G-d, the G-d of Israel. (Exo 34:22-23)
At this time, the people of Israel were still in the wilderness - and yet the command is to celebrate it as an “Ingathering” or “Harvest”. They had not been sowing or reaping. They were dependent completely on G-d for His provision. This seems like a prophetic command. At times, it is hard for us to imagine how G-d is going to accomplish something, but His promises are in His timing.
In Chapter 23 of Vayikra/Leviticus we read about the Moedim/Appointed times of the LORD. They became known and associated with the Jewish people, nevertheless, the words and language at the beginning of the chapter are clear; that is, these are the Moedim/Appointed times of the LORD. The timeline of the Moedim/Appointed times starts with His Shabbat day, the 7th day of His creation, and ends with Chag Sukkot/Festival of Booths as we read in Vayikra/Leviticus 23:34,39:
“Speak to the people of Israel, saying, On the fifteenth day of this seventh month and for seven days is the Feast of Booths to the LORD… On the fifteenth day of the seventh month, when you have gathered in the produce of the land, you shall celebrate the feast of the LORD seven days. On the first day shall be a solemn rest, and on the eighth day shall be a solemn rest.”
The 1st day is to be a Sabbath’s rest and the 8th day a Sabbath’s rest as a Solemn Assembly or Shemini Atzeret (שמיני עצרת) Note: literally the eighth day is a sacred occasion. It is almost two celebrations in one as we can also see from the following verses:
On the first day shall be a holy convocation; you shall not do any ordinary work. For seven days you shall present food offerings to the LORD. On the eighth day you shall hold a holy convocation and present a food offering to the LORD. It is a solemn assembly; you shall not do any ordinary work. (Vayikra/Leviticus 23:35-36)
Verses 37 and 39 speak of the sacrifices that are to be offered before the LORD. A detailed list of all of the sacrifices can be found in Bamidbar/Numbers 29:12-40. It is the prescribed amount of each sacrifice per each day of the celebration as follows:
The number of bulls sacrificed total 71 bulls. This number is believed significant in light of the belief that the representation of the (70) nations, plus the (1) Children of Israel, totaling 71 which is represented at Mt. Sinai. The final bull sacrifice was offered for Israel herself. These sacrifices were not for redemption or purification but considered to be a “burnt offering”. The final 8th day commandment to offer one male goat was for a sin offering. Moshe/Moses was commanded to build the Mishkan/Tabernacle, or better yet, a residence and dwelling place exactly as G-d commanded him. The sacrifices were to be offered as instructed, as well.
And you shall take on the first day the fruit of splendid trees, branches of palm trees and boughs of leafy trees and willows of the brook, and you shall rejoice before the LORD your G-d seven days. You shall celebrate it as a feast to the LORD for seven days in the year. It is a statute forever throughout your generations; you shall celebrate it in the seventh month. You shall dwell in booths for seven days. All native Israelites shall dwell in booths. (Vayikra/Leviticus 23:40-42)
As we all know, Israel chose to trust in the bad report that the 10 spies brought back, and as a result, they wandered about the wilderness for 40 years. G-d’s plan did not change at this point. He would still bring them to the Promised Land. Moshe/Moses once again instructed the new generation of Israelites born in the wilderness about Sukkot in Devarim/Deuteronomy 16:13-17:
“You shall keep the Feast of Booths seven days, when you have gathered in the produce from your threshing floor and your winepress. You shall rejoice in your feast, you and your son and your daughter, your male servant and your female servant, the Levite, the sojourner, the fatherless, and the widow who are within your towns. For seven days you shall keep the feast to the LORD your G-d at the place that the LORD will choose, because the LORD your G-d will bless you in all your produce and in all the work of your hands, so that you will be altogether joyful”.
The list of people you are to rejoice and celebrate it with lists: family members, servants, Levites, the fatherless, the widows AND the sojourners.
