Man's Holidays Vs God's Holy Days

Man’s Holidays vs.
God’s Holy Days

Counterfeit vs. Real
By: Joyce K. Picker
Gateway International Bible Institute

4445 W. Olive Ave.
Glendale, AZ 85302
602-993-5353
1
GIBI Course- Man’s Holliday’s Vs. God’s Holy Days
Table of Contents
Introduction
Lesson 1
 Winter Solstice
 Christmas AKA: Yule
 Groundhog Day AKA: Imbolg
 St. Valentine’s Day
Lesson 2
 Spring Equinox
 Easter AKA: Ostara
 April Fools Day
St. Patricks Day
May Day AKA: Beltaine
Lesson 3
Autumnal Equinox
Haloween AKA: Samhain
Lesson 4
 Introduction to Biblical Feasts
 Passover - Pesach
 Feast of Unleavened Bread
 Feast of First Fruits
 Shavuot
 Rosh Hashanah- The Feast of Trumpets
 Yom Kippur- Day of Atonement
 Feast of Tabernacles Sukkot
 Additional Feasts
 Tisha B’Av- The Fast of the Fifth Month
 Feast of Dedication Hanukkah
 Purim
 The Jubilee Year
Lesson 5
 The Covenant
 The Names of God
 Comparison of the Counterfeit VS Real
2
Introduction
Have you ever considered that for every real and perfect thing God created, the enemy has a
counterfeit? How can you tell the difference between the real and the counterfeit, particularly
if you are a new believer?
Were you raised to celebrate some of the religious or secular holidays thinking that they are
harmless? Have you allowed your own children to celebrate these harmless holidays?
This paper is written to educate the Body of Messiah on the origination of Americas Occult
Holidays. It will compare what the Word of God tells us about them. This is a subject very
dear to my heart because season after season I watch children of Christian families celebrating
these harmless holidays. Isn’t it time that the Church and Congregations know the truth and
begin educating other body members and the children on the facts? Paraphrased, the Bible
says, “Without the vision, the people perish.” “My people perish for a lack of knowledge.” Let
us heed the Word of God concerning this subject and let the truth set us free!
The Word of God is a detailed map or blueprint of how we are to conduct ourselves as men
and women of God. The Word of God clearly shows us the Biblical Feasts and Festivals
Yeshua (Jesus) celebrated while on the earth. We are commanded to obey them!! It is very
rewarding to know the significance of Yeshua (Jesus) steps while he was ministering. What
does He have to say about this subject? The Bible is God’s Word to humanity and it is the
only completely reliable written communication God has given us. 1
The reason the Biblical Feasts and Festivals were honored has great significance to a believer
today and his/her walk with the Lord. Once the discovery is made, the significance of the
Feasts and Festivals will deepen the knowledge of the Word and significantly influence your
relationship with God. It will bring new revelation to see things in a way you have never seen
them.
There are seven holidays called “the feasts of the Lord.” That expression in itself indicates that
these holidays are God’s holidays; they belong to Him, in contrast to man’s holidays. “These
are the designated times of Adonai, the holy convocations you are to proclaim at their
designated times”. (Leviticus 23:4) These feasts are called “holy convocations”, that is, they
are intended to be times of meeting between God and man for holy purposes. The Hebrew
word translated “feasts” means appointed times. The idea is that God himself has carefully
orchestrated the sequence and timing of each of the feasts. Each is a part of a comprehensive
whole; collectively, they tell a story.2
1
Stern, David, Stern’s Complete Jewish Bible, Jewish New Testament Publications, Inc. , Clarksville,
MD> 1998, page Introduction
2
Howard, Kevin, Rosenthal, Marvin, The Feasts of the Lord, Zion’s Hope, Inc., Orlando, Fl. 1994, p.13
3
If we can celebrate man made and pagan holidays, how much more would we benefit by
celebrating God's holidays? God gives us His Holy Days in Leviticus 23. No other special
days or celebrations are commanded in the Bible. Do we do what the Bible says or not?
Ecclesiastes 3:1 “For everything there is a season, a right time for every
intention under heaven”.
4
Lesson 1
“Choose you this day whom you will serve: whether the gods which your
fathers served that were on the other side of the flood, or the gods of the
Amorites but as for me and my house we will serve the Lord.” Joshua 24:15
“No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the
other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. You cannot serve
God and mammon.” Matthew 6:24
Christmas or Yule: December 21, starts off the Winter Solstice and commencing the Occult
Holiday would be Christmas or Yule. Let me emphasize here that it’s not the birth of Messiah
we are talking about but it’s the symbols of this holiday that have occult meaning. Christmas
has nothing to do with the birth of Messiah! Bible scholars and knowledgeable historians
concur that Yeshua (Jesus) the Messiah was not born at this pagan festival of Satumalia, on
December 25th, but at the Hebrew Feast of Tabernacles, which is in the fall of the year.
When the sun begins its northward trek, in the sky, and days begin to grow longer again,
pagans celebrated the Winter Solstice by burning the Yule log. Since the sun had reversed
itself and was now rising in the sky, the gods had accepted pagans believed this was a sign that
the human sacrifices carried out in Samhain (Halloween). The Roman Catholics changed the
day of the celebration to December 25, calling it Christmas.
Let’s consider the pagan roots of the symbols of Christmas:
Christmas Tree: Was known as the tree of the winter god and represented reincarnated
Nimrod into Tammuz. The Druids believed the spirit of the gods resided in the tree. The Oak
represented the Druids of Great Britain. The Palm represents the Egyptians and the Fir
represented Scandinavians: The god Woden would bless people with presents who
worshipped him at his sacred tree. Woden was the Head of the Scandinavian pantheon. He is
the Woodland spirit, the lord of all nature. He is Omnipotent as head of the pantheon and he’s
Omniscient (as a result of sacrificing one eye in order to look into the well of knowledge. Let
me say that this god is looked to today as the god of Ing-land (a.k.a.: England) He is alive and
well and his motive is to:
Bring hope to those who have none,
Freedom to those in chains and,
Justice to those who are wronged.
Is this a counterfeit? However, to someone who is not yet saved or reading the Word of God,
it would be easy to believe this lie.
“Through Your precepts I get understanding; Therefore, I hate every false

way.” Psalm 119:104 (NIV)
5
Christmas Decorations: Originated by the pagans as they decorated the tree. Candies were
offered to the winter god.
Five-Pointed Star: Also called the Pentalpha is a sacred symbol of Satan, second only to the
hexagram. The star is the sacred symbol of Nimrod and has nothing whatsoever to do with
Christianity.
Candles: Represent the sun god’s newborn fire. Pagans the world over love and use candles
in their rituals and ceremonies. Certain colors are also thought to represent specific powers.
The extensive use of candles is usually a very good indication that the service is pagan, no
matter what the outward trappings might be. These customs are practiced in Great Britain and
Ireland this very day.
Yule Log: Represent the winter god. A piece of the Yule log is kept and used to re-light next
years Yule log completing the cycle of reincarnation.
Mistletoe: Is a sacred plant of the Druids. It has poisonous, white berries is used in potions. If
you kiss under the mistletoe, it bestows blessings of fertility. Holly also is used in fertility
rites. Witches use the white berries in potions. Why would we want mistletoe in our homes?
Wreaths: Is another fertility symbol, its circular representing female sex organs and
represents the circle of life.
Santa Claus: Former Satanists have said that “Santa” is an anagram for “Satan”. He tries to
copy God. Some say that the tradition of Santa Claus has spiritually replaced Yeshua (Jesus).
In the New Age, the god “Sanat Kamura,” is most definitely an anagram for “Satan.” He is
omniscient (he knows who is naughty or nice) and he’s omnipresent (brings presents to
everyone, worldwide in one night.) These are some of the mythical attributes and powers
ascribed to Santa that comes eerily close to Yeshua (Jesus).
“Thou shalt not bow down to their gods, nor serve them, nor do after their
works.” Exodus 23:24 (NIV)
“Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly
they are ravenous wolves. You will know them by their fruits. Do men gather
grapes from thorn bushes or figs from thistles?” Matthew 7:15-16 (NIV)
Elves: They are little demonic helpers for Santa.
Reindeer: The reindeer represent the “horned-god” or the stag-god. The number 8 for eight
reindeer represents new beginnings, the cycle of reincarnation and eight on its side represents
the symbol of infinity or the infinity of reincarnation. In the kingdom of God, the number
eight represents new birth or new beginnings. The proof of this is found in II Peter 3:8 and
Genesis 1:5.
6
“…if thou serve their gods, it will surely be a snare unto thee.” Exodus 23:33
(NIV)
Red and Green: Are the colors of the seasons. They are traditional occult colors of the winter
months.
Green: The mistletoe-druids, Holly- saturn, wealth, pine is the scared tree of Adonis and the
fir tree, from the Scandinavians.
Green (Redeemed): According to the Word of God symbolizes life and new beginnings,
rebirth and praise.
Psalm 52:9 “I will praise you forever for what you have done; in your name I
will hope, for your name is good. I will praise you in the presence of your
saints.” (NIV)
Isaiah 43:18-19 “Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See, I am
doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a
way in the desert and streams in the wasteland.” (NIV)
Titus 3:4-7 “But when the kindness and love of God our Savior appeared, he
saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his
mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy
Spirit, whom he poured out on us generously through Jesus Christ our Savior,
so that, having been justified by his grace, we might become heirs having the
hope of eternal life.” (NIV)
Red: Holly berries, bow on the wreaths and Santa’s clothes are Satan's mythological clothes.
Originally presents were left under the scared fir-tree by the Scandinavians and their god
Woden would bless those who left the presents. Presents are now left in America under a pine
or evergreen tree.
Red (Redeemed): According to the Word of God symbolizes Atonement, salvation, blood
sacrifice and redemption.
Exodus 12:13 “The blood will be a sign for you on the houses where you are;
and when I see the blood, I will pass over you. No destructive plague will
touch you when I strike Egypt.” (NIV)
I Peter 1:18-19 “For you know that it was not with perishable things such as
silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life handed
down to you from your forefathers, but with the precious blood of Christ, a
lamb without blemish or defect.” (NIV)
Ephesians 1:7 “In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness
of sins, in accordance with the riches of God's grace.” (NIV)
7
December 25th known as the nativity or nativity of the sun. The birthday of Tammuz, the son
reincarnation of the sun god.
Traditionally December 21st was known as Yule.
Moved to December 25th in the fifth century by the apostate, Catholic Church. It is known as
“Saturnalia” to the Romans and the “Roman Catholic Church”
The celebration of Saturnalia included drinking (wassail), fornication (mistletoe), great feast
(Christmas Dinner), gift giving (Presents).
Christmas in the Latin means: Christi- Christ and Mas – death.
Masses are always commemorative to the dead and Christmas then means the death of Christ.
Some Occult Christmas Carols:

 Deck the Halls
 O Christmas Tree
 Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer
 The Twelve Days of Christmas
 Here We Come Wassailing
 Here Comes Santa Claus
 Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire
 Frosty the Snowman
These songs reinforce the satanic significance and pagan traditions of this Occult Holiday. The
songs we must be singing and the only songs of praise are due to our King, Lord and Savior,
Yeshua (Jesus)
“Oh sing to the Lord a new song! Sing to the Lord, all the earth. Sing to the
Lord, bless His name; proclaim the good news of His salvation from day to
day. Declare His glory among the nations, His wonders among all peoples.
For the Lord is great and greatly to be praised; He is to be feared above all
gods. For all the gods of the people are idols. But the Lord made the heavens.
Honor and majesty are before Him; Strength and beauty are in His
sanctuary.”
Psalm 96:1-6 (NIV)
“…Do not learn the way of the heathen- how they worship and serve their
gods. Do not do the same and say that you are doing so unto me. For all that
they do is an abomination (utterly detestable, repugnant, putrid, vile and
sickening) to me… and thou shall not mention the name of other gods out of
thy mouth. But three times a year you are to have a feast unto me in the
manner that I shall prescribe….Deuteronomy 12:30, Exodus 23:13,
Paraphrased. (NIV)
Candlemas or Imbolg or Groundhog’s Day

Traditionally falls on February 1st or 2nd. The origins in a calving festival celebrated
throughout northern Europe. In many cultures of the northern hemisphere, February was a
purifactory month, so the rituals of Imbolg also incorporate purifactory elements (most
8
notably bonfires). In the xian calendar this festival was converted to the Feast of Purification
of the Virgin Mary, marking the end of the traditional forty day period of ritual impurity
following the birth of a child for Jewish women. It was on this day that the candles for the
following year were purified along with the Virgin in the western church- thus the name
Candlemas.3
The name of the groundhog is “Punxsutawney Phil”. If he sees his shadow, we will have six
more weeks of bad weather until spring finally arrives. If he does not see his shadow, the next
seven weeks before spring will be good weather. Notice this pagan tradition features both the
numbers 6 and seven when added equals 13. According to the word of God, the number 13
represents rebellion- double portion. Genesis 14:4 and Genesis 4:8. The number 13 is the
Hebrew word “Echad,” a plural one used of the Lord. The Hebrew word for Love is 13. One
should never fear the numbers 13.
Imbolg is the winter Festival of Lights. (Note this is another imitation for a festival in Jewish
tradition called Hanukkah or the festival of Lights. It is the most historically documented of all
the Jewish holidays. It will be discussed in length in lesson 4.) Imbolg is the quickening of the
year, the first fetal stirrings of spring in the womb of Mother Earth. Spring lies within sight
and the seed is prepared for sowing.
“Those who sow in tears shall reap in joy. He, who continually goes forth
weeping, bearing seed for sowing, shall doubtless come again with rejoicing,
bringing his sheaves with him.” Psalm 126:5-6 (NIV)
“And if you are Messiah’s, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according
to the promise.” Galatians 3:29 (NIV)
It’s a fire festival, but emphasis is put on light instead of heat- light as it begins to pierce the
gloom of winter. (Note: In II Chronicles 7:1, the dedication of the Tabernacle, which
Hanukkah is patterned after, was accompanied by the Shekinah glory to the Temple and the
divine lighting of the fire upon the sacrificial altar. Therefore, the Feast of Tabernacles later
developed an impressive light celebration each night in the Temple)4
At this time, witches honor the Celtic Triple goddess Brid in her maiden aspect. Brid is the
goddess of fire, inspiration, healing, craftsmanship and midwifery. She is patroness of the
hearth, poets, smiths, craftspeople, healers and priests.
”You shall not make for yourself a carved image- any likeness of anything that
is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under
the earth; you shall not bow down to them nor serve them. For I, the Lord
your God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the
children to the third and fourth generations of those who hate Me, but
showing mercy to thousands, to those who love Me and keep My
commandments.” Exodus 20: 4-6 (NIV)
3
Marquis, Doc, American’s Occult Holidays, The Prophecy Club, Topeka, KS. 1997
4
Howard, Kevin, Rosenthal, Marvin, The Feasts of the Lord, pp 170
9
“Honor the Lord with all your possessions, and with the first fruits of all your
increase.” Proverbs 3:9 (NIV)
Let’s look at the parallels of the Groundhog and Mother Earth.