So far we have learned a good bit of what G-d has commanded to be done to celebrate and to be joyful as we build temporary shelters as reminders. Historically all of these instructions were to be fulfilled once the Children of Israel crossed over the Jordan and took possession of the Promised Land. One might think that we will see the references to this joyful day at the end of the year throughout the different Books of the Bible, although the next time we see it being celebrated and mentioned is in 2 Divrei Hayamim/ Chronicles stretching thru Chapters 5-8. We will look at some passages from this book to see the significance of what is being recorded.
King David desired to build a Beit/House to the LORD, yet he could not, so he saved and prepared all of the materials for the construction of it. His son Solomon was the master builder of the Beit/House.
And all the men of Israel assembled before the king at the feast that is in the seventh month. (2 Divrei Hayamim/ Chronicles 5:3)
At that time Solomon held the feast for seven days, and all Israel with him, a very great assembly, from Lebo-hamath to the Brook of Egypt. And on the eighth day they held a solemn assembly, for they had kept the dedication of the altar seven days and the feast seven days. On the twenty-third day of the seventh month he sent the people away to their homes, joyful and glad of heart for the prosperity that the LORD had granted to David and to Solomon and to Israel his people.
Thus, the celebration of Sukkot and the dedication of the Beit/House of the LORD fall on the same timeframe of G-d’s Moedim/Appointed Times. Solomon was not a Priest or from the Priestly family yet the sacrifices he offered were accepted by G-d. The ark of the LORD also rested in the Beit/House of the LORD, symbolizing the permanent place for G-d’s meeting place. Through Solomon’s reign, Israel experienced its climax of its kingdom, but the future Messianic Kingdom and restoration of Israel, along with the many Messianic prophecies have yet to be fulfilled. In light of Solomon’s prayer at the dedication of the Beit/House, the LORD responded to him in 2 Divrei Hayamim/ Chronicles 7:12-14:
Then the LORD appeared to Solomon in the night and said to him: “I have heard your prayer and have chosen this place for myself as a house of sacrifice. When I shut up the heavens so that there is no rain, or command the locust to devour the land, or send pestilence among my people, if my people who are called by my name humble themselves, and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land…
I often hear people quote verse 14 while denying the entire context of the text. The context of G-d’s answer was that He answered Solomon’s pleas for the blessing of the Beit/House. This is why Daniel, while in exile in Babylon, prayed three times a day towards the Beit/House of G-d. Yes, the place doesn’t save people, but the point here is that G-d didn’t show a.) His displeasure b.) He chose to call it “a house of sacrifice” c.) He promised that if the Jewish people would repent from their evil ways, then He would forgive them. Who can blame the desire of the exiled Jews to return and rebuild that which was lost? The issue of the House of G-d is not a matter of salvation but rather an identification of the promises that G-d has given His people. I am not advocating any “temple doctrine” but rather attempting to look at the text within its context.
Through the prophet Jeremiah, the Jewish people knew that their exile was not forever and that they would return once again to their Promised Land. Not all of the Jews returned, and the ones who did return, struggled to survive and complete their mission. G-d raised a leader for them, Nehemya, who served wine to the King. The humble servant was a powerful leader in a time when encouragement was needed in order for the people to rebuild. Part of the restoration of the remnant was the discovery of what the Scriptures said. They held public readings of the TORAH, and upon hearing the scriptures, they were convicted and grieved. As I mentioned earlier in my post on Yom Kippur, each generation has its decision to make either to accept G-d’s truth or to reject it. The hearers of the Torah during Nehemay’s time realized that the only way to live was in accordance to G-d’s instruction- not apart from Him.
And Nehemiah, who was the governor, and Ezra the priest and scribe, and the Levites who taught the people said to all the people, “This day is holy to the LORD your G-d; do not mourn or weep.” For all the people wept as they heard the words of the Torah/Law. (Nehemya/Nehemiah 8:9)
On the second day the heads of fathers' houses of all the people, with the priests and the Levites, came together to Ezra the scribe in order to study the words of the Law. And they found it written in the Law that the LORD had commanded by Moses that the people of Israel should dwell in booths during the feast of the seventh month, and that they should proclaim it and publish it in all their towns and in Jerusalem, “Go out to the hills and bring branches of olive, wild olive, myrtle, palm, and other leafy trees to make booths, as it is written.” So the people went out and brought them and made booths for themselves, each on his roof, and in their courts and in the courts of the house of G-d, and in the square at the Water Gate and in the square at the Gate of Ephraim. And all the assembly of those who had returned from the captivity made booths and lived in the booths, for from the days of Jeshua the son of Nun to that day the people of Israel had not done so. And there was very great rejoicing. And day by day, from the first day to the last day, he read from the Book of the Law of G-d. They kept the feast seven days, and on the eighth day there was a solemn assembly, according to the rule. (Nehemya/Nehemiah 8:13)
There was great rejoicing in the midst of their struggles and difficulty. They took G-d’s words for what it said and they obeyed the instructions.
On the last day of the feast, the great day, Yeshua stood up and cried out, “If anyone thirsts, let him come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, ‘Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.’” Now this he said about the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were to receive, for as yet the Spirit had not been given, because Yeshua was not yet glorified. (Yaconan/John 7:37-39)
At that time there was a great water pouring ceremony that took place in the Beit/House of G-d. Yeshua took that opportunity to point Israel to Himself.
So when they had come together, they asked him, “Lord, will you at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?” He said to them, “It is not for you to know times or seasons that the Father has fixed by his own authority. But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”
The Messiah is to reign as the King of Israel from Jerusalem. This was the disciples understanding. If they had been wrong, this would have been a perfect opportunity for the disciples to have been corrected by Yeshua. He could have said: “You’re all mistaken – We’re going to instead abandon everything from before, build a Church, and at Pentecost I will establish a special organization with Deacons, Bishops and Elders to take over from here.” No, of course this didn’t happen. He simply informed them that they need not be concerned with the timing of the restoration, but rather be his witnesses, spreading the good news to the ends of the earth. This should be our understanding and mission, as well.
We know that Israel must acknowledge Yeshua before He returns to rightfully take hold of His Kingdom promised to King David of long ago:
So, what is the reason for our rejoicing? He is coming back, He will fulfill the promises to Israel, and through those fulfilled promises, all the nations of the earth will be blessed. The nations restoration can never occur apart from Israel’s fullness. One day in the future, we will all celebrate Chag Sukkot, as the prophet Zechariah 14:16 stated:
Then everyone who survives of all the nations that have come against Jerusalem shall go up year after year to worship the King, the LORD of hosts, and to keep the Feast of Booths.
Our family used electrical galvanized conduit pipes, purchased from a local hardware store, with the connectors to frame it all together. Twinkle curtain lights, purchased inexpensively online, were strung around 3 sides, leaving one side as an entrance. Leafy palms were used from the Fall trimming of trees located on our property. This Sukkah was joyfully setup with our children in a manner of a couple of hours.
"In the beginning G-d created the heaven and the earth." This is how the story of this present age begins according to its Author. A few verses later in Genesis 1:14, G-d created the heavenly bodies for His appointed times to meet with all humanity. As humans, we pass by in His created time and space. We are His created beings to live out His purposes and to commune with Him and with each other. Each of us are sojourners under the sun. Each passing generation struggles to understand and live out what G-d’s Word says and then live it out to the best of their ability. Faith is something we cannot inherit from our fathers. We may be raised in certain traditions, in certain ways to think about this world, but when it comes to the “faith of Avraham” it should take our personal will and obedience to partner with G-d to complete His plans and purposes. Some of us except what the previous generations laid out as the way thing should be, as truth, and as tradition and we never ask questions. We trust the sources and we continue passing on those thoughts and traditions. Traditions become a wonderful thing when they confirm and reflect the truths in the Word of G-d – all other traditions simply distract us from the truth.