 Both the earth goddess and the Groundhog bridge the two time periods winter and spring.
 Earth goddess sleeps inside the earth during the winter season so does the Groundhog.
 Both the goddess and the Groundhog are “earth” creatures.
 Both the goddess and the Groundhog awake in the springtime.
 Both the goddess and the Groundhog complete the cycle of “reincarnation”.
 Annually both the Earth goddess and the Groundhog represent the cycle of “rebirth” and
“renewal”.
 The name Groundhog was substituted for the satanic name of the holiday, Imbolg, which
means a night requiring human sacrifice.
“In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth” Genesis 1:1 (NIV)
“Now, I saw a new heaven and earth, for the first heaven and the first earth
had passed away.” Revelation 21:1 (NIV)
“The earth is the Lord’s, and all its fullness, the world and those who dwell
therein, for He has founded it upon the seas, and established it upon the
waters.” Psalm 24:1-2 (NIV)
“But with righteousness He shall judge the poor, and decide with equity for
the meek of the earth; He shall strike the earth with the rod of his mouth, and
with the breath of His lips He shall slay the wicked.” Isaiah 11:4 (NIV)
St. Valentines Day:

Traditionally falls on February 14. It is 13 days after February 1. Thus imprinting upon it
Satan’s number of rebellion. While most of America has bought into this day to send your
spouse or loved ones cards, flowers, candy, etc, it is truly a celebration steeped in paganism. It
is a pagan festival that encourages love and physical lust. A florist told me it is the busiest day
of the year!
Let’s look at the camouflaged gods in Valentine’s Day:

Cupid is the son on Venus and is really Tammuz – son of the Semirians. Tammuz: Was
known as a shepherd, a Sumerian god of fertility and new life earlier than 3000 BC He was
known as a shepherd because he literally was a shepherd. His specific charge was the
production of lambs and ewe’s milk. He was also called a healer. He healed medically but not
supernaturally.
Cupid:
He was known as the winged mischievous child archer, who shoots arrows into an
unsuspected heart causing the victim to fall in love. In one story, Cupid falls in love with a
mortal maiden, Psyche. Venus was jealous of Psyche’s beauty. Cupid was unable to resist
10
Psyche and although it was not proper, he took her as his wife. Since Cupid was a god and
Psyche was a mortal she accepted the fact that she must never set her eyes upon him. As with
all mortals, she gave into temptation. Psyche looked at Cupid. Cupid got so angry; he took
their castle and their gardens leaving her alone to wander in a field. She wandered for awhile
then came upon the castle of Venus. Still jealous, Venus gave Psyche a series of difficult and
dangerous tasks the most dangerous task was taking a small box to the underworld and filling
it with a bit of Pluto’s wife’s beauty. Psyche was told how to avoid the dangers of the
underworld. She was instructed not to open the box during her journey. Again temptation
overcame Psyche. She opened the box and instead of beauty inside of it, she found that a
deadly sleep began to escape and she was overcome by it. Cupid found Psyche and he
removed the sleep from her body and put in back into the box. Both son and mother forgave
Psyche. The gods were so moved by her love for Cupid, they made her a goddess that she
might look upon her husband.
Malachi 3:17 "They shall be Mine," says the LORD of hosts, "On the day that
I make them My jewels. And I will spare them as a man spares his own son
who serves him." (NKJ)
The Lord tells us that if we are His, then we will be His jewels.
Psalm 103:17-18 “But the mercy of the LORD is from everlasting to

everlasting on those who fear Him, and His righteousness to children's
children, To such as keep His covenant, and to those who remember His
commandments to do them.” (NKJ)
Venus:
The Greek Aphrodite is one of the most celebrated deities of the ancients. She was the
goddess of beauty, the mother of love, queen of laughter, the mistress of graces and pleasures.
She is the daughter of Jupiter and Dione. She is the mother of cupid. She defiled her
husband’s bed with the gods.
Listen to how a pagan author describes February, the month in which Valentine’s Day occurs.
The name of the month comes from the Roman goddess Februa and St. Febronia (from Febris,
the fever of love). She is the patroness of the passion of love. Her orgiastic rites are celebrated
on February 14 still observed as Valentines Day. In Roman times, young men would draw
their billets naming their female partners. This is a time of clear vision into other worlds,
expressed by festivals of purification.
Christian influence:
When Christianity came onto the scene in Rome, it wanted to replace this feast with
something more in line with its ethics and morality. A number of Christians decided to use
February 14 for this purpose this was when the Italian Bishop Valentine was executed by the
Roman Emperor Claudius II for conducting secret marriages of military men in the year 270.
Claudius II decided that single men made better soldiers than those with wives and families,
so he outlawed marriage for young, single men, who made up his military. Valentine defied
Claudius and performed marriages for young couples in secret. When his actions were
11
revealed, Claudius put him to death. According to the catholica encyclopedia, there are at least
three different St. Valentines, all of whom are Christian martyrs of February 14.
Valentines Day Customs:

There are a number of customs connected to Valentine’s Day and they originated in England
and France during the Middle Ages. Fourteenth and Fifteenth century’s French and English
literature make indirect references to the birds paring on February 14. In terms of greeting
“Your Valentine” which today you will find on a number of greeting cards, the above-
mentioned Roman priest Valentine actually sent himself the first “valentine” greeting. 5
The number 14 according to the Word of God is Bridal Love and deliverance.
Psalm 119:97-100 “Oh, how I love Your law! It is my meditation all the day.
You, through Your commandments, make me wiser than my enemies; for they
are ever with me. I have more understanding than all my teachers, for Your
testimonies are my meditation. I understand more than the ancients, because I
keep Your precepts”. (NKJ)
I Corinthians 13:4-8 “Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love
does not parade itself, is not puffed up; does not behave rudely, does not seek
its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; does not rejoice in iniquity, but
rejoices in the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things,
endures all things. Love never fails. But whether there are prophecies, they
will fail; whether there are tongues, they will cease; whether there is
knowledge, it will vanish away. (NKJ)
This is agape love that the Lord has for us and that He wants us to have for Him and each
other. This kind of love is not found in the above so-called Valentines Day holiday.
5
The Catholic Encyclopedia, Catholic online saints, www.lovestories.com, February 10, 2003
12
Lesson 2
Spring Equinox:
This is the celebration of the Vernal 9Spring) equinox. It marks the time when Day and Night
are equal length.6 This begins the light half of the year. This usually falls on March 21-22nd
and this minor Sabbath requires human sacrifice.
The goddess Ostara for whom Easter is named- March 21st is one of the Illuminati’s human
sacrifice nights. It is a time for planting and celebrating the first signs of fertility and rebirth.
The symbols of Ostara like eggs, chicks, and rabbits have been adopted by Xians in their first
Easter holiday. Easter is a corruption of the name of the light goddess Eostra (Ishtar) Easter is
celebrated to coincide as closely as possible with the Jewish Passover, which is the time
ascribed in Biblical accounts for the crucifixion of Jesus.
Matthew 10:16 “Behold, I send you out as sheep in the midst of wolves.
Therefore, be wise as serpents and harmless as doves.” (NKJ)
Easter:
One of the occult origins of Easter traditions is that Semiramis, the wife of Nimrod came
down from heaven in a giant colored egg in a wicker basket. When someone found the egg,
Semiramis broke out of it and blessed the one who found it. Along with that was the ceremony
to welcome back the spring goddess. For this ceremony, the priest had new white robes and
the priestesses wore bonnets. This is why we have new suits and Easter bonnets. After the
ceremony, they all hunted for the egg- the one finding it getting a special blessing. The
Babylonian goddess, Ishtar, is the one whom Easter is named. She was the wife of Nimrod,
the real founder of the Satanic Babylonian Mysteries. After Nimrod died, Semiramis created
the legend that he was really her Divine Son born to her in a Virgin Birth. She is considered
the co-founder of all occult religions, along with Nimrod. This is steeped in Babylonian
tradition, the single most evil idolatrous system ever invented by Satan7. All throughout the
prophetic Scriptures, we see God declaring His final judgment upon wicked Babylon. Yet,
year after year, Christian pastors celebrate and condone Easter as if it were Christian. Some
Independent Baptists preachers have begun referring to this day celebrating Yeshua (Jesus’)
resurrection as “Resurrection Sunday, in order to separate that day from the pagan celebration.
However, guess what, He did not rise on Sunday. He rose on Saturday! Yeshua was crucified
on Wednesday. According to the Jewish calendar, the day begins at sundown the night before.
This will be explained in detail under the Passover section in Chapter 4. Easter the day of
Ishtar is celebrated widely among various cultures and religions on earth. They are:
 Babylon: Ishtar: also called the Moon goddess
 Catholics: Virgin Mary – Queen of Heaven
 Chinese: Shingmoo
 Druids: Virgo Paritura
6
www3.sympatico.com and www.cuttingedge.org
7
WWW.CUTTINGEDGE.ORG/NEWS/N1796.CFM
13
 Egypt: Isis
 The Pagan Ephesians: Dianna
 Etruscans: Nutria
 Germans: Hertha
 Greeks: Aphrodite/Ceres
 India: Isi/Indrani
 Ancient Jews: Ashtaroth (Queen of Heaven)
 Krishna: Devaki
 Rome: Venus/Fortuna
 Scandinavians: Disa
 Sumerians: Nana
The Easter Bunny:

The goddess Totem, the Moon –hare, would lay eggs for good children to eat. We know
bunnies do not lay eggs, but we are dealing with an occult legend. These types of legends
traditionally play loose and fast with facts. Thus, Easter or Ishtar was a goddess of fertility.
Since the bunny is a creature that procreates quickly, it symbolized the sexual act; the egg
symbolized birth and renewal. Together, The Easter bunny and the Easter egg symbolize the
sex act and its offspring, Semiramis and Tammuz.
Thus, it is a very serious spiritual matter, indeed when Christian churches incorporate
“resurrection Eggs” as part of the Easter celebration. At the very least, these churches are
confusing the minds of our young and innocent children by blurring the dividing line between
pagan symbols and their meanings and the Christian definition of Resurrection day. Young
children who participated in Resurrection Eggs in church will be conditioned later in their life
to accept the fullness of the pagan tradition revolving around the same symbols.
At worst, a church participating in the pagan Easter tradition by promoting resurrection Eggs
or an Easter Egg Hunt is guilty of mixing paganism with Christianity. The Lord will always
reject this very lethal cocktail.
Joshua 24:15 "And if it seems evil to you to serve the LORD, choose for
yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods which your fathers
served that were on the other side of the River, or the gods of the Amorites, in
whose land you dwell. But as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD.”
(NKJ)
Matthew 6:24 “No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one
and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other.
You cannot serve God and mammon.” (NKJ)
Exodus 23:24 “You shall not worship their gods, nor serve them, nor do
according to their deeds; but you shall utterly overthrow them, and break
their sacred pillars in pieces.” (NAS)
14
Exodus 23:33: "They shall not live in your land, lest they make you sin against
me; for if you serve their gods, it will surely be a snare to you.” (NAS)
II Corinthians 6:17 “Therefore "Come out from among them and be separate,
says the Lord. Do not touch what is unclean, and I will receive you.” (NKJ)
Throughout Scripture, God has warned His people that they were not to serve false gods, nor
copy their works. Yet, generation after generation of Jews in the Old covenant found the
idolatrous worship system of the pagan countries surrounding them to be irresistible. As you
read throughout the Old Covenant you will discover God warning His people time and time
again not to follow the religion, traditions, practices and customs of the Satanic worshipping
nations surrounding Israel. Even today, there is so much hate from the surrounding nations of
Israel. They are taught to hate the Jews and to kill them. In the past, Israel refused to heed
God’s warnings and plunged deeply into pagan worship. This paganism even took hold in the
government, led by wicked kings and queens in the Temple. On numerous occasions, God
raised up a righteous King who would immediately begin a physical purge of the temples, the
priests, and the Jewish followers of Baal, the favorite demon-god of that era. Go recorded
these times of purging for us. Let us examine some of the passages where god ordered a
purging of Baal worship.
Exodus 34:13 "But you shall destroy their altars, break their sacred pillars,
and cut down their wooden images (NKJ)
II Kings10:26-27 “and they brought the sacred pillars out of the temple of
Baal and burned them. Then they broke down the sacred pillar of Baal, and
tore down the temple of Baal and made it a refuse dump to this day.” (NKJ)
II Chronicles 14:3: “for he removed the altars of the foreign gods and the high
places, and broke down the sacred pillars and cut down the wooden images.”
(NKJ)
II Chronicles 31:1: “Now when all this was finished, all Israel who were
present went out to the cities of Judah and broke the sacred pillars in pieces,
cut down the wooden images, and threw down the high places and the altars--
from all Judah, Benjamin, Ephraim, and Manasseh-- until they had utterly
destroyed them all. Then all the children of Israel returned to their own cities,
every man to his possession.” (NKJ)
Jeremiah 43:13: "He shall also break the sacred pillars of Beth Shemesh that
are in the land of Egypt; and the houses of the gods of the Egyptians he shall
burn with fire.” (NKJ)
15
Hosea 10:1 “Israel empties his vine; he brings forth fruit for himself.
According to the multitude of his fruit, he has increased the altars; according
to the bounty of his land, they have embellished his sacred pillars.” (NKJ)
We can see the parallels between the Nation of Israel and America today. We have our false
gods, idols and pagan worship of the occult holidays, which reinforces the evil and darkness.
The Lord makes it very clear in these scriptures that this is directly against his word.
Easter Baskets:
Easter would be reincarnated in a nest, where the egg would sit. If anyone found her egg while
she was being reborn, she would bestow a blessing upon them.
Multicolored Eggs:
Various cultures believed the egg of Ishtar was a colored one. Bright colors of spring are used
to color eggs to this very day. Some believed in making sacred eggs from metals, making
them one with the colored eggs.
Cultural Eggs:
 “Mysteries of Bacchus” consecrated an egg in their ceremonies.
 The “Procession of Ceres” in Rome was led with a sacred egg.
 China to this day uses a bronze colored egg in their sacred festival.
 The Druids used the egg as one of their holy symbols.
 In Northern Europe, during their pagan days, they used colored eggs for their pagan
ceremonies.
Easter Candy:
The Priests and Priestesses would bring offerings to the temples of Easter. Flowers were
brought foods and candies would be brought. (These would compare to human offerings to
Molech).
Hot Cross Buns:

Cecrops, founder of Athens used such offerings to Easter. Kaavan means cake, meaning buns.
Jeremiah 7:17-20 “Do you not see what they do in the cities of Judah and in
the streets of Jerusalem? The children gather wood, the fathers kindle the fire,
and the women knead dough, to make cakes for the queen of heaven; and they
pour out drink offerings to other gods, that they may provoke Me to anger. Do
they provoke Me to anger?” says the LORD. "Do they not provoke
themselves, to the shame of their own faces? Therefore thus says the Lord
GOD: "Behold, My anger and My fury will be poured out on this place-- on
man and on beast, on the trees of the field and on the fruit of the ground. And
it will burn” (NKJ)
Jeremiah 44:17-19 “But we will certainly do whatever has gone out of our
own mouth, to burn incense to the queen of heaven and pour out drink
offerings to her, as we have done, we and our fathers, our kings and our
16
princes, in the cities of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem. For then we had
plenty of food, were well off, and saw no trouble. "But since we stopped
burning incense to the queen of heaven and pouring out drink offerings to her,
we have lacked everything and have been consumed by the sword and by
famine.” The women also said, "And when we burned incense to the queen of
heaven and poured out drink offerings to her, did we make cakes for her, to
worship her, and pour out drink offerings to her without our husbands'
permission?” (NKJ)
We find that these are the only two verses that translate into the word buns, and they deal with
offerings to the Queen of Heaven, “hot-cross buns.”
New Clothes and Hats:

Priests would wear their best clothes to this ceremony; some would have new clothes made.
Vestal virgins would wear newly made white dresses. Headgear like bonnets would be worn.
Garlands of spring flowers would also be worn. Flower bonnets came about because of this.
Offerings of candy, food, etc. were brought in baskets.
Lent:
This was the Commemoration of Tammuz’ death, he was killed by a wild boar when he was
forty years old. One day for each year of Tammuz’ life makes up the 40 days of the Lent
period. Who still observes Lent?
 Babylonians, 40 days
 Catholics, 40 days
 Koordistan, 40 days
 Mexicans, 40 days
It is celebrated with a 40-day period of morning during pagan times, some still do to this very
day. Abstinence and mourning time acts include: weeping, fasting, self-chastisement. We can
see God’s anger over this commemoration of Lent in:
Ezekiel 8:14 “So He brought me to the door of the north gate of the LORD'S
house; and to my dismay, women were sitting there weeping for Tammuz.”
(NKJ)
Exodus 23:24 “You shall not bow down to their gods, nor serve them, nor do
according to their works; but you shall utterly overthrow them and completely
break down their sacred pillars.” (NKJ)
Joshua 24:15 “But if serving the LORD seems undesirable to you, then choose
for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your
forefathers served beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose
land you are living. But as for me and my household, we will serve the
LORD.” (NIV)
17
Matthew 6:24 “No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one
and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other.
You cannot serve God and mammon.” (NKJ)
II Corinthians 6:15-18 “And what accord has Christ with Belial? Or what part
has a believer with an unbeliever? And what agreement has the temple of God
with idols? For you are the temple of the living God. As God has said: "I will
dwell in them and walk among them. I will be their God, and they shall be My
people. “Therefore, come out from among them and be separate,” says the
Lord. “Do not touch what is unclean, and I will receive you. I will be a Father
to you, and you shall be My sons and daughters,” says the Lord Almighty.”
(NKJ)
Easter Ham:
Symbolically, this is the wild boar, which killed Tammuz. When we partake of this ham, we
symbolically destroy the boar which slew Tammuz. Even the meal we eat is laced with
symbolism of pagan traditions.
Sunrise Services:
The Priest of Easter: Ishtar would begin the ceremony at sunrise (dawn). The early ceremony
hastens the reincarnation of Easter.
April Fool’s Day:

Psalms 53:1 “The fool has said in his heart, "There is no God.” They are corrupt, and
have done abominable iniquity; there is none who does good”. (NKJ)
Many see April Fools Day as a time to perpetrate pranks, practical jokes and even lie in the
name of innocent fun.8 Every year on April 1, people all over the world celebrate April Fools
Day. Although customs and traditions differ, a common thread runs through the international
celebration of this day. The origin of this day is unclear. One theory is that April fool’s day
began when Charles IX, following the Gregorian calendar, decreed January 1, 1562 as the
official New Year instead of the end of March/April 1 Solstices. Individuals who continued to
honor April 1 were teased, ridiculed and played pranks upon. This harassment evolved, over
time, into a tradition of prank playing on the first day of April. The tradition eventually spread
to England and Scotland in the eighteenth century. It was later introduced to the American
colonies of both the English and French. April fool’s Day thus developed into an international
funfest, so to speak, with different nationalities specializing in their own brand of humor at the
expense of their friends and families. In Scotland, for example, April fool’s Day is actually
celebrated for two days. The second day devoted to pranks. It is called Taily Day. The origin
of the “kick me” sign can be traced to this observance. Mexico’s counterpart of April fool’s
Day is actually observed on December 28. Originally, the day was a sad remembrance of
slaughter of the innocent children by King Herod. It eventually evolved into a lighter
commemoration involving pranks and trickery.
Pranks:
8
www.realtruthmag.org
18
Performed on April fool’s Day range from the simple to the elaborate. Whatever the prank,
the trickster usually ends it by yelling to his victim, “April Fool”.
Practical jokes:
These are common practices on April fool’s Day. Sometimes, elaborate practical jokes are
played on friends or relatives that last all day. The news media even gets involved. For
instance, a British short film once shown on April fool’s Day was a fairly detailed
documentary about “spaghetti farmers” and how they harvest their crop from the spaghetti
trees. What does God say about fools?
I Corinthians 1:27-31 “But God has chosen the foolish things of the world to
put to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to put
to shame the things which are mighty and the base things of the world and the
things which are despised God has chosen, and the things which are not, to
bring to nothing the things that are, that no flesh should glory in His presence.
But of Him you are in Christ Jesus, who became for us wisdom from God-- and
righteousness and sanctification and redemption-- that, as it is written, "He
who glories, let him glory in the Lord.” (NKJ)
Practical jokes and pranks are only one theory of the customs and practices of this day, other
theories are:
 The timing of this day of pranks seems to be related to the arrival of spring, when nature
fools mankind with fickle weather.9
 The Country diary of Garden love, which chronicles the goings-on in an English garden,
says that April Fools Day is thought to commemorate the fruitless mission of the rock
(European crow), who was sent out in search of land from Noah’s flood encircled ark.
 Others theorize that it may have something to do with the Vernal Equinox.
 Yet, others say that it does tie in with the Romans’ end of winter celebration, Hilaria, and
the end of the Celtic New Year festival.
 In Scotland, an April fool is called an April “gowk” –Scottish for cuckoo, an emblem of
simpletons.
 In England, a fool is called a gob, gobby or gawby.
 In France, the victim of a hoax is called a poisson d’avril, an April fish. (April fish refers
to a young fish, thus one easily caught.) The French delight in shouting Poisson d’Avril at
the denouncement of the foolery. Some also insist that all pranks include a fish or at least a
vague reference to a fish. Asking someone to hold the line during a telephone conversation
and then returning to the call asking the person if there had been any bites is a popular
groaner. So are pranks, which trick the victim into placing calls to fish shops or the local
aquarium.
We observe that the phenomenon of April fool’s day is of relatively recent origin, in the sense
that it has become a universal custom. Based upon the adjusted Roman calendar, it is
nonetheless a vain custom of questionable origin. But even without an understanding of the
9
Encyclopedia Britannica, Encyclopedia of Religion
19
history of this holiday, we can see in God’s Word that He does not approve of this day and
that His people, true Believers, do not participate in it.
God Hates All Pagan Customs and Traditions

Now notice what God inspired the prophet Jeremiah to write:
Jeremiah 10:2-3 “This is what the LORD says: "Do not learn the ways of the
nations or be terrified by signs in the sky, though the nations are terrified by
them. For the customs of the peoples are worthless; they cut a tree out of the
forest, and a craftsman shapes it with his chisel.” (NIV)
This is a command from God. Throughout Scripture, God describes the “nations” as those
who worship nature, (the sun, moon, stars, trees, etc.) man-made idols or anything but the one
true God. He calls such people and their practices pagan. True Believers understand that God
hates any customs, practices and traditions that have pagan roots. He commands us:
I Corinthians 6:16-17 “Or do you not know that the one who joins himself to a
harlot is one body with her? For He says, "The two will become one flesh. But
the one who joins himself to the Lord is one spirit with Him.” (NAS)
How serious is God about paganism? When he rescued the twelve tribes of Israel from Egypt
and led them out of brutal slavery, He commanded them:
Leviticus 18:3 “You must not do as they do in Egypt, where you used to live,
and you must not do as they do in the land of Canaan, where I am bringing
you. Do not follow their practices” (NIV)
God demanded that the Israelites not defile themselves with the practices and customs of the
surrounding nations:
Leviticus 18:24-30 “Do not defile yourselves in any of these ways, because
this is how the nations that I am going to drive out before you became defiled.
Even the land was defiled; so I punished it for its sin, and the land vomited out
its inhabitants. But you must keep my decrees and my laws. The native-born
and the aliens living among you must not do any of these detestable things, for
all these things were done by the people who lived in the land before you, and
the land became defiled. And if you defile the land, it will vomit you out as it
vomited out the nations that were before you. Everyone who does any of these
detestable things-- such persons must be cut off from their people. Keep my
requirements and do not follow any of the detestable customs that were
practiced before you came and do not defile yourselves with them. I am the
LORD your God.” (NIV)
God commanded in verse 30 not to defile ourselves!
20
God had explicitly commanded Israel to cast out and utterly destroy all nations that occupied
the Promised Land (Canaan) above all, they were not to make political alliances with them or
marry into their families.
Deuteronomy 7:1-4 “When the LORD your God brings you into the land you
are entering to possess and drives out before you many nations-- the Hittites,
Girgashites, Amorites, Canaanites, Perizzites, Hivites and Jebusites, seven
nations larger and stronger than you-and when the LORD your God has
delivered them over to you and you have defeated them, then you must destroy
them totally. Make no treaty with them, and show them no mercy. Do not
intermarry with them. Do not give your daughters to their sons or take their
daughters for your sons, for they will turn your sons away from following me
to serve other gods, and the Lord’s anger will burn against you and will
quickly destroy you.” (NIV)
However, the Israelites thought they knew better than God and decided to do things in their
own way. They did not destroy the nations, as the Lord commanded them. Instead, they
mingled among the heathen, and learned their works. And they served their idols: which were
a snare to them. Yes, they sacrificed their sons and daughters unto devils, and shed innocent
blood. The land was polluted with blood. Thus they were defiled with their own works and
went a-whoring with their own inventions.
Psalms 106:34-39 “They did not destroy the peoples as the LORD had
commanded them, but they mingled with the nations and adopted their
customs. They worshiped their idols, which became a snare to them. They
sacrificed their sons and their daughters to demons. They shed innocent
blood, the blood of their sons and daughters, whom they sacrificed to the idols
of Canaan, and the land was desecrated by their blood. They defiled
themselves by what they did; by their deeds they prostituted themselves.”
(NIV)
To wake them up and get them back on track to being His model nation, God gave Israel over
to their enemies. Israel repented. God rescued them. Then Israel rebelled and pursued other
gods. God punished them again. Israel repented again. So went this cycle until finally God had
to choose to divorce them. He used the Assyrians to brutally invade, conquer, relocate and
enslave the Northern Kingdom of Israel.
II Kings 17:7 “All this took place because the Israelites had sinned against
the LORD their God, who had brought them up out of Egypt from under the
power of Pharaoh King of Egypt. They worshiped other gods.” (NIV)
Later, God sent the southern kingdom of Judah into Babylonian exile.
II Kings 24:3-4 “Surely these things happened to Judah according to the

LORD's command, in order to remove them from his presence because of the
sins of Manasseh and all he had done, including the shedding of innocent
21
blood. For he had filled Jerusalem with innocent blood and the LORD was
not willing to forgive.” (NIV)
All this happened because they lusted after pagan customs, rituals, traditions and ways. As
you can see, the one true God does not take pagan practices lightly.
So what about April fool’s day? Clearly, this day is rooted in the ancient pagan customs of
this world. It is literally a day for fools. However, you may wonder, where is April Fools Day
mentioned in the Bible? Although God’s Word contains no direct “Thou Shalt Not” command
against April fool’s day observance, one can clearly examine certain Biblical principles and
know that God does not approve of this day.
Proverbs 24:9-11 “The schemes of folly are sin, and men detest a mocker. If
you falter in times of trouble, how small is your strength! Rescue those being
led away to death; hold back those staggering toward slaughter.” (NIV)
The thought of devising foolishness is sin. The sin is the breaking of God’s spiritual laws.
Also, God is the author of all wisdom- not foolishness. He expects His servants to seek His
wisdom- not play the fool. Yeshua (Jesus) also condemned engaging in foolishness.
Mark 7:21-23 “For from within, out of men's hearts, come evil thoughts,
sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, greed, malice, deceit, lewdness,
envy, slander, arrogance and folly. All these evils come from inside and make
a man unclean.” (NIV)
He also said:
Mathew 5:22 “But I tell you that anyone who is angry with his brother will be
subject to judgment. Again, anyone who says to his brother, ‘Raca’, is
answerable to the Sanhedrin. But anyone who says, 'You fool!' will be in
danger of the fire of hell.” (NIV)
Therefore, this basis for April fool’s day is in direct violation of one of God’s Ten
Commandments. “You shalt not bear false witness against your neighbor.” Pranks played on
this day are set in motion through lies, often leading to misunderstanding, confusion and hurt.
Faithful Believers know that God is not the author of confusion, but of peace.
1 Corinthians 14:33 “For God is not the author of confusion but of peace, as
in all the churches of the saints.” (NKJ)
The word confusion here also means instability, disorder, commotion, tumult- words that
perfectly describe the April Fools Day scene and the holiday’s history. Obviously, April
Fools’ Day pranks are not based on love towards others. Such tricks, even if innocent and
physically harmless are designed to embarrass or humiliate others. Foolishness is sin!
Believers must not engage in it. They must separate themselves from all pagan customs,
practices and traditions of this world including April Fools’ Day.
22
St. Patrick’s Day:

The person who was to become St. Patrick, the patron saint of Ireland, was born in Wales
about AD 385. His given name was Maewyn and he almost did not get the job of Bishop of
Ireland because he lacked the required scholarship. Far from being a saint, until he was 16 he
considered himself a pagan. At that age, he was sold in slavery by a group of Irish marauders
that raided his village.10 During his captivity, he became closer to God. He escaped from
slavery after six years and went to Gaul where he studied in the monastery under St. Germain,
bishop of Auxerre for a period of twelve years. During his training, he became aware that his
calling was to convert the pagans to Christianity. His wishes were to return to Ireland, to
convert the pagans that had overrun the country. However, his superiors instead had appointed
St. Palladius. But two years later, Palladius transferred to Scotland. Patrick, having adopted
that Christian name earlier, was then appointed the second bishop to Ireland. Patrick was
quite successful at winning converts. This fact upset the Celtic Druids. Patrick was arrested
several times, but escaped each time. He traveled throughout Ireland, establishing monasteries
across the country. He also set up schools and churches, which would aid him in his
conversion of the Irish country to Christianity. Patrick’s mission in Ireland lasted for thirty
years. After that time, Patrick retired to Country down. He died on March 17 in AD 461. This
day has been commemorated as St. Patrick’s Day ever since.
Much Irish folklore surrounds St. Patrick’s Day. Some of this lore includes the belief that
Patrick raised people from the dead. He also is said to have given a sermon from a hilltop that
drove all the snakes from Ireland. However, originally a Catholic holy day, St. Patrick’s Day
has evolved into more of a secular occult holiday. Here are some of the symbols associated
with this holiday.
Leprechaun:
The Leprechaun is a demonic creature that is said to be a fairy. He looks like a small, old man,
about two feet tall, often dressed like a shoemaker with a cocked hat and a leather apron. They
are aloof and unfriendly and live alone and spend their time making shoes. They constantly
cause trouble and are green colored, symbolizing nature. They are said to have demonic
powers to disappear if they are being chased.
Shillelagh:
This represents a staff of occult power. It is a satanic counterfeit of Moses’ Rod. Pharoah’s
magicians had occult staves. This staff has more ancient names: A Fairy’s Wand and a
Unicorn’s Horn.
The original name for Shillelagh was the Horn of Molech. The modern name for Shillelagh is
the Italian Horn. It spirals up and promises financial blessings just as Molech did in Biblical
days.
Other occult symbols include:
Rainbow:
10
www.histclo.hispeed.com
23
The rainbow is the symbol of the sky and earth. It is used today in a rainbow flag to represent
the gay and lesbian community. It is one of their universal symbols.
Cauldron:
Is used into create alchemical potions and witches use such small cauldrons and pots for
alchemy.
Gold:
Found in Cauldron. It symbolizes financial blessing of Molech.
Parents would throw their children into the fire pit of Molech. Molech would financially bless
them for their sacrifices.
The Canaanites worshipped Molech. Molech was the national deity of the Ammonites.
Leviticus 18:21 “Do not give any of your children to be sacrificed to Molech,
for you must not profane the name of your God. I am the LORD”. (NIV)
Jeremiah 32:35 “They built high places for Baal in the Valley of Ben Hinnom
to sacrifice their sons and daughters to Molech, though I never commanded,
nor did it enter my mind, that they should do such a detestable thing and so
make Judah sin”(NIV)
This worship was accompanied by the burning of children offered as a sacrifice by their own
parents. The god Molech also appears in the Old Testament as Milcom as evidenced in:
II Kings 23:13 “The king also desecrated the high places that were east of
Jerusalem on the south of the Hill of Corruption-- the ones Solomon king of
Israel had built for Ashtoreth the vile goddess of the Sidonians, for Chemosh
the vile god of Moab, and for Molech the detestable god of the people of
Ammon.” (NIV) and
Zephaniah 1:5 “those who bow down on the roofs to worship the starry host,
those who bow down and swear by the LORD and who also swear by
Molech” (NIV)
And in the New Testament in:
Acts 7:43 “You have lifted up the shrine of Molech and the star of your god
Rephan, the idols you made to worship. Therefore I will send you into exile'
beyond Babylon.” (NIV)
May Day:
May Day was the rite of passage custom that marked an important seasonal transition in the
year. Putting a maypole up involved taking a growing tree from the wood, and bringing it to
the village to mark the oncoming season of the summer. May Day used to be a period of great
sexual license. People would go off into the woods to collect their trees and green boughs, but
24
once there, would enter into all sorts of temporary sexual liaisons which society did not
normally accept.
Why isn’t it like that now? It was tamed and redirected. In the seventeenth century, May Day
came under severe attack by the puritans who banned it by an act of Parliament in 1644. In
Philip Stubbe’s Anatomy of Abuses, which was a puritan tract against all kinds of
merrymaking, there is a section called Against May where he actually tries to measure the
degree of sexual license. Every parish town and village assembles themselves together. Men
and women and children, old and young and go off, some to the woods and some to the
groves, some to the hills and mountains, where they spent the night in pastimes. In the
morning, they return bringing birch branches and trees to deck their assemblies withal.11
Forty, three score or a hundred youths, go into the woods over night. They have scarcely the
third part of them, returned home undefiled. The Puritans also objected to May Day.
They objected because of the way social hierarchy was set aside, so that all were commonly
involved, from the highest to the lowest. The Puritans found this offensive, as they preferred
strict graduations in society. May Day did return with the restoration of Charles the second in
1660, but it did not have the same robust force. Instead of being a celebration of fertility, it
turned into a kind of commemoration of Merri England. The girls taking part now wore white
and held posies.
What has this cleaning up done to the image of May Day today? For the past sixty years
folklorists have been rediscovering the pagan fertility tradition, with its myths, rites and sexual
license. Some say this has overshadowed the way in which May and other customs have been
rooted in an economic way of life. The name of May Day is called Beltaine. Fertility is
symbolized with the maypole, flowers and commitments of partners. The festivities include
songs, games, and affirmation of the trinity. That is the union of the maiden goddess and the
god, creating the divine trinity with the spirit. All pagans believe in the goddess, represented
by the moon and its cycles. Pagans divide themselves into hundreds of faction, such as druids,
shamans, Wiccan and Celtic, Ukrainian and Egyptians. Beltaine joyfully heralds the arrival of
summer. 12Beltaine is the last of the three spring fertility festivals, and the second major Celtic
festival. Beltaine and its counterpart Samhain (Halloween) divide the year into two season’s
winter and summer. May is the month of sensuality and the reawakening of the earth and Her
Children. Beltaine literally means fire of Bel. Bel is known as the bright and shining one. On
the eve of Beltaine, the Celts built two large fires, In honor of the summer, they were lit, and
the herds were ritually driven between them to purify and protect the herds. 13
Maypole:
The ten-foot high pole is used in the ceremony. It symbolizes the phallic symbol or the male
reproductive organ. Four alternating red and white ribbons are connected to the pole. Ribbons
are six feet in length. The ladies take hold of the white ribbons and dance in a clockwise
fashion and the men take a hold of the red ribbons and dance in a counterclockwise fashion.
This is symbolic of the female reproductive organ. This is the re-enactment of an ancient
11
www.planet.net.au/innovations/may96/mayday.html
12
www.geocities.com/lavenderwater37/beltane.htm
13
www.geocities.com/CapitolHill/5202/mayday.htm
25
fertility symbol. The union of the red and white ribbons symbolically represents the act of
copulation.
Fairies:
Would roam around throughout the countryside and perform evil deeds. The queen of May is
a young maiden who would wear flowers in the hair, a white dress and she represented the
Spring goddess. The young lad is the maiden’s consort and he represented the stag god.
Consort of Mother Earth.
Walpurgis Night:
Is another name for Beltaine. It is the second highest night of human sacrifice Illuminati’s
creation is May 1 and usually begins the night before. Thus, this is known as a two-day
festival. This tradition was so strong that Adolph Hitler decided to kill himself on April 30 at
3:30pm, thus creating a “333” and placing his suicide sacrifice within the Beltaine period.
This day has become communist Russia’s Independence Day.
The church and state did not take lightly to these celebrations, especially during times of
popular rebellion. In the 1600’s it was outlawed however, trade societies still celebrated it
until the 18th Century.
I read an article in the Cincinnati Post14 entitled Clifton pagans celebrate. A ten-year old boy
was listening to a teaching in SUNDAY SCHOOL. He was not learning about the Bible but
instead about how to become a good Pagan. His Sunday school class is part of Earthspirit, the
St. John’s Covenant of Unitarian Universalist Pagans in Clifton. This is by no means your
Grandmother’s church. The lesson they were learning was about the Pagan goddess, the
Queen of May and the moral that love conquers all.
Deuteronomy 6:5 “Love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all
your soul and with all your strength.” (NIV)
I John 4:21 “And he has given us this command: Whoever loves God must
also love his brother.” (NIV)
John 14:15 ‘If you love me, you will obey what I command.” (NIV)
John 15:12-14 “My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you.
Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends.
You are my friends if you do what I command.” (NIV)
Matthew 5:44-48 “But I tell you: Love your enemies and pray for those who
persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven. He causes his
sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the
unrighteous. If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are
14
The Cincinnati Pos, E.W. Scripps Newspaper12/19/02
26
not even the tax collectors doing that? And if you greet only your brothers,
what are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that? Be
perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.” (NIV)
I John 4:18-21 “There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear,
because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made
perfect in love. We love because he first loved us. If anyone says, "I love
God," yet hates his brother, he is a liar. For anyone who does not love his
brother, whom he has seen, cannot love God, whom he has not seen. And he
has given us this command: Whoever loves God must also love his brother.”
(NIV)
Back to the story, the moral love and spiritual love is taught in the Bible. There is this
counterfeit for it, as we can see. Further, along in this article, it was taught that the goddess
blesses all kinds of love and that there are no limits to the many kinds of love there can be.
The goddess says you can say yes to the kind of love you want. Many of the children wore
wreaths on their heads, made from flowers. The boys got to hold the Maypole while they
made red and white ribbons and danced around the pole. These are fourth graders! The music
playing in the background was a recording of traditional Celtic music. This is an outrage! The
enemy wants our children brain washed with this evil information so they can grow up to be
Pagans. What are we doing about it? Let us see what the Bible tells us.
I Corinthians 2:13 “This is what we speak, not in words taught us by human

wisdom but in words taught by the Spirit, expressing spiritual truths in
spiritual words.” (NIV)
Psalms 25:4-5 “Show me your ways, O LORD, teach me your paths; guide me
in your truth and teach me, for you are God my Savior, and my hope is in you
all day long.” (NIV)
Psalms 34:11-17 “Come, my children, listen to me; I will teach you the fear of
the LORD. Whoever of you loves life and desires to see many good days, keep
your tongue from evil and your lips from The eyes of the LORD are on the
righteous and his ears are attentive to their cry; the face of the LORD is
against those who do evil, to cut off the memory of them from the earth. The
righteous cry out, and the LORD hears them; he delivers them from all their
troubles” (NIV)
Psalms 51:13-14 “Then I will teach transgressors your ways, and sinners will
turn back to you. Save me from bloodguilt, O God, the God who saves me,
and my tongue will sing of your righteousness.” (NIV)
Hebrews 5:12-14 “In fact, though by this time you ought to be teachers, you
need someone to teach you the elementary truths of God's word all over
again. You need milk, not solid food Anyone who lives on milk, being still an
infant, is not acquainted with the teaching about righteousness. But solid food
27
is for the mature, who by constant use have trained themselves to distinguish
good from evil.” (NIV)
28
Lesson 3
Autumnal Equinox:
As the wheel of seasons change, this means the pagans are moving into “The Time of
Mudjekeewis” the Spirit Keeper of the West. He is the Father of all the Winds, and he
provides a home for the thunder beings. Now is the time of the Harvest. This season comes
with the colors of blue and black. It is the time of twilight, that magical time of day between
light and dark or the time of dusk. This is traditionally celebrated on September 21, but this
year falls on September 23. Today’s celebrations are descendents of ancient ones. Most of
these celebrations occur between September 21 and Halloween or Samhain, October 31. They
link the cycles of life and death, honoring the dead as well as a harvest. In May cultures, these
things are intertwined.15 An altar is made and set upon it are fruits, vegetables and brightly
colored leaves. Candles are lit in the colors of brown, gold, orange, blue and black; the candles
burn all night. The next morning, the bounty of the Harvest altar will be placed in the woods
as a symbol of giving back to Earth and all the relations. From this date through Halloween,
occultists believe the veil separating the earthly dimension from the demonic realm gets
progressively thinner, with the thinnest night being October 31. This thinning, it is believed,
makes it easier for the demonic realm to enter the earthly dimension.16It is during this time,
human sacrifice is required and prayer to Mudjekeewis is said. The celebration is concluded
by preparing a spiritual plate and placing it on the earth Mound and then partaking in a feast
from the bounty of the harvest. Then the kitchen is cleaned and the next day, all sit in a circle
and smoke their pipes.
Genesis 8:22 “As long as the earth endures, seedtime and harvest, cold and
heat, summer and winter, day and night will never cease.” (NIV)
Jeremiah 8:20 “The harvest is past, the summer has ended, and we are not
saved.” (NIV)
Matthew 9:37-38 “Then he said to his disciples, "The harvest is plentiful but
the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out
workers into his harvest field”.(NIV)
Mark 4:29 “As soon as the grain is ripe, he puts the sickle to it, because the
harvest has come.” (NIV)
John 4:35-38 “Do you not say, Four months more and then the harvest? I tell
you, open your eyes and look at the fields! They are ripe for harvest. Even
now the reaper draws his wages, even now he harvests the crop for eternal
life, so that the sower and the reaper may be glad together. Thus, the saying
'One sows and another reaps is true. I sent you to reap what you have not
worked for. Others have done the hard work, and you have reaped the benefits
of their labor.” (NIV)
15
www.yougrowgirl.com/explore/autumn equinox.php
16
www.cuttingedge.org/news/n1796.cfm
29
Let’s see what God says about making anything or anyone else an idol.
Exodus 20:3-6 “You shall have no other gods before me. You shall not make
for yourself an idol in the form of anything in heaven above or on the earth
beneath or in the waters below. You shall not bow down to them or worship
them; for I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God, punishing the children
for the sin of the fathers to the third and fourth generation of those who hate
me, but showing love to a thousand of those who love me and keep my
commandments.” (NIV)
Deuteronomy 5:7-10 “You shall have no other gods before me. You shall not
make for yourself an idol in the form of anything in heaven above or on the
earth beneath or in the waters below. You shall not bow down to them or
worship them; for I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God, punishing the
children for the sin of the fathers to the third and fourth generation of those
who hate me, but showing love to a thousand of those who love me and keep
my commandments.” (NIV)
Halloween or Samhain:
This day was named after the Lord of the dead and evil spirits, Samhain17. He was a horned
god and a stag god. Halloween is celebrated from October 29-31. It has always been a
celebration of Death. The Druids celebrated it as a 3 day fire festival, building huge bonfires
thought to ward off demons that roamed around, additionally the fires would be used for the
human sacrifices. This is the origin of bonfires. The word bonfire actually comes from “bone
fire” which was all that was left after the sacrificial ceremonies were ended. Remember that
the next time you decide to have a bonfire at a social gathering. It is the great Feast of the
dead or as designated by the Catholic Church, All hallows Eve. This is the Illuminati’s highest
day of human sacrifice. The Samhain fires continued to blaze down the centuries. In the
1860’s, the Halloween bonfires were still so popular that one traveler reported seeing thirty
fires lighting up the hillsides all on one night, each surrounded by rings of dancing figures, a
practice that continued up until the first World War. Even today, the bonfires continue in
many parts of the British Isles and Ireland.18 For several hundred years before Messiah, the
Celts inhabited what is now France, Germany, England, Scotland and Ireland Celtic priests
were called Druids. These people were eventually conquered by the Romans. Information
about the Celts and Druids comes from Caesar and the Roman historians, Greek writings from
about 200 BC and very early records found in Ireland. Greek and Roman writings about the
Druids dwell heavily on their frequent and barbaric human sacrifices. The ancient Irish texts
say little about the human sacrifices but detail the Druids’ use of magic to raise storms, lay
curses on places, kill by the use of spells, and create magical obstacles. 19
Stonehenge:
17
www.champs-of-truth.com/books/hallowee.htm
18
www.celticspirit.org/samhain.htm
19
www.chick.com/halloween/halloweenhistory.asp
30
This are is located on the Salisbury Plains, England. It is a Megalithic Circle and known as the
Druid temple of human sacrifice. Archaeologists have unearthed over 4,000 human, skeletal
remains.
Sweets and Trick or Treat:

This pagan practice is over 2000 years old. For the sake of their safety and well being, people
put outside their home sweets, the best mutton legs, vegetables, eggs. Items like poultry honey
and even wine, so the wandering evil spirits would consume them on their way back to the
netherworld. Failure to treat these evil spirits might result in a curse being put on the home!
The people literally believed that, when these spirits came to your door, they would trick you
if you did not treat them. When you give out candy, you are participating in Druid tradition.
The legend of Dracula today springs from the novel of that title created by B. Stoker. Stoker
took some Romanian superstitions and mixed them thoroughly with pseudo-Christian errors
to produce the modern Dracula. But there was a real Dracula on whom the superstitions
originated, an incredibly bloody and cruel Romanian who called himself “Vlad Dracul” (In
English: Vlad the Dragon). His claims to infamy are based on the tens of thousands of people
he impaled on large stakes and left hanging in agony for hours before they died, and the
hundred he locked in a building and then burned the building down. Here again the reality
behind the symbol is anything but Christian. For documentation of the real Dracula, see
virtually any historical book on the subject in your local library.
Costumes:
These have their origin in Druids also. The very people who went on the Druid Halloween
were those who were burning animals and humans to death. However, these people
themselves, believing their own Satanic faith, feared the spirits they though to be so powerful
this night. So they dressed up as if they themselves were spirits to avoid being tricked by their
look-alikes. Their costumes also served to disguise their real identity and throw fear into the
inhabitants of the homes they visited. So dressing your children up in Halloween costumes is
participating in a satanic festival. These costumes are not of God, nor do they edify God in
anyway!
Jack O Lanterns:
The Jack O Lantern is the festival light for Halloween and is the ancient symbol of the
damned soul. Originally, the Irish would carve out turnips pr beets as lanterns as
representations of the souls of the dead or goblins freed from the dead. 20 When the Irish
immigrated to America they could not find many turnips to carve into Jack o lanterns but they
did find an abundance of pumpkins. Pumpkins seemed to be a suitable substitute for the
turnips and the pumpkins have been an essential part of Halloween celebrations ever since.
Pumpkins were cut with faces representing demons and were originally intended to frighten
away evil spirits. It was said that if a demon or such were to encounter something as fiendish
looking as themselves that they would run away in terror, thus sparing the houses dwellers
from the ravages of dark entities. They would have been carried around the village boundaries
or left outside the home to burn through the night. Bats, owls and other nocturnal animals,
also popular symbols of Halloween were originally feared because people believed that these
20
www.jeremiahproject.com/halloween.html
31
creatures could communicate with the spirits of the dead.21 Black cats had religious origins as
well. During the middle Ages it was believed that witches could turn themselves into black
cats. Thus when such a cat was seen, it was considered to be a witch in disguise.
Witches and Witchcraft:

Are dominant themes of the holiday. Witches generally believe themselves to be followers of
an ancient religion, which goes back far beyond Christianity and which is properly called
“wicca”. Witches are just one side of a modern revival of paganism- the following of pre-
Christian nature religion, the attempt to return to worshipping ancient Norse, Greek, or Celtic
gods and goddesses. The apostle Paul said Witchcraft is one of the acts of the sinful nature and
those who practice it will not inherit the kingdom of God.
Galatians 5:16-21 “So I say, live by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the
desires of the sinful nature. For the sinful nature desires what is contrary to
the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the sinful nature. They are in
conflict with each other, so that you do not do what you want. But if you are
led by the Spirit, you are not under law. The acts of the sinful nature are
obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; idolatry and
witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions,
factions and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did
before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God.”
(NIV)
Revelations 22:15-16 “Outside are the dogs, those who practice magic arts,
the sexually immoral, the murderers, the idolaters and everyone who loves
and practices falsehood. I, Jesus, have sent my angel to give you this
testimony for the churches. I am the Root and the Offspring of David, and the
bright Morning Star.” (NIV)
Deuteronomy 18:10-14 “Let no one be found among you who sacrifices his
son or daughter in the fire, who practices divination or sorcery, interprets
omens, engages in witchcraft, or casts spells, or who is a medium or spiritist
or who consults the dead. Anyone who does these things is detestable to the
LORD, and because of these, detestable practices the LORD your God will
drive out those nations before you. You must be blameless before the LORD
your God. The nations you will dispossess listen to those who practice sorcery
or divination. But as for you, the LORD your God has not permitted you to do
so.”(NIV)
Apples:
At the heart of the Celtic Otherworld grows an apple tree whose fruit has magical properties.
The apple harvest is in and such games as bobbin for apples, called apple-dookin reflect the
journey across the water to obtain the apple. Apples are a token of love and fertility. At
Halloween parties, people bobbed for apples in tubs of water. If a boy came up with an apple
between his teeth, he was assured of the love of his girl. The snap apple game was one in
21
The Two Babylons, Rev. Alexander Hislop, Chick publications, 1998
32
which the boys delighted. Each boy, in turn, would spring up to attempt to bite an apple that
was being twirled on the end of a stick; the first boy to succeed would be the first to marry.
Apple seed were also used to tell fortunes. Here is the more serious history of this game.
Several human offerings would be brought before the huge cauldron. The cauldron was filled
with a cider-like liquid. It would boil for 4-6 hours. A victim would then be selected and an
apple would be thrown into the cauldron. If the victim could grab the apple between his teeth
in one try, he would be set free. If the victim did not, he would be beheaded immediately.
Because of the boiling liquid, 212 degrees Fahrenheit, if the victim grabbed the apple within
his teeth, some or all of the following medical conditions would occur:
 Face and neck would be permanently scarred.
 Partial or complete blindness would happen.
 Partial or complete loss of hearing would happen.
 Partial or complete loss of sinus canals would happen.
 Speech impediment/respiratory damage would happen.
 Partial or total loss of eyebrows and cranial hair would happen.
This was the Druids’ idea of a fun game. They believed: peeling an apple in one long strand
could tell a young girls future. The girl would swing the apple peal three times around her
head, and then throw it over her left shoulder. If the peeling fell unbroken, the girl would
examine the shape into which it fell to see if she could ascertain the initials of her future
husband.
The Wicker Man:

This was constructed from wicker reed. It was a very durable material. It has to be durable
because today we construct furniture, fans, etc from it. The wicker would be shaped into a
cage. It would be shaped into a 20-30 foot tall man. Human offerings, previously bound,
would be placed in these cages. The demon fire “Kernos” would be summoned. Victims
would be consumed to Lord Samhain.
As if this history isn’t bad enough, today we have people placing harmful things in Halloween
treats here in America such as razor blades, drugs, poisons, needles, etc. these things are
placed in there to give the Satanists testimonies of the innocent lives killed by these
pranksters. Satanists throughout the world continue to perform human sacrifices on
Halloween. Is this something you want your child to participate in? In fact, Halloween is the
first introduction for most children into the occult and is a major force in the spreading of
satanic ritual murder in America today.
Our forefathers recognized the harm of Halloween, associating it with the occult. The Pilgrims
banned celebrating Halloween in America. This ban lasted until 1845 when thousands of Irish
emigrants flooded into New York because of the Irish Potato Famine of 1845-1846. They
brought Halloween with them and it gradually spread throughout the country.22
Is Halloween just another innocent holiday that does not harm anyone? Is it just childish fun?
Should the church be compromised by accommodating itself to the culture? Vandalism and
wanton disregard for the property of others is common on Halloween night. Even normally
22
The American Book of Days,George William Douglas, H.W. Wilson & Co., 1948
33
well behaved children are drive by unseen forces to destructive behavior. Police officials
everywhere report a great increase in such activities on Halloween.
Should Christians adopt such practices?
Romans 12:2 “Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be
transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and
approve what God's will is-- his good, pleasing and perfect will.” (NIV)
Can we borrow the pagan customs and superstitions of ancient peoples and “Christianize”
them?
I Thessalonians 5:21-22 “Test everything. Hold on to the good. Avoid every

kind of evil.” (NIV)
Who can deny that virtually all of the symbols of Halloween are evil? Witches, monsters,
orgies, vampires, ghosts, ghouls, goblins, devils and demons all portray evil.
Ephesians 5:11-12 “Have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness,

but rather expose them. For it is shameful even to mention what the
disobedient do in secret.” (NIV)
The sort of practices celebrated on Halloween is what defiled the ancient nations.23
Leviticus 18:24-30 “Do not defile yourselves in any of these ways, because
this is how the nations that I am going to drive out before you became defiled.
Even the land was defiled; so I punished it for its sin, and the land vomited out
its inhabitants. But you must keep my decrees and my laws. The native-born
and the aliens living among you must not do any of these detestable things, for
all these things were done by the people who lived in the land before you, and
the land became defiled. And if you defile the land, it will vomit you out as it
vomited out the nations that were before you. "'Everyone who does any of
these detestable things-- such persons must be cut off from their people Keep
my requirements and do not follow any of the detestable customs that were
practiced before you came and do not defile yourselves with them. I am the
LORD your God.” (NIV)
The Israelites were warned against such practices when they entered the Promised Land.
Deuteronomy 18:9 “When you enter the land the LORD your God is giving
you, do not learn to imitate the detestable ways of the nations there.” (NIV)
23
Celebrations- The Complete Book of American Holidays, Robert J. Myers, Doubleday & Co. 1972
The Famous Druids, A.L.Owen, Clarendon Press, Oxford, 1962
34
If this is not proof enough, let the Word of God specifically speak of this demonic festival:
I Corinthians 10:20-21 “No, but the sacrifices of pagans are offered to

demons, not to God, and I do not want you to be participants with demons.
You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons too; you cannot
have a part in both the Lord's table and the table of demons.” (NIV)
The identity of the god of the real Dracula, the man who called himself a dragon, is given in:
Revelations 12:7-9 “And there was war in heaven. Michael and his angels
fought against the dragon, and the dragon and his angels fought back But he
was not strong enough, and they lost their place in heaven. The great dragon
was hurled down-- that ancient serpent called the devil, or Satan, who leads
the whole world astray. He was hurled to the earth and his angels with him.”
(NIV)
The Bible speaks very clearly that the evil spirits that are in the world are not the spirits of
departed souls, for the dead are in their graves, unconscious.
Psalms 146:4 “When their spirit departs, they return to the ground; on that
very day their plans come to nothing.” (NIV)
Isaiah 26:14 “They are now dead, they live no more; those departed spirits do
not rise. You punished them and brought them to ruin; you wiped out all
memory of them.” (NIV)
John 5:28-29 “Do not be amazed at this, for a time is coming when all who
are in their graves will hear his voice and come out-- those who have done
good will rise to live, and those who have done evil will rise to be
condemned.” (NIV)
Psalms 6:5 “No one remembers you when he is dead. Who praises you from
the grave?” (NIV)
Isaiah 38:18-19 “For the grave cannot praise you, death cannot sing your
praise; those who go down to the pit cannot hope for your faithfulness. The
living, the living-- they praise you, as I am doing today; fathers tell their
children about your faithfulness.” (NIV)
35
Lesson 4
Introduction to the Biblical Feasts:
As we have seen in Chapter one, two and three, people celebrate holidays. Holidays are
celebrated all over the world. The holiday can be pagan in origin or it could have to do with a
political event, a birth date of a national hero or religious beliefs. Whatever the occasion,
there does seem to be an occasion for thousands of holidays.
By contrast, however, our God instituted only seven holidays. Men may establish days of
special celebration, but their significance cannot be compared with the importance of the
seven holiday instituted by God. 24
These seven holidays are discussed throughout the Bible, in both the Old and New Covenants.
However, only in one place in Leviticus 23: are all seven listed in chronological sequence.
Leviticus 23:4 “These are the LORD's appointed feasts, the sacred assemblies
you are to proclaim at their appointed times:” (NIV)
These seven holidays are called “the Feasts of the Lord.” That expression indicates that these
holidays are God’s holidays- they belong to Him- in contrast to man’s holidays. They are quite
literally “the feasts of the Lord.” Only on His terms and at His invitation can men participate
in them and enter into their beliefs.
The Hebrew word translated “feasts” means appointed times the idea is that the sequence and
timing of each of these feasts have been very carefully orchestrated by God himself. Each is a
part of a comprehensive role, each telling a story. The feasts are also called “holy
convocations” that is they are intended to be times of meeting between God and man for “holy
purposes.” Since these seven feasts are “appointed times” for “holy purposes,” they carry with
them great sacredness and solemnity. A number of important points need to be emphasized
concerning these feasts.
 These seven feasts of the lord were given to the Hebrew nation. The Jewish people are
god’s covenant people.
 These seven feasts relate to Israel’s spring and fall agricultural seasons. When the feasts
were instituted, Israel was largely an agricultural nation. That agricultural characteristic of
the feasts remains to this day.
 The timing of these seven feasts is based on the Jewish lunar (moon) calendar of
approximately 354-day years. Periodically, the modern Jewish calendar literally has a
thirteenth month to make up for it’s shorter year. If such were not the case, winter months
on the Jewish calendar wood soon occur in the summer, and summer months in the
winter. It is for this reason that these holidays do not fall on the same day on the Gregorian
calendar (the calendar commonly used today) each year.
 Fundamentally, these seven feasts typify the sequence, timing, and significance of the
major events of the Lord’s redemptive career. They commence at Calvary where Yeshua
24
The Feasts of the Lord, Howard, Kevin and Rosenthal, Marvin, Zion’s Hope, Inc., Orlando, FL 1994
36
(Jesus) voluntarily gave Himself for the sins of the world. (Passover) and climax at the
establishment of the messianic Kingdom at the Messiah’s Second Coming (Tabernacles).
No box has to be manufactured, no text twisted, and no truth manipulated to make these
appointed feasts conform to specific events in Messiah’s life.
 Because the spiritual realities to which the feasts clearly point are fulfilled in Messiah, all
men everywhere have been placed in an opportune position. All of humanity has been
extended an invitation to “meet” with God and receive the blessings toward which these
seven feasts unerringly point. To turn down this unprecedented and gracious invitation is
the height of folly.
 The participation of the Gentiles in the blessing associated with the feasts God appointed
for Israel should come as no surprise. It is consistent with God promise and unconditional
covenant to the patriarch Abraham, the central provision of which is “in your seed all the
nations of the earth shall be blessed. Genisis 22:18 and through your offspring all nations
on earth will be blessed, because you have obeyed me. (NIV) The Messiah himself taught,
“Salvation is of the Jews.” John 4:22. Israel and the Church are distinct entities with
distinct promises. However, every blessing which the true Church now enjoys and every
hope she anticipates comes out of the Abrahamic, Davidic and New Covenants which
God made with Israel. There is a contiguous relationship between the church and Israel.
Why would we then think that Gentiles could not enter into the blessings which were
accomplished through the messiah and to which the feasts point. There is hardly a theme
to which a man can give his attention that is more important than the seven feasts of the
Lord. These seven feasts depict the entire redemptive career of the Messiah. The number
“seven” is the biblical number for perfection and completion. After creating the world,
God rested on the seventh day. He did not rest as a consequence of growing tired rather
He rested in the sense of completion and satisfaction. What God created was good and
satisfying nothing else was needed. Therefore, he rested on the seventh day. He
commands us to do the same.
Exodus 16:23 and 30 “He said to them, This is what the LORD commanded:
'Tomorrow is to be a day of rest, a holy Sabbath to the LORD. So bake what
you want to bake and boil what you want to boil. Save whatever is left and
keep it until morning.' 30 So the people rested on the seventh day.” (NIV)
The seventh month of the year is, according to the Scriptures, especially holy. In that month,
all three-fall feats are observed.
Leviticus 23:24, 27 & 34 “Say to the Israelites: 'On the first day of the
seventh month you are to have a day of rest, a sacred assembly
commemorated with trumpet blasts. 27 The tenth day of this seventh month is
the Day of Atonement. Hold a sacred assembly and deny yourselves, and
present an offering made to the LORD by fire. 34 Say to the Israelites: 'On
the fifteenth day of the seventh month the Lord’s Feast of Tabernacles begins,
and it lasts for seven days.” (NIV)
The nation of Israel was commanded to refrain from farming the ground every seventh year-
to allow the soil to rest.
37
Leviticus 25:4 “But in the seventh year the land is to have a Sabbath of rest, a
Sabbath to the LORD. Do not sow your fields or prune your vineyards.”
(NIV)
Seven sevens of years were counted (forty-nine years), and then the next year (the fiftieth) was
to be the Jubilee year in which all debts were forgiven and all slaves set free.
Leviticus 25:8-12 “Count off seven Sabbaths of years-- seven times seven
years-- so that the seven Sabbaths of years amount to a period of forty-nine
years. Then have the trumpet sounded everywhere on the tenth day of the
seventh month; on the Day of Atonement sound the trumpet throughout your
land. Consecrate the fiftieth year and proclaim liberty throughout the land to
all its inhabitants. It shall be a jubilee for you; each one of you is to return to
his family property and each to his own clan. The fiftieth year shall be a
jubilee for you; do not sow and do not reap what grows of itself or harvest the
untended vines. For it is a jubilee and is to be holy for you; eat only what is
taken directly from the fields.” (NIV)
Seventy sevens of years were determined upon the Jewish people during which time God
would bring perfection and completion His redemptive purposes.
Daniel 9:24-27 “Seventy 'sevens' are decreed for your people and your holy
city to finish transgression, to put an end to sin, to atone for wickedness, to
bring in everlasting righteousness, to seal up vision and prophecy and to
anoint the most holy. Know and understand this: From the issuing of the
decree to restore and rebuild Jerusalem until the Anointed One, the ruler,
comes, there will be seven 'sevens,' and sixty-two 'sevens.' It will be rebuilt
with streets and a trench, but in times of trouble. After the sixty-two 'sevens,'
the Anointed One will be cut off and will have nothing. The people of the ruler
who will come will destroy the city and the sanctuary. The end will come like
a flood: War will continue until the end, and desolation’s have been decreed.
He will confirm a covenant with many for one 'seven.' In the middle of the
'seven' he will put an end to sacrifice and offering. And on a wing he will set
up an abomination that causes desolation, until the end that is decreed is
poured out on him.” (NIV)
The Book of Revelation records the consummation of this age. It uses the number seven more
than fifty times. Significantly, the book revolves around seven seals, seven trumpets, and
seven bowls.
Revelations 5:1 “Then I saw in the right hand of him who sat on the throne a
scroll with writing on both sides and sealed with seven seals.”
38
Revelations 5:5 “Then one of the elders said to me, Do not weep! See, the
Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has triumphed. He is able to
open the scroll and its seven seals.”
Revelations 5:6 “And I saw between the throne (with the four living creatures)
and the elders a Lamb standing, as if slain, having seven horns and seven
eyes, which are the seven Spirits of God, sent out into all the earth.”
Revelations 5:8-9 “And when he had taken it, the four living creatures and the
twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb. Each one had a harp and they
were holding golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints.
And they sang a new song: You are worthy to take the scroll and to open its
seals, because you were slain, and with your blood you purchased men for
God from every tribe and language and people and nation.”
Revelations 11:15-19 “The seventh angel sounded his trumpet, and there were
loud voices in heaven, which said: "The kingdom of the world has become the
kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ, and he will reign for ever and ever.”
And the twenty-four elders, who were seated on their thrones before God, fell
on their faces and worshiped God, saying: "We give thanks to you, Lord God
Almighty, the One who is and who was, because you have taken your great
power and have begun to reign. The nations were angry; and your wrath has
come. The time has come for judging the dead, and for rewarding your
servants the prophets and your saints and those who reverence your name,
both small and great-- and for destroying those who destroy the earth.” Then
God's temple in heaven was opened, and within his temple was seen the ark of
his covenant. And there came flashes of lightning, rumblings, peals of thunder,
an earthquake and a great hailstorm. Revelation 11:15 And the seventh angel
sounded; and there arose loud voices in heaven, saying, "The kingdom of the
world has become the kingdom of our Lord, and of His Christ; and He will
reign forever and ever.” (NIV)
As we can plainly see the seven feast of the Lord are His “appointed times” during which He
will meet with men for holy purposes. When completed, the seven holidays will bring this age
to a triumphant end and usher in the “Golden Age” to follow. During that age, every man will
sit under his own fig tree.
Micah 4:4 “Every man will sit under his own vine and under his own fig tree,
and no one will make them afraid, for the LORD Almighty has spoken.” (NIV)
That concept is not intended to suggest boredom or lack of activity, but a completion and
satisfaction. Just like God felt when he finished creating the world and rested on the Sabbath.
In that day, every good thing that the heart could desire will be possessed.
Four of the seven holidays occur in the spring of the year. The fulfillment of those feasts are a
done deal. That is to say, the events which the four spring feasts of the Lord typify in the
39
Hebrew Scriptures have been fulfilled in the Messiah. In that sense, we can look back and
examine them. They are history. They occurred two thousand years ago. Their spiritual
benefits, however, continue forward to the present time.
The final three holidays (and this group, I have included The Jubilee Year) occur in the fall of
the year within a brief period in the Hebrew month of Tishri (September/October) As the first
four holidays depict events associated with Messiah’s first coming, these final three holidays
depict specific events associated with His second coming. It amazes me that the traditional
Jewish people who celebrate these seven feasts cannot comprehend that the first four feasts
depict Messiah’s first coming!
These events are still future in terms of literal fulfillment; biblical faith may lay hold of and
live in the light of their future blessings today! These final feasts form the basis for what the
Bible calls the “blessed hope.”
Titus 2:13 “while we wait for the blessed hope-- the glorious appearing of our
great God and Savior, Jesus Christ,”(NIV)
The four spring feasts, with which this chapter is concerned, are summed up in the short span
of nineteen verses of Scripture.
Leviticus 23:4-22 “'These are the LORD's appointed feasts, the sacred
assemblies you are to proclaim at their appointed times: The LORD's
Passover begins at twilight on the fourteenth day of the first month On the
fifteenth day of that month the Lord's Feast of Unleavened Bread begins; for
seven days you must eat bread made without yeast On the first day hold a
sacred assembly and do no regular work. For seven days present, an offering
made to the LORD by fire. And on the seventh day hold a sacred assembly and
do no regular work.’ The LORD said to Moses, "Speak to the Israelites and
say to them: 'When you enter the land I am going to give you and you reap its
harvest, bring to the priest a sheaf of the first grain you harvest. He is to wave
the sheaf before the LORD so it will be accepted on your behalf; the priest is
to wave it on the day after the Sabbath. On the day you wave the sheaf, you
must sacrifice as a burnt offering to the LORD a lamb a year old without
defect, together with its grain offering of two-tenths of an ephah of fine flour
mixed with oil-- an offering made to the LORD by fire, a pleasing aroma--
and its drink offering of a quarter of a hin of wine. You must not eat any
bread, or roasted or new grain, until the very day you bring this offering to
your God. This is to be a lasting ordinance for the generations to come,
wherever you live. "'From the day after the Sabbath, the day you brought the
sheaf of the wave offering, count off seven full weeks. Count off fifty days up to
the day after the seventh Sabbath, and then present an offering of new grain to
the LORD. From wherever you live, bring two loaves made of two-tenths of
an ephah of fine flour, baked with yeast, as a wave offering of firstfruits to the
LORD. Present with this bread seven male lambs, each a year old and without
defect, one young bull and two rams. They will be a burnt offering to the
40
LORD, together with their grain offerings and drink offerings-- an offering
made by fire, an aroma pleasing to the LORD. Then sacrifice one male goat
for a sin offering and two lambs, each a year old, for a fellowship offering.
The priest is to wave the two lambs before the LORD as a wave offering,
together with the bread of the firstfruits. They are a sacred offering to the
LORD for the priest. On that same day, you are to proclaim a sacred
assembly and do no regular work. This is to be a lasting ordinance for the
generations to come, wherever you live. “When you reap the harvest of your
land, do not reap to the very edges of your field or gather the gleanings of
your harvest. Leave them for the poor and the alien. I am the LORD your
God.'" (NIV)
Another point of interest that needs clarification, the Hebrew month is composed of 29 or 30
days, therefore corresponding to different months of the Gregorian calendar. Today, every
time there is a new moon, the Jews begin a new month. It should be remembered that the
Jewish day begins at sunset and ends the following sunset. This is very important when we
talk about Yeshuas’ (Jesus’) resurrection. All holidays, therefore, begin in the evening. The
Jewish calendar as it now exists is based on astronomical principles. It differs from the
ordinary calendar because its until still is the month, not the year. Twelve lunar months
compose a year and comprise together 354 ¼ days. The solar year or the time it takes the earth
to make one revolution about the sun, is 365 ¼ days, or roughly 11 days more. In order to
harmonize the lunar and solar years, a thirteenth month called “Second Adar” is added in the
Jewish calendar seven times in nineteen years, i.e., on the third, sixth, eighth, eleventh,
fourteenth, seventeenth and nineteenth years25. Each of these years is a leap year. Let us look
at the calendar to help us better understand when the seven feats fall.
Luach is the Hebrew word for calendar.

Months of the Civil or Agricultural Year
Tishri September/October
Heshvan October-November
Kislev November-December
Tebet December-January
Shebat January-February
Adar February-March
VeAdar (occurs only in leap years)
Nisan March-April
Iyar April-May
Sivan May-June
Tammuz June-July
Av July-August
Elul August-September
As we learn more about the Biblical Feasts of the Lord, and we compare the counterfeit versus
the real, you will see that for every holy day the lord intended, the enemy has a counterfeit for
25
That They Might Be Saved, Lascelle, Ruth Spector, Bedrock Press, Seattle, Washington, 11978
41
it. It may have started in an innocent way but has led to the Church and Americans giving
homage to idols and gods that are not the Word of God.
Passover or Pesach:
The first “feast of the Lord” is Passover.
Leviticus 23:5-8 “The LORD's Passover begins at twilight on the fourteenth

day of the first month. On the fifteenth day of that month, the LORD's Feast of
Unleavened Bread begins; for seven days, you must eat bread made without
yeast. On the first day hold a sacred assembly and do no regular work. For
seven days present an offering made to the LORD by fire. And on the seventh
day hold a sacred assembly and do no regular work.” (NIV)
Passover if the foundational feast. The six feasts that follow are built upon it. Passover occurs
in the spring of the year, on the fourteenth day of the Hebrew month, Nisan (March-April). In
the same way, that many colleges have academic years and businesses have fiscal years, the
month in which Passover occurs commences the religious year for Israel. While Jewish
people have celebrated the Passover annually since the time of Moses, in reality, there was
only one Passover. It occurred about 3, 500 years ago in Egypt. It was there, at that time that a
lamb named Yeshua (Jesus) was sacrificed and the blood was applied to each doorpost and
lintel. When this was done in faith and in obedience to God’s command, the home was passed
over and the life of the firstborn was spared. This had to have been done in faith. Can you just
imagine the fear that these Israelites must have felt? What does God say about fear?
II Timothy 1:7 “For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of
love and of self-discipline.” (NIV)
All subsequent observances over the centuries have been memorials of that one and only first
Passover. The events leading up to the Passover are among the most dramatic in all of
Scripture. Y’tziat Mitzraim means the exodus from Egypt and it meant freeing the Israelites
from more than 200 years of slavery and idols. Ever since Israel’s exodus from Egypt in about
1450 BC, God has asked all His people to use this day to remember how He delivered their
ancestors26 first, let’s explore the background of how the Israelites became slaves in the first
place.
Joseph’s Story:
Joseph was Jacob’s favorite son. Jacob was the son of Isaac and the grandson of Abraham.
Joseph and his younger brother, Benjamin, were the only children of Rachel Jacob’s favorite
wife. The Bible says she died on the road while giving birth to Benjamin.
Jacob’s other ten sons, were the children of his first wife, Leah, Rachel’s older sister, and
Bilha and Zilpa, their maidservants. The brothers were all jealous of Jacob’s attention to
Joseph. Joseph, as a teenager, aggravated his brothers, telling them about dreams he had
which he was the sun and moon and they were the stars, bowing to him. The final straw was
the day he appeared in a coat of many colors which Jacob made especially for him. It was then
26
www.everythingjewish.com/Pesach/Pesach_Origins.htm
42
that his brothers decided that Joseph and his ideas threatened the covenant between God and
Abraham, Isaac and their father, Jacob. Therefore, after many debates, they unwisely decided
to get rid of him.
After agreeing not to kill him, they decided to throw him in a pit. When his brother, Judah
came back that night to rescue him, it was too late. The other brothers had already sold Joseph
into a caravan of Midianite traders. Realizing they had to tell their father something, the
brothers dipped Joseph’s coat in goat’s blood and told their father that a wild animal killed
Joseph.
Now a slave, Joseph was sold into a wealthy Egyptian household where he soon became a
favored and trusted servant. After some time, the beautiful wife of his new master, Potifar
attempted to seduce him. Joseph, who could have easily succumbed to Potifar’s wife and live
in comfort, instead resisted her advances, explaining that he would not commit such offence to
God. Potifar’s wife was so outraged; she accused Joseph of attacking her. Potifar had Joseph
thrown into jail where he spent the next seven years. While in jail, Joseph gained a reputation
as an interpreter of dreams. The Bible describes how Joseph correctly interpreted the dreams
of two of Pharaoh’s servants, the royal butler and the royal baker. Joseph asked them to
remember him if they were released. (Promotion comes from the Lord, NOT from any may or
earthly person.) As Joseph predicted, the baker was eventually killed and the butler was
eventually restored to his former position. However, as punishment for not relying on God to
save him, Joseph spent another several years in prison until it happened that Pharaoh began
experiencing disturbing dreams. When no one could explain the dreams, the butler told
Pharaoh about Joseph’s remarkable ability. Joseph was taken before the Pharaoh who
described his now famous dream about seven lean cows consumed by seven fat cows, and
seven lean stalks of corn consumed by seven fat stalks of corn. Joseph explained how Egypt
would experience seven years of plenty followed by seven years of famine. He advised
Pharaoh to store houses of grain during the years of plenty so Egypt would have enough food
when the famine came. Pharaoh was so impressed with Joseph’s interpretation that he put him
in charge of preparing Egypt for the upcoming famine. Joseph’s prediction came true and
soon Joseph became the second most powerful man in Egypt. Word of Egypt’s abundant food
supply reached Canaan, where Jacob and his growing family were quickly running out of
food. Jacob sent the brothers to go to Egypt to buy supplies. Only Benjamin, Jacob’s youngest
child, and Joseph’s brother stayed behind. Joseph, who was now married with two sons of his
own, was in charge of all grain distribution in Egypt. When his brothers arrived, Joseph
recognized them immediately but decided to keep quiet. Instead, he singled them out, asked
them who they were and why they came to Egypt. He made sure they got the best of
everything . However, Joseph was curious. Did they regret what they did to him, and if given
the chance, would they do it again? To test them, Joseph accused his brothers of being spies.
He insisted that they choose one brother to be held in Egypt as a hostage until the rest return
with the brother they left behind in Canaan. The brothers had no choice but to do as Joseph
said. It was determined that (Shimon) Benjamin stay behind in Egypt as the remaining
brothers returned to their father Jacob in Canaan. When Jacob heard all that had occurred in
Egypt he was very distraught at the prospect of parting with Benjamin. However, he had no
choice. Benjamin returned to Egypt with his brothers. Once back in Egypt, Joseph had
Benjamin released and ordered all his brothers brought to his private household. Once there
43
Joseph had a feast prepared. At the end of much feasting, Joseph ordered their sacks be filled
with as much food as they could carry and instructed that money be paced in every brother’s
sack. As part of the test, Joseph had his servants place a silver goblet inside Benjamin’s sack.
By morning, the brothers, along with Benjamin, were on their way back to their father Jacob.
When they reached the outskirts of the city, they were stopped and arrested by Egyptian
soldiers and brought back before Joseph.
Joseph accused one of the brothers of stealing a silver goblet. Every sack was searched until
the goblet was found in Benjamin’s sack. As punishment, Joseph decided that the boy should
remain in Egypt as his servant. When the brothers heard this, they ripped their clothing and
pleaded with Joseph to spare the boy. Judah offered himself instead of Benjamin, for losing
Benjamin would surely kill their father. Joseph could no longer restrain himself. Overcome
with great emotion, he was now convinced that his brothers were sorry for what they had done
to him. “I am Joseph, does my father still live?’ the brothers could hardly believe it. They were
too afraid to speak, too afraid to breathe. Joseph said he had completely forgiven them and
told them everything he had suffered was part of a divine plan.
Genesis 45:3-5 “Joseph said to his brothers, "I am Joseph! Is my father still
living?" But his brothers were not able to answer him, because they were
terrified at his presence. Then Joseph said to his brothers, "Come close to
me." When they had done so, he said, "I am your brother Joseph, the one you
sold into Egypt! And now, do not be distressed and do not be angry with
yourselves for selling me here, because it was to save lives that God sent me
ahead of you.” (NIV)
Joseph asked only that his father Jacob be brought before him. When he concluded his tale of
all that had happened to him, he fell upon the neck of his brother Benjamin and wept.
Benjamin wept upon his brother Joseph’s neck. Joseph gave them weapons and provisions for
their trip home. But to Benjamin, Joseph gave 300 shekels of silver and five changes of
clothing. As they left Egypt, Joseph said to them “Do not quarrel on the way.” When Jacob
heard that Joseph was alive, he fainted. When he came to, he was overjoyed. Can you imagine
the feeling he was having? His favorite son who was once lost was now found! Hallelujah!
When he came to, he was overjoyed. He and his family gathered everything they had and
proceeded to make the long journey back to Egypt, where they settled in Goshen. Although
Joseph achieved great stature in Egyptian society, he never forgot he was a Jew or where he
came from.
In fact, although he was married to an Egyptian priestess, he gave his two sons the Hebrew
names Ephraim and Manashe.
Joseph and all his family prospered in Goshen, an area rich in graze land on the edge of Egypt.
Life was good until the power structure changed and there rose a new Pharaoh, the one the
Bible says did not know Joseph. Could it be that this new Pharaoh did not know who Joseph
was and all he did to save Egypt? Alternatively, was it that the new Pharaoh did not want to
remember? This is a question that been of great debate.
44
After the death of Joseph, thing took a turn for the worse. The Bible says the new Pharaoh
feared the Israelites ability to reproduce. It has been speculated that Jewish women in Egypt
gave birth to six children at one time. Pharaoh’s advisors warned that they would soon take
over Egypt. To slow them down, the new Pharaoh oppressed the Hebrews, using them as
slaves to build the great Egyptian cities, Pittom and Ramses. When this did not work, the new
Pharaoh ordered Egyptians midwives to kill the first born males of the Jewish slaves. When
this too had little effect, the new Pharaoh decreed that every Jewish male infant be drowned in
the Nile River. To save his life, one Jewish boy was placed in a basket to float down the Nile
River. The baby was the son of Amram and Yochebed. His sister Miriam followed close by.
The basket with the baby inside was found by Pharaoh’s daughter, Batsheva. She called him
Moses, an Egyptian name, for she drew him from the Nile. When Miriam saw who found
him, she quickly offered Pharaoh’s daughter the services of a nursemaid. The nursemaid she
offered was of course, the baby’s own mother, Yochebed. After Moses was weaned, he grew
up as a prince in Pharaoh’s palace. The misery of the Hebrew slaves continued. For the most
part, Moses remained untouched by their suffering. One day, however, something happened
that changed his life forever. Moses was walking among the slaves and saw an Egyptian
taskmaster beating a Hebrew. When the Egyptian would not stop, Moses struck him and the
Egyptian died. Two Hebrew informants witnessed the attack and threatened to report Moses.
Afraid for his life, Moses ran away. He ran until he came to Mideon, where he found refuge in
the house of Jethro, a Median priest. Jethro had seven daughters who tended the family flock.
Moses fell in love with the eldest, Tziporah. One day, while in the desert herding sheep,
Moses saw something burning in the distance. As he drew closer, he saw it was a bush, but to
his surprise, it was not consumed. It should be noted here that the burning bush typifies Israel.
Through the centuries, she would experience the hot flames of satanic fury, often manifested
in the form of vehement anti-Semitism, she would burn but she would not be consumed. As
God spoke to Moses from the burning bush, so has He spoken to the world amidst the fiery
trials of Israel.
When holy men of God spoke as they were borne along by the Holy Spirit, they were Jewish
men. God would tell Moses that He had seen the affliction of his people down in Egypt, and
that He heard their cry for help and that He knew their sorrows.
Now, he would come down and deliver them out of Egyptian bondage and bring them into the
Promised Land.
Exodus 3:7-8 “The LORD said, "I have indeed seen the misery of my people
in Egypt. I have heard them crying out because of their slave drivers, and I am
concerned about their suffering. So I have come down to rescue them from the
hand of the Egyptians and to bring them up out of that land into a good and
spacious land, a land flowing with milk and honey-- the home of the
Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Hivites and Jebusites.” (NIV)
Then Moses heard a voice. The voice said it was the god of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. Moses
was told to take his shoes off for he was on holy ground. God then told Moses to go back to
Egypt and free his people from bondage.
45
Moses was reluctant. He said he was a simple shepherd unworthy of such a task. He said his
speech was slow and that he would be killed if he went back to Egypt. God told him to take
his brother Aaron, and go before Pharaoh. God gave Moses two signs of His power to show
Pharaoh. The first involved turning a staff into a snake. The second sign involved turning his
are into leprosy. Moses left his family in Midian to join Aaron in Egypt. The Hebrews were
nothing but a bunch of unorganized, uneducated slaves, at this time. They knew nothing of
nationhood yet, that would happen at Mt. Sinai.
They carried in their nails and hair, the slime pit of Egypt. There was nothing desirable about
this group of slaves who had through the years forgotten their God. In fact, they were
worshipping lesser gods created by their own hands, made from wood and stone. Even the
sons of Jacob had not been faithful to God. It could have been argued that god owed them
nothing. He was no man’s debtor. However, the God of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob promised that
their seed would be as the sand on the seashore and the stars of the heaven without number.
God is a covenant keeping God!
Then the two made their way to Pharaoh’s palace. Their first request to free their people was
denied. As instructed, they performed God’s signs for pharaoh. Pharaoh’s magicians tried to
mimic the snake trick, but were dumbfounded when Moshe’s snake ate their sticks. This
angered Pharaoh, and as his punishment, he took away the straw the Hebrews used to make
bricks while at the same time increasing their brick-making quota. When Moses and Aaron
returned to the palace, with their now familiar refrain, “Let my people go” they were again
denied. To show God’s power, Moses stretched his staff across the Nile River and the water
slowly turned to blood. Sin fact, every bit of water no matter if it was in the river or in a
vessel, turned to blood. Only in Goshen, where the Jews lived, was the water clear. This was
the first of the ten plagues brought on Egypt. (This is being explained because the whole story
of Passover has to do with these Biblical events). After each plague, Pharaoh’s advisors
begged him to send the Hebrews away, but each time the heart of Pharaoh was hardened by
God and he refused. After blood, came frogs. Lice, wild beasts, pestilence, boils, hail, locusts,
darkness and ended with the slaying of the firstborn. (At this point in the Passover meal, the
song is chanted, “Let my people go.”)
Before this final plague was unleashed on Egypt, God told Moses to instruct the Jews to
choose an unblemished lamb, sheep or goat on the 10th of Nisan and keep it until the 14 th of
the month and then slaughter it at sundown. This is a type and shadow in the Old Testament of
the Messiah. The reason the households were to obtain the lamb and keep it for three days and
three nights before it was slaughtered was so that each family could become attached to the
lamb. It was to be their own personal lamb and not one that they did not know. They were to
smear its blood on their doorposts and thresholds and roast the entire animal. Only the Jewish
homes, with the blood of the paschal lamb sacrifice on their doors, were passed over, hence
the name Passover.
Exodus 7:20 “Moses and Aaron did just as the LORD had commanded. He
raised his staff in the presence of Pharaoh and his officials and struck the
water of the Nile, and all the water was changed into blood.” (NIV)
46
This is so amazing to me. The blood of the lamb, Messiah is also sprinkled over us today, Jew
(who willingly accepts Yeshua, Jesus) and to the Gentile who accepts Yeshua, Jesus.
Leviticus 17:11 “For the life of a creature is in the blood, and I have given it
to you to make atonement for yourselves on the altar; it is the blood that
makes atonement for one's life.” (NIV)
Matthew 26:28 “This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for
many for the forgiveness of sins”. (NIV)
John 6:54 “Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I
will raise him up at the last day.” (NIV)
Romans 5:9 “Since we have now been justified by his blood, how much more
shall we be saved from God's wrath through him.” (NIV)
Revelations 19:13 “He is dressed in a robe dipped in blood, and his name is
the Word of God.” (NIV)
The last plague finally broke Pharaoh’s will. Because this was, God’s perfect timing. In the
middle of the night, with his own son lying dead before him, he called for Moses and Aaron.
He told them to pack up their families, their belongings their cattle and sheep, and get out of
Egypt. In the middle of the night, after 210 years of slavery, 600,000 men between the ages of
18 and 60 left Egypt. In all, almost three million people marched for three days. However, by
the time they reached the Red Sea, Pharaoh’s heart had hardened and the entire Egyptian army
was in full pursuit. There was nowhere for the Hebrew slaves to go. They could either
surrender and go back to Egypt, or forge ahead into the sea. The former slaves were frightened
and screamed to turn back, not wanting to die in the wilderness. However, Moses and Aaron
stood strong. Using a strong east wind against the sea, god caused the waters to part so the
Jews could march through. The Egyptians with their heavy metal armor and heavy chariots
and horses pursued. When the last Jew had crossed the sea, God caused the waters to fall back,
drowning the Egyptian army. Only Pharaoh was spared. He stood transfixed on the shore. He
had no choice but to watch in horror as his entire army vanished beneath the waves. What a
scene this must have been to behold. Why, this is insanity by human standards. This is true
redemption! The Hebrews were redeemed so that they could worship and serve the true living
God. However, such redemption was not without cost. Blood had to be shed! There was great
rejoicing on the other side. Miriam. Moses’ older sister gathered the women and began
singing and dancing in praise of God.
Let’s consider these points when we talk about Passover:
 On the fourteenth day of the first month at twilight is Yeshua’s Passover.

 For believers, Passover prophetically speaks of our deliverance from slavery and the
bondage of sin, which was accomplished in 20-30 AD
47
 The feast originated on the night when the angel of the Lord passed over the land of
Egypt. Due to Pharaoh’s hardened heart, the first born sons were slain. This sad event
occurred immediately prior to the Hebrews leaving their bondage under the leadership of
Moses.
 A male lamb, without spot or blemish was to be taken in by the family on the 10 th of Nisan
and slaughtered on the 14th of Nisan, three days and nights later. The lamb had to be
roasted. Not one bone was to broken in the lamb’s body. That had to be completed before
Passover as no work is allowed on the next day, that being the feast of Unleavened Bread.
 The lamb was roasted with fire, and then eaten with bitter herbs. What was left was burnt.
This happened because of the strict dietary laws.
 The blood of the lamb was to be painted on the doorposts and lintels of the house door.
This blood covering spared Israel from the final plague against Egypt
Exodus 12:21-28 “Then Moses summoned all the elders of Israel and said to
them, "Go at once and select the animals for your families and slaughter the
Passover lamb. Take a bunch of hyssop, dip it into the blood in the basin and
put some of the blood on the top and on both sides of the doorframe. Not one
of you shall go out the door of his house until morning. When the LORD goes
through the land to strike down the Egyptians, he will see the blood on the top
and sides of the doorframe and will pass over that doorway, and he will not
permit the destroyer to enter your houses and strike you down. "Obey these
instructions as a lasting ordinance for you and your descendants. When you
enter the land that the LORD will give you as he promised, observe this
ceremony. And when your children ask you, 'What does this ceremony mean
to you?' Then tell them, 'It is the Passover sacrifice to the LORD, who passed
over the houses of the Israelites in Egypt and spared our homes when he
struck down the Egyptians.'" Then the people bowed down and worshiped.
The Israelites did just what the LORD commanded Moses and Aaron”
(NIV)
All ten of the ensuing Plagues were against Egypt and its gods.
 The Passover occurred on the 430th anniversary of the promise the Lord God gave to
Abraham.
Exodus 12:41 “At the end of the 430 years, to the very day, all the Lord’s
divisions left Egypt”. (NIV)
Genesis 12:2 “I will make you into a great nation and I will bless you; I will
make your name great, and you will be a blessing”. (NIV)
These promises are still true today!
The Fulfillment of Passover:
 The sacrificial lamb represents our Savior, Yeshua (Jesus)
48
I Corinthians 5:7 “Get rid of the old yeast that you may be a new batch
without yeast-- as you really are. For Christ, our Passover lamb, has been
sacrificed.” (NIV)
 Yeshua (Jesus) died on the 14th of Nisan on the Cross having entered Jerusalem on the 10 th
of Nisan.
 The Roman soldiers broke the legs of the two thieves, but they found Yeshua had died
already, thus none of his bones were broken.
John 19:32-33 “The soldiers therefore came and broke the legs of the first
man who had been crucified with Jesus, and then those of the other. But when
they came to Jesus and found that he was already dead, they did not break his
legs” (NIV)
 The roasting of the lamb represents judgment. The bitter herbs representing the sins, or the
failures of people.
The eating of the lamb represents faith in the work of Yeshua (Jesus) the lamb without spot or
blemish had to be shed to be a refuge against physical and spiritual death. Why did Israel need
protection? The Scriptures contain the answer.
Ecclesiastes 7:20 “There is not a righteous man on earth who does what is
right and never sins.” (NIV) and
Ezekiel 18:20 “The soul who sins is the one who will die. The son will not
share the guilt of the father, nor will the father share the guilt of the son. The
righteousness of the righteous man will be credited to him, and the wickedness
of the wicked will be charged against him.” (NIV)
All sinners must die, we cannot save ourselves!
Romans 6:23 “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life
in Christ Jesus our Lord” (NIV)
As John the Immerser said,
John 1:29 “The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, "Look,
the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!” (NIV)
Maybe we should ask the question “Did the blood of the lamb alone save Israel from
impending doom? The answer is “no”. It had to be faith combined with action (this action is
how we should live everyday) Israel had to select a lamb without spot or blemish then keep it
in the house for four days, then kill it on the “day of Preparation” collecting its blood in one
bowl, painting it on the doorposts as directed by the lord god. Only by obeying God, and
49
doing what he asks of us, can the lord do a work in us. The faithful covered by the blood of the
Lamb must have the kind of faith that produces good works. James puts it this way.
James 2:17-20 “In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by
action, is dead. But someone will say, "You have faith; I have deeds." Show
me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by what I do. You
believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that-- and
shudder. You foolish man, do you want evidence that faith without deeds is
useless?” (NIV)
Did our Savior not say;
John 14:15 “If you love me, you will obey what I command.” (NIV)
Yeshua requires daily living active faith and action from His chosen. This principle of faith
and works was in full force on the days leading up to the Exodus as Israel prepared for her
deliverance when god would pass over the houses of Israel and slay Egypt’s firstborn. Faith in
the shed blood of the lamb without spot or blemish was the perfect provision for the
redemption of the Children of Israel and for us today. Why should Gentiles celebrate these
feasts?
Colossians 2:16-17 “Therefore do not let anyone judge you by what you eat or
drink, or with regard to a religious festival, a New Moon celebration or a
Sabbath day. These are a shadow of the things that were to come; the
reality, however, is found in Christ.” (NIV)
God said that these were not Jewish holidays, but His feasts. It is a misunderstanding to
believe that Christians would be Judaizing to keep this feast.
Galatians 3:8-13 “The Scripture foresaw that God would justify the Gentiles
by faith, and announced the gospel in advance to Abraham: All nations will
be blessed through you. So those who have faith are blessed along with
Abraham, the man of faith. All who rely on observing the law are under a
curse, for it is written: Cursed is everyone who does not continue to do
everything written in the Book of the Law. Clearly no one is justified before
God by the law, because, The righteous will live by faith. The law is not based
on faith; on the contrary, The man who does these things will live by them.
Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us, for it
is written: Cursed is everyone who is hung on a tree.” (NIV)
The Feast of Unleavened Bread:

This is the second feast and it is a seven-day pilgrimage festival following Passover. On the
first night, as well as the last night are holy convocations between man and God. So
intimately related are these first two holidays, Passover and Unleavened Bread, that with the
passing of time, they came to be observed as one holiday by the Jewish people. This is
celebrated by putting out of the home all the leavened products. No bread should be eaten for
50
seven days. This signifies our part in God’s plan. We must make a diligent effort to rid our
lives of sin. First, the Jewish woman goes through the house and sprinkles the breadcrumbs
everywhere. Armed with a broom and dustpan, traditionally a Jewish woman would go
through each corner of the home and sweep up the breadcrumbs. Interesting, that the woman
sprinkles the breadcrumbs. Once they are scooped up, they are taken outside and burned. This
signifies burning up the sin. Even today, this custom of the sweeping is kept in traditional
Jewish homes.
I Corinthians 5:7-8 “Get rid of the old yeast that you may be a new batch
without yeast-- as you really are. For Christ, our Passover lamb has been
sacrificed. Therefore let us keep the Festival, not with the old yeast, the yeast
of malice and wickedness, but with bread without yeast, the bread of sincerity
and truth.” (NIV)
Leaven symbolizes error or evil. It is the agent that causes fermentation. Yeshua warns us in
Matthew 16:6 “Be careful,” Jesus said to them. "Be on your guard against the
yeast of the Pharisees and Sadducees.” (NIV)
I Corinthians 5:6 “Your boasting is not good. Do you not know that a little
leaven leavens the whole lump of dough?” (NIV)
We learn by doing. We learn spiritual lessons by doing physical things. Performing the task of
deleavening our homes and our physical bodies reminds us to watch for sinful thoughts and
actions so we can avoid them. God knows that, in spite of our good intentions, we all sin.
Many years after his conversion, Paul describes the powerful human tendency to sin:
Romans 7:21-25 “So I find this law at work: When I want to do good, evil is
right there with me. For in my inner being I delight in God's law; but I see
another law at work in the members of my body, waging war against the law
of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within my
members. What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body of
death? Thanks be to God-- through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, I myself in
my mind am a slave to God's law, but in the sinful nature a slave to the law of
sin.” (NIV)
Paul knew that life itself is a battle with sin. The Bible speaks of “the sin which so easily
ensnares us” Hebrews 12:1. We have our own part to play in struggling to overcome sin. Yet,
we must rely on god to help us. Paul explained this to the Philippians by telling them to “work
out your own salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you both to will
and to do of his good pleasure” Taken from Philippians 2:12-13 (KJV) by observing the Feast
of Unleavened Bread helps us to realize our need for Yeshua (Jesus) help in overcoming our
weaknesses. Yet, this feast is certainly a time for rejoicing because Messiah freely gives us all
the help we need. Yeshua, the Lamb of God, was sacrificed for the forgiveness of sins, thus
unleavening, or cleansing our lives. He continues to help us live obediently through God’s
Spirit dwelling in us. If Passover speaks of the Lord’s death on Calvary, and it does so, loudly
51
and clearly- the Feast of Unleavened Bread proclaims that His physical body would not
experience the revenges of death while in the grave.
The Feast of Firstfruits:

The third feast occurs on the second day of the seven-day Feast of Unleavened Bread. It is
called the Feast of Firstfruits. Passover occurs on the fourteenth of Nisan; the first day of the
Feast of Unleavened Bread occurs on the fifteenth; and Firstfruits, occurs on the sixteenth day
of the Hebrew month of Nisan. The barley harvest- the first crop planted in the winter is now,
in the spring beginning to ripen. The first sheaf (firstfruits) of the harvest is cut and in a
carefully prescribed and meticulous ceremony, presented to the Lord. The Lord’s acceptance
of the firstfruits is an “earnest” or pledge on his part of a full harvest. As to the significance of
the Feast of Firstfruits, as with the other feasts, there is no room for doubt or speculation.
By observing the Feast of Unleavened Bread, we realize our need for Yeshua (Jesus’) help in
overcoming our weakness. Yet, this feast is certainly a time for rejoicing because Messiah
freely gives us all the help we need. Yeshua, the Lamb of God, was sacrificed for the
forgiveness of sins, thus unleavening, or cleansing our lives. He continues to help us live
obediently through God’s Spirit dwelling in us. If Passover speaks of the Lord’s death on
Calvary, and it does so, loudly and clearly- the Feast of Unleavened Bread proclaims that His
physical body would not experience the revenges of death while in the grave.
In the Bible
The Hebrew term bikkurim and related terms for the “first fruits” derive from the same root as
bekhor, “firstborn (see Firstborn). On the same general principle that the firstborn of man and
beast belonged to the God of Israel and were to be devoted to Him, the first fruits, including
the first grains to ripen each season, were to be brought as an offering to God. Every Israelite
who possessed the means of agricultural productivity was under this obligation (Ex. 23:19;
34:26, Num. 15:17-21; 18:12-13; Deut 26:1-11). A frequent synonym for bikkurim is reshit
“the first [fruits].”
Deuteronomy 26:1-11 contains detailed procedures for the offering of the first fruits, including
the text of a liturgical recitation incumbent upon any who offered their first fruits in the
sanctuary. The manner of oblation prescribed in that passage represents a distinctive mode,
whereby the substances involved were not burnt on the altar but were merely displayed, and
later assigned to the priests as part of their cultic income (cf. Numbers. 18:12-13;
Deuteronomy. 18:3-5. On the other hand, Leviticus 2:14 speaks of minhat bikkurim, “a grain
offering of first fruits,” prescribing that part of it be burnt on the altar. It would seem,
therefore, that at least some of the grain brought as first fruits was disposed of in that manner,
although the prescription of Leviticus may reflect the tendency to accommodate older forms
of sacrifice to the particularly Israelite practice of the burnt offering. It is difficult to identify
this minhah within the context of first fruit offerings. It has been identified with the “grain
offering of fresh grain” (minhah hadashah) of Leviticus 23:16; but that poses a problem, since
the rule was that no leavened dough could be brought up on the altar, and the offering of fresh
grain mentioned in that passage was to be baked from leavened dough. The offerings of first
fruit were both an individual obligation and a part of public festival celebrations, particularly
52
the celebration of Shavuot, also called Hag ha-Bikkurim, “the first fruits festival” (Exodus.
23:16; 34:22; Leviticus. 23:16-17; Numbers. 28:26).
A sheaf of the new barley harvest (‘omer) was offered on the second day of the Passover
festival (Leviticus 23:10-11, 15-16). According to the Mishnah (Bik. 1:3,6,9), in Second
Temple times the pilgrimage to the Temple for the purpose of offering the first fruits could be
undertaken anytime between Shavuot, in the late spring, and Sukkot, in the fall (but see
below), but the festival of Shavuot was the first date for this offering. A rite notionally related
to the offering of first fruits was the bringing of the fruit of trees during their fourth year of
fruit bearing (Leviticus 19:23-25). In both cases, an offering was required to release the fruit,
as it were, for consumption by its owners. According to Leviticus 23:17, the offering of fresh
grain was to be presented in the form of two loaves of baked, leavened bread.
There are no specifications as to the amounts or percentages of seasonal yield required for the
offering of first fruits, but there does exist, on the other hand, a text for the recitation which
was to accompany the offering, in Deuteronomy 26:5-10. A part of it has been incorporated
in the Passover Haggadah. It consists of a review of Israel’s early history, tracing Israelite
origins to the pre-Egyptian period, and expressing gratitude to God for the redemption from
Egypt. It culminates in an acknowledgement that as an Israelilte, the one reciting the
declaration is thankful for having been brought to the rich Promised Land, in recognition of
which he is offering the first fruits of the land as a sacrifice. Only a few such recitations are
preserved in the Torah, another being designated for the bringing of a type of tithe
(Deuteronomy 26:13-15).
Typologically, the offering of first fruits would seem to represent a very ancient practice, and
yet it is not referred to in the historical books of the Bible, in descriptions of cultic activity, and
most references are limited to the Pentateuch, post-Exilic literature and the Book of Ezekiel.
The celebration mentioned in Judge 9:27, in connection with the grape harvest, may be related
to the offering of first fruits, and a possible reference may be 1 Samuel 2:29. The Book of
Proverbs (3:9) refers to the practice as a prerequisite to securing God’s material blessings.
As noted above, certain problems remain in reconciling the codes of Leviticus and
Deuteronomy, and generally speaking, the biblical evidence leaves some gaps in
understanding precisely how the rites connected with the first fruits operated.
This Feast proclaims the Physical Resurrection of Messiah:
I Corinthians 15:12 “But if it is preached that Christ has been raised from the
dead, how can some of you say that there is no resurrection of the dead?”
(NIV)
To deny the physical resurrection was to call the apostle Paul a liar, for he had taught the
church at Corinth that Messiah rose bodily from the grave.
I Corinthians 15:3-4 “For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also

received, that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that He
53
was buried, and that He was raised on the third day according to the
Scriptures.” (NIV)
To deny the physical resurrection of Messiah was to repudiate their faith.
I Corinthians 15:14 “And if Christ has not been raised, our preaching is
useless and so is your faith.” (NIV)
To deny the resurrection of Messiah was to condemn loved ones who have died to eternal
condemnation.
I Corinthians 15:18 “Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ are
lost.” (NIV)
To deny the physical resurrection of Messiah was to consign men to misery.
I Corinthians 15:19 “If only for this life we have hope in Christ, we are to be
pitied more than all men.” (NIV)
Happy that the Corinthians were wrong about no bodily resurrection!
The Feast of Passover spoke of Messiah’s death as a sacrificial and substitutionary lamb. The
Feast of Unleavened Bread indicated that His body would not decay the grave. The Feast of
Firstfruits proclaims that death could not hold Him. He rose up from the grave, with a mighty
triumph over His foes.
Shavuot:
The Fest of Weeks, “Pentecost”, the 50th day”), the festival celebrated on the sixth of Sivan
(and also on the seventh outside Israel). The biblical names for the festival are: “Hag
Shavuot” (“Feast of Weeks, Exodus 34:22; Deuteronomy 16:10); “Yom ha-Bikkurim” (“The
Day of the First-fruits”, Numbers 28:26), and “Hag ha-Kazir” (“The Harvest Feast”, Ex.
28
23:16) (Leviticus 23:36; Numbers 29:35).
History:
This feast, one of the three pilgrim festivals (Deuteronomy 16:16), marked the end of the
barley and beginning of the wheat harvest. According to the critical view, it was probably a
midsummer festival in origin and taken over from the Canaanites. It is stated in Leviticus:
“From the day after the Sabbath, the day that you bring the sheaf of wave-offering you shall
count (until) seven full weeks have elapsed; you shall count fifty days, until the day after the
seventh week; then you shall bring an offering of new grain to the Lord” (Leviticus 23:15-16
and to 21). Leviticus 23:11 states that the sheaf was waved on the day after the Sabbath on the
festival of Passover. Thus Shavuot falls 50 days after this day. The Sadducees (and later the
Karaites) understood the term “Sabbath” in these verses literally, hence, for the Shavuot
always falls on a Sunday.
On this festival in Temple times two loaves (shetei ha-lehem) were “waved before the Lord”
(Leviticus 23:17-20). These had to be offered only from the finest wheat, from produce
54
grown that year in Erez Israel (Men. 8:1). Shavuot was associated with the bringing of the
bikkurim, “the first ripe fruits,” to the Sanctuary (Ex. 23:19: Deuteronomy 26:1-11). The
Mishnah (Bik. 1,6) states that the period for bringing them was any time from Shavuot to
Sukkot. The villagers would first assemble in the large town of the district and would go up
together with their first ripe fruits to the Temple where they would be welcomed with song by
the Levites (Bik. 3:2-4). The description of the feast in the liturgy is “zeman mattan
toratenu” (“the time of the giving of our Torah”). The transformation was in accord with a
process to be observed in the Bible in which the ancient agricultural feasts were transformed
into festivals marking the anniversary of significant historical events in the life of the people.
Both Passover and Sukkot are connected with the Exodus; it was natural to link Shavuot with
this event.
In some medieval communities it was customary to introduce children to the Hebrew school
on Shavuot, the season of the giving of the Torah. At this initiation ceremony the child, at the
age of five or thereabouts, was placed on the reading desk in the synagogue and from there
was taken to the school where he began to make his first attempts at reading the Hebrew
alphabet. He was then given cakes, honey, and sweets “that the Torah might be sweet on his
lips.” In many modern synagogues, particularly Reform, the confirmation of older children
takes place on Shavuot (see Bar Mitzvah).
The Laws and Customs of Shavuot:

Unlike Passover and Sukkot, Shavuot has few special rituals, and those it does have are late.
This is entirely explicable in view of the development of the festival mentioned above. The
harvest associations no longer had much meaning once the Temple was destroyed, and there
are no biblical ceremonies connected with the giving of the Torah since this motif is post-
biblical. In modern Israel attempts have been made to revive some of the harvest ceremonies
(see Kibbutz Festivals). In the synagogue it is customary to read the Book of Ruth on
Shavuot. Among the reasons given are: that the events recorded in Ruth took place at harvest
time (Ruth 2:23); that Ruth was the ancestor of David (Ruth 4:17) who, traditionally, died on
Shavuot; that Ruth’s “conversion” to Judaism is appropriate reading for the festival which
commemorates the giving of the Torah; and that Ruth’s loyalty is symbolic of Israel’s loyalty
to the Torah. The portion of the Torah read in the synagogue on the first day is the account of
the theophany at Sinai (Exodus 19:1-20:26). In the Ashkenazi rite it is prefaced by chanting
the Aramaic Akdamut hymn composed by Meir b. Isaac Nehorai of Orleans (11th century) in
praise of Israel’s faithfulness to the Torah. The haftarah for the first day is the vision of
Ezekiel (Ezekiel 1-2) because of its parallel to the vision of the whole people at Sinai. The
haftarah for the second day is Habakkuk’s prayer (Habakkuk 3) because it similarly describes
a theophany. This, too, is prefaced by an Aramaic hymn in praise of the Torah, “Yeziv
Pitgam,” composed by R. Jacob b. Meir of Troyes (1100-1171). Under the influence of the
Kabbalah it became customary to spend the whole of the first night as a vigil in which selected
passages from all the Jewish religious classics are read (tikkun leil Shavuot). A less observed
custom is to recite the whole of the Book of Psalms on the second night because of the
association of the festival with David.
But the custom for the whole congregation to stand is still followed on the grounds that the
Talmudic objection to any special significance being attached to the Decalogue cannot apply
55
to congregational reading from the Scroll since the whole of the Torah is written in the Scroll.
The account of the revelation on Mount Sinai is usually sung to an especially solemn tune.
Fifty days and two loaves, leaven – what did it all mean? In short, it all pointed to the coming
of the Holy Spirit and the birthday of the church. The Son of God arose from the grave on
Firstfruits. He then spends forty days with His disciples in post resurrection ministry.
Acts 1:3 “After his suffering, he showed himself to these men and gave many
convincing proofs that he was alive. He appeared to them over a period of
forty days and spoke about the kingdom of God.” (NIV)
John 14:16-17 “ And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another
Counselor to be with you forever- the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept
him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he
lives with you and will be in you.” (NIV)
They were commanded to tarry at Jerusalem until He came. They waited as they were
commanded. Their wait as not long – only ten days. Then it happened: the Spirit of God
descended on those first century believers. The Feast of Weeks speaks of origination. The
coming of the Holy Spirit inaugurated the New Covenant and Church Age which the Messiah
instituted in the Upper room.
Matthew 26:28-30 “This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for
many for the forgiveness of sins. I tell you, I will not drink of this fruit of the
vine from now on until that day when I drink it anew with you in my Father’s
kingdom. When they had sung a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives.”
(NIV)
The middle wall of separation between Jews and Gentiles has been broken down. From the
two, the Lord is calling out the Church, which is His body.
Rosh Hash Ha-Shanah
In the Bible: The name Rosh Ha-Shanah as it is used in the Bible (Ezekiel 40:1) simply
means the beginning of the year, and does not designate the festival. 29 The months of the year
were counted from the spring month (Exodus 12:2), later called by the Babylonian name
Nisan. The month known by the Babylonian name Tishri is, therefore, called the “seventh
month” in the Pentateuch. When the festival on the first of this month is recorded, it is
referred to as the festival of the seventh month and as a day of “memorial proclaimed with the
blast of horns,” or “a day of blowing the horn” (Leviticus 23:23-25; Numbers 29:1-6). In the
Bible, the festival lasts for one day only; the two-day festival arose out of the difficulty of
determining when the new moon actually appeared. It is also commonly called: The Feast of
Trumpets.
The Babylonian name Tishri seems to derive from the root seru, which means “to begin.”
The ancient Semitic peoples thought the year as beginning in the autumn, at the time of the
late harvest; cf. the expressions be-zet ha-shanah (“at the end of the year”), and tekufat ha-
56
shanah (“(at) the turn of the year”), by which the Feast of Ingathering, or Sukkot, which is in a
sense the popular equivalent of the more priestly Day of Remembrance, is dated in Exodus
23:16 and 34:22 respectively. The Gezer Calendar in fact begins with two Months of
Ingathering. This was the beginning of the economic year, when crops began to be sold. It is
plausible, therefore, that the biblical feast originally marked the beginning of the agricultural
year. If this is correct, the rabbinic name Rosh Ha-Shanah only makes explicit that which has
been implicit in the observance of the day from the earliest times. It was on the first day of the
seventh month that Ezra the Scribe read the book of the Law before the people (Nehemiah
8:1-8). The people, conscious of their shortcomings, were distressed to hear the words of the
Law; but Nehemiah, Ezra’s companion, said to them: “Go your way, eat rich viands, and
drink the sweet beverages, and send portions to him who has none prepared; for this day is
holy to our Lord; do not be sad; for joy in the Lord is your refuge” (Nehemiah 8:10). The
psalmist is almost certainly referring to this festival when he proclaims: “Blow the horn at the
new moon, at the full moon for our feast day. For it is a statute for Israel, an ordinance of the
God of Jacob.”
The Shofar:
The essential ritual of Rosh Ha-Shanah is the sounding of the shofar. The Bile rules that the
horn of any kosher animal (e.g. sheep, goat, antelope), except the cow, may be used as a
shofar on Rosh Ha-Shanah. One of the reasons why the horn of a cow is not used is its
reference to the golden calf. At a later period, the ram’s horn was preferred in order to recall
the binding of Isaac for whom a ram was substituted. It is considered meritorious to use a
curved shofar, symbolic of man bowing in submission to God’s will. The silence of the
Scriptures as to why the horn is blown on this day left room for a wide variety of
interpretations among later teachers.
(1) Trumpets are sounded at a coronation and God is hailed as King on this day.
(2) The shofar heralds the beginning of the penitential season (from Rosh Ha-Shanah
to the Day of Atonement).
(3) The Torah was given on Sinai accompanied by the blasts of the shofar.
(4) The prophets compare their message to the sound of the shofar.
(5) The conquering armies that destroyed the Temple sounded trumpet blasts.
(6) The ram was substituted for Isaac.
(7) The prophets ask: “Shall the horn be blown in a city, and the people not tremble?”
(Amos 3:6)
(8) The prophet Zephaniah speaks of the great “day of the Lord” (Judgment Day) as a
“day of the horn and alarm” (Zephaniah 1:14, 16).
(9) The prophet Isaiah speaks of the great shofar which will herald the messianic age
(Isaiah 27:13).
(10) The shofar will be sounded at the resurrection.
The particular shofar sound blown on Rosh Ha-Shanah have an extended development. “A
day of blowing the horn” (Numbers 29:1) is, in Hebrew, called yom teru’ah, and is rendered
by the Targum as yom yabbava. The phrase concerning the mother of Sisera who is said to
have “looked through the window” (va-teyabbev; Judges 5:28) is interpreted by the Rabbis as
“and she wept.” Hence the shofar blast is said to be a weeping sound. According to rabbinic
tradition, however, the teru’ah-yabbava sound must always be followed and preceded by an
57
extended, unbroken note, teki’ah. There are doubts as to whether the weeping sound means
three groaning notes (shevarim) or a series of nine very short wailing notes (teru’ah). Is the
biblical teru’ah-yabbava, then, a shevarim note, or a teru’ah note, or both together? In order
to eliminate all doubt, the practice arose, and is still followed, of sounding all three notes.
The order became:

teki’ah shevarim teru’ah teki’ah (3 times)
teki’ah shevarim teki’ah (3 times)
teki’ah teru’ah teki’ah (3 times).
The final teki’ah is especially long and drawnout, and is known as teki’ah gedolah, “the great
teki’ah.” This series of 30 notes, first sounded after the reading of the Torah, is again sounded
during the repetition of the Musaf Amidah (in some rites in the silent Amidah), and in many
congregations also at the end of the service with an additional ten notes, so as to make a total
of 100. The sounding of the shofar in the synagogue is and occasion of great solemnity at
which God is entreated to show mercy to His creatures. ‘Happy is the people that know the
sound of the trumpet’ (Ps. 89:16). Do not the nations of the world know how to sound the
trumpet? They have numerous horns, sirens and trumpets, and yet it is said: ‘Happy is the
people that know the sound of the trumpet.’ This means that Israel is the people which knows
how to win over their Creator with the blasts of the shofar so that He rises from His throne of
judgment to His throne of mercy and is filled with compassion for them and turns His quality
of judgment into the quality of compassion” (Leviticus R. 29:4).
The Laws and Customs of Rosh Ha-Shanah

On the first night of Rosh Ha-Shanah it is customary to greet one’s friends with: “May you be
inscribed (in the book of life) for a good year.” The Sephardi version of the greeting is: “May
you be inscribed for a good year; may you be worthy of abundant years.” At the festive meal,
it is customary to dip the piece of bread, over which grace has been recited, into honey as a
token of the sweet year it is hoped will come. For the same reason, a piece of apple is dipped
in honey and before eating it, the prayer is recited: “May it be Thy will O Lord our God and
God of our fathers, to renew unto us a good and sweet year.” Nuts should not be eaten on
Rosh Ha-Shanah because they produce phlegm, and make it more difficult to recite the
prayers of the day; also because the numerical value of the Hebrew for “nut” (egoz) is the
same as that of “sin” (Het). In some communities, the loaves for the festival meal are baked in
the form of ladders to symbolize the fortunes of men in the year ahead: some ascending, some
descending life’s ladder. The custom of sending greeting cards before Rosh Ha-Shanah finds
no support in the Jewish tradition, though it is now a widespread practice.
The prophet Micah speaks of God casting the sins of Israel into the depths of the sea. “And
Thou wilt cast (ve-tashlikh) all their sins into the depths of the sea” (Micah 7:19). On the basis
of this verse, the Tashlikh ceremony arose in which Jews go to a place where there is running
water, the sea, a river, or a well (if neither of the former two are within walking distance) to
recite this and other scriptural verses as well as penitential hymns and prayers on the first
afternoon of Rosh Ha-Shanah (on the second if the first day falls on a Sabbath). The scriptural
readings in the synagogue on Rosh Ha-Shanah are: On the first day, Genesis 21 and the
haftarah, I Samuel 1:1-2:10; on the second day, Genesis 22 and the haftarah, Jeremiah 31:2-
20. The maftir on both days is Numbers 29:1-6.
58
Although Rosh Ha-Shanah as a festival is not more important than the other festivals, greater
solemnity has come to be attached to it since it is also considered a day of judgment. Hallel is,
therefore, not recited. The day is imbued with an aura of awe as expressed in the prayer:
“Now, therefore, O Lord our God, impose Thine awe upon all Thy works, and Thy dread
upon all that Thou has created, that all works may revere Thee and all creatures prostrate
themselves before Thee, that they may all form a single band to do Thy will with a perfect
heart.”
The Feast of Trumpets occurs at the New Moon when only the slightest crescent is visible.
However, clouds could obscure the moon, and witnesses were required in ancient days.
Watchfulness was a critical ingredient of this feast. When the rabbis later added a second day
to this feast they wanted to make sure they did not miss it. This need for watchfulness and
preparedness in connection with the Feast of Trumpets I echoed and reechoed throughout the
New Covenant in connection with Messiah’s coming.
Matthew 24:42 “Therefore keep watch, because you do not know on what day
your Lord will come.” (NIV)
I Thessalonians 5:6 “So then, let us not be like others, who are asleep, but let
us be alert and self-controlled.” (NIV)
Titus 2:13 “while we wait for the blessed hope—the glorious appearing of our
great God and Savior, Jesus Christ.” (NIV)
Hebrews 9:28 “so Christ was sacrificed once to take away the sins of many
people; and he will appear a second time, not to bear sin, but to bring
salvation to those who are waiting for him.” (NIV)
Looking and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be
dissolved, being on fire, and the elements will melt with fervent heat? Nevertheless, we,
according to His promise, look for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness
dwells. Therefore, beloved, looking forward to these things, be diligent to be found by Him in
peace, without spot and blameless (II Peter. 3:12-14).
Day of Atonement/Yom Kippur: Yom ha-Kippurim)

This is one of the “appointed seasons of the Lord, holy convocations,” a day of fasting and
atonement, occurring on the Tenth of Tishri. It is the climax of the “Ten Days of Penitence”
and the most important day in the liturgical year.
In the Bible
All manner of work is forbidden on the Day of Atonement, as it is on the Sabbath (being
likewise called “a Sabbath of solemn rest”), and the soul is to be “afflicted” (“from the
evening of the ninth day of the seventh month until the evening of the morrow”), the
punishment for transgressing these commandments being destruction and extirpation
(Leviticus 16:29-31; 23:27-32; Numbers 29:7). Special additional offerings were to be
59
brought (Numbers 29:8-11), and, apart from these, a ceremony peculiar to the day was
solemnized in the Temple (Leviticus 16:1-34). The essence of the day and the reasons for the
ceremony are expressed by the verse: “For on this day shall atonement be made for you, to
cleanse you; from all your sins shall ye be clean before the Lord” (Leviticus 16:30). In the
Jubilee year the shofar is to be sounded on the Day of Atonement to indicate the setting free of
slaves and the restoration of the fields to their ancestral owners (Leviticus 25:9-10).
In the Second Temple Period

The ritual performed by the high priest in the Temple was the central feature of the Day of
Atonement (see Avodah; Sacrifice). When the high priest, representative of the people
“entered where he entered and stood where he stood” while all feared for his life he himself
was enveloped in awe, holiness, and mystery; while when he had come out, he resembled, in
his majesty, “a bright star emerging from between clouds”. It is certain that during the time of
the Second Temple the Day of Atonement was already considered the greatest of the festivals.
It is related that none of Israel’s festive days compared with the Fifteenth of Av and the Day of
Atonement.
In the Halakhah (The way)

The Pentateuch does not explain what is to be understood by “afflicting the soul” on the Day
of Atonement. However, other passages in the Scriptures speak explicitly of afflicting the
soul by fasting (Psalm 35:13; Is. 58:3, 5, 10; but cf., however, Numbers 30:14). The same
kinds of work are forbidden on the Day of Atonement as are forbidden on the Sabbath, and
danger to life (pikku’ah nefesh) overrides all the prohibitions of the Day of Atonement just as
it does those of the Sabbath. Children are exempted from all modes of affliction, except the
wearing of shoes. However, both in the time of the Second Temple, as well as in the Middle
Ages, there were those who insisted that children also observe the “laws of affliction” in
opposition to the view of the sages that it is one’s duty to feed them with one’s own hands.
Only a few years before they reach the age at which they are obliged to fulfill commandments
(13 years for a boy and 12 years for a girl) would one begin to accustom them gradually to
keep these laws. Since the Day of Atonement is regarded as a “festive day,” one is bound to
honor it by wearing clean clothes. The Day of Atonement is the only one of the appointed
seasons which has no second day in the Diaspora. This is because of the extreme difficulty of
fasting for two successive days. However, there were those who were strict and fasted both
days. The laws of the Day of Atonement remained essentially the same during the Middle
Ages as they were in the days of the Second Temple and in the mishnaic and talmudic periods.
Additions and variations were limited to the domain of customs and prayers.
Prayers
No definite knowledge is available about the Day of Atonement prayers during the period of
the Second Temple. The few defective remnants of the Day of Atonement prayers among the
writings of the Dead Seas Sect (BarthMlemy-Milik, 1 (1955), 152-4) do not suffice to give a
clear picture of the scope and content of the sect’s prayers on this day. According to Philo
(Spec. 2:196) it was already customary in the time of the Second Temple to spend the whole
day, from morning to evening, in prayer. The Day of Atonement is the only day of the year
which has five Amidah prayers: Evening, Morning, Musaf, Afternoon, and Ne’ilat She’arim
(“Closing of the Gates,” shortened to Ne’ilah). During the time of the Second Temple prayers
60
were also said five times a day on Fast days and Ma’amadot (Ta’an. 4:1). This is perhaps the
source of the Muslim custom of praying five times a day (but see L. Ginzberg, Peirushim ve-
Hiddushim ba-Yerushalmi, 1 (1941), 1xxii). The prayers for the Day of Atonement begin in
the evening with Kol Nidrei. The subject of the distinctive middle blessing of the Amidah
prayer of the Day of Atonement is God’s pardoning, forgiving, and granting atonement for
Israel’s iniquities (see, e.g., Sof. 19:4). The prayers of the Day of Atonement and of the New
Year have many common features, and at times some of the prayers peculiar to the New year
have passed into the prayers of the Day of Atonement.
Especially characteristic of the Day of Atonement prayers is the duty of confession. Though
statutory on “the eve of the Day of Atonement close to nightfall,” confession is made both
prior to the last meal before the fast (“lest he become confused while eating and drinking”),
and after it (“lest some mishap occurred during the meal”), as well as at each of the Day of
Atonement services, the individual saying it after the Amidah proper and the reader in the
middle of it (Tosef., Kippurim 4:14). Confession is now said once in the afternoon prayer on
the eve of the Day of Atonement and ten times during the Day itself. Forms of confession are
already to be found among the amoraim (Yoma 87b, Yoma 8:9, 45c), some of which are
currently in use. Versions written alphabetically have been preserved from the early Middle
Ages. The short form of confession (“We have trespassed, we have dealt treacherously, “ etc.)
would appear to have originated already in the days of the amoraim, whereas the long form of
confession (“for the sin wherein we have sinned,” etc.) dates from a somewhat later period.
However, it was already found in Yanai (see Al Het; Ashamnu).
In early times many piyyutim, especially selihot and rahamim (entreating forgiveness and
mercy), were added to the Day of Atonement prayers and acquired for themselves and
important role as part of the “obligation of the day.” The piyyutim of the Avodah (“Order of
the Temple Service”) occupy a central position in the prayers. Some added special psalms
before the morning prayers. Although there are differences of opinion and custom with regard
to the details of the piyyutim to be said on the Day of Atonement, some saying more and some
less, the piyyutim and selihot have greatly endeared themselves to the public. However, there
were also rabbis who were opposed to piyyutim, preferring in the stead “sermons on the laws
of repentance, on religious topics, on wise opinions and on true beliefs” (Menahem Ha-Meiri,
in Hibbur ha-Teshuvah ed. A. Sofer (1950), 532). The day concludes with the blowing of the
shofar, a series of phrases in praise of God, and ends with “next Year in Jerusalem.”
The Reading of the Torah

In the morning service six people are called to the reading of the Torah (Meg. 4:2) from the
portion Aharei Mot (Lev. 16; cf. Meg. 3:5), whose subject is the Day of Atonement. The
maftir is the section in Numbers dealing with the additional sacrifices of the Day of
Atonement (Numbers 29:7-11:cf. Tosef., Meg 4[3]:7), and the haftarah is Isaiah 57, from
verse 15 (or 14) until 58:14 (Meg. 31a), in which the prophet describes the ideal fast. During
the afternoon service three men are called to the reading of the Torah of Leviticus 18, which
deals with incest prohibitions (and which is a continuation of the morning reading of the
Torah according to the ancient custom which still exists in Italy). The haftarah is the Book of
Jonah and Micah 7:18-20, whose subject is ideal repentance and its effect, and God’s
forgiving mercy (Meg. 31a).
61
Customs
Many customs have their origin in the Middle Ages, especially among the Ashkenazi Jews.
Thus it is customary to arrange the table for the eve of the Day of Atonement in the same
manner as the Sabbath (Sefer Ravyah, ed. By V. Aptowitzer (19642), no. 528); to adorn