The Day of Atonement/Yom Kippur is one of G-d’s appointed times - He created it for Israel and also for the nations:
"And it shall be a statute to you forever that in the seventh month, on the tenth day of the month, you shall afflict yourselves and shall do no work, either the native or the stranger who sojourns among you." (Lev 16:29)
The G-d of the Bible never excluded anyone from approaching Him and being a part of His family. If we truly seek after wisdom, we will find Him. The Bible/Tanak speaks of the G-d of Israel. He was and He is and He always will be the G-d of Israel; ethnic Israel. No amount of History can change this truth. No amount of theological exercise will make G-d change His mind on what He said to be true. G-d doesn’t change His mind on how He is to accomplish something on earth. Each generation can either be a part of His plan or resist His plan – those are the only options. Yom Kippur is a very solemn and special day for Israel and should be for all believers, as well. It is the day when the Levitical Priest would offer sacrifices for his own sins and for the sins of the people of Israel.
Unfortunately, some in both Jewish and Gentile groups do not believe in the significance of the Temple and the Levitical sacrificial system. Over the centuries both groups have developed very interesting and creative explanations based on what they saw fit. The Rabbis teach that G-d doesn't require bloody animal sacrifices any longer since the destruction of the Temple by the Romans in the 1st Century. Jewish people have since adopted to this reality. But, the reality is rapidly changing. The possibility of having a Jewish state was just a dream to so many at the end of the 19th century as they left everything and traveled to The Land that at the time was occupied by the Ottoman Empire. By the sweat of their brow they drained the swamp, resisted constant attacks on all sides and built what we know today to be the thriving land of Israel. Rabbis haven’t changed their minds on the significance of the Temple because they have established their own ultimate Rabbinical authority when it comes to religious matters. This will soon change. The Temple will be rebuilt and the Levitical Priesthood will once again be established on the Temple Mount. I am convinced we might see it take place during our lifetime. Most people don't realize that Israel has controlled the Temple Mount since the 6-day War and doesn’t allow for the Jewish people to ascend it without a special permit. This power struggle for the hearts and minds of the Jewish people will change. Yom Kippur will once again be celebrated according to the text that’s never changed.
On the other side of the spectrum we have yet another group of believers who identify themselves as "Christians" or part of Christendom. Predominately their teachings and theological tools try to prove that Jesus/Yeshua fulfilled everything and there is no longer a need to a.) identify with the Jewish people b.) follow their traditions. On both points I believe the text within the Bible speaks differently. History demonstrates that instead of not having any walls of separation between the Jewish people and the Gentiles, we have rather thrown up huge walls that segregate each group from the other. Paul/Shaul stated in Romans 9:1-3 that:
"I am speaking the truth in Messiah—I am not lying; my conscience bears me witness in the Holy Spirit— that I have great sorrow and unceasing anguish in my heart. For I could wish that I myself were accursed and cut off from Messiah for the sake of my brothers, my kinsmen according to the flesh."
He was in distress over some of His kinsmen rejecting the very promise the Jewish people had been waiting for. What had they been waiting for and sadly some continue to wait for? Their promised Messiah. And, yet the narrative of the centuries has been that all the Jews rejected Jesus. There is no hope for them and the thought is that since plan A didn’t work, G-d moved on to plan B.
Fortunately, we see in the text that Shaul never stopped identifying as a Jew, who lived as a Jew. In the book of Acts we see many historical facts of him still celebrating all of the Appointed Times, offering sacrifices, going to the Temple and even taking the Nazarene vow. (For you scholars out there, a good study would be what he did precisely to fulfill those vows.) Since we are talking about Yom Kippur, here is what Luke recorded in Acts 27:9:
"Since much time had passed, and the voyage was now dangerous because even the Fast was already over, Paul advised them."
This aspect of Yom Kippur is still in effect today. Fasting was and still is a form of affliction we bring upon ourselves. Jewish and Gentile people who join themselves to Israel are to afflict themselves that day as a reminder of the need of atonement for our sins. This was a picture of our dire need - not the solution of it. Even when the Temple is rebuilt, it will be a reminder of the need to have our sins atoned for.
They serve a copy and shadow of the heavenly things. For when Moses was about to erect the tent, he was instructed by God, saying, "See that you make everything according to the pattern that was shown you on the mountain." (Heb 8:5)
So many people look at this "copy and shadow" and conclude that the shadow itself is insignificant and miss the beauty in the things G-d appointed and prescribed as representative of His plans for Israel and the nations, both then and now. The Levitical Priestly system was never given by G-d to provide the solution for the sin problem. The entire book of Hebrews is written from the perspective of Yom Kippur and the need for a new Priesthood to be in effect by way of a New Covenant relationship with the G-d of Israel:
As you can see, the New Covenant that is quoted from Jeremiah 31 states "a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah." Where do the Gentile folks come in? Unless you change the meaning of these words to mean something the Author never intended to mean aka "Church" or "Church Age", then the text speaks for itself. The passage demonstrates a United Kingdom of Israel and their promised Messiah, Yeshua, being the long awaited "King of the Jews."
Therefore, remember that at one time you Gentiles in the flesh, called “the uncircumcision” by what is called the circumcision, which is made in the flesh by hands— remember that you were at that time separated from Messiah, alienated from the commonwealth of Israel and strangers to the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world. But now in Messiah Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Messiah. (Eph 2:11-13)
If it is the commonwealth of Israel, then why do we see the history of the Gentile Church wanting nothing to do with the very purposes of G-d for their existence? Gentile believers should have their citizenship stamped as the commonwealth of Israel. There is no covenant with the Gentiles apart from G-d’s chosen people of G-d; the Jews. The climax of the New Covenant is yet to be fully fulfilled as prophesied by Zechariah 12:10
"And I will pour out on the house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem a spirit of grace and pleas for mercy, so that, when they look on me, on him whom they have pierced, they shall mourn for him, as one mourns for an only child, and weep bitterly over him, as one weeps over a firstborn."
"On that day there shall be a fountain opened for the house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem, to cleanse them from sin and uncleanness." (Zec. 13:1)
Yom Kippur should be a day of our identification for the far greater need of redemption. It should be a day for the Gentile believers to STAND with believing Israel as a faithful testimony of G-d’s faithfulness and those promises yet to be fulfilled. This day is the day of reflection, humility and solemn contemplation - Do I seek after the LORD as I should? Do I stand in the gap for my brethren?
"So I ask, did they stumble in order that they might fall? By no means! Rather, through their trespass salvation has come to the Gentiles, so as to make Israel jealous. Now if their trespass means riches for the world, and if their failure means riches for the Gentiles, how much more will their full inclusion mean! Now I am speaking to you Gentiles. Inasmuch then as I am an apostle to the Gentiles, I magnify my ministry." (Rom 11:11-13)
Do you pray for unbelieving Israel? Do you identify with G-d’s chosen (Jewish) people? Do you identify with the heart of G-d for all to come to faith? Fullness will not come in apart from Israel’s acceptance of the Truth about the perfect Lamb of God and the ultimate atonement for sins.
Lest you be wise in your own sight, I do not want you to be unaware of this mystery, brothers: a partial hardening has come upon Israel, until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in. And in this way all Israel will be saved, as it is written, "The Deliverer will come from Zion, he will banish ungodliness from Jacob"; "and this will be my covenant with them when I take away their sins." As regards the gospel, they are enemies for your sake. But as regards election, they are beloved for the sake of their forefathers. For the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable. (Rom 11:25-29)
May you be blessed in the study and application of G-d’s Word through His appointed Times, and in partnering with Him in His plans for Israel, and for all of humanity. Baruch haba b'Shem ADONAI – Blessed is He who comes in the Name of the LORD!
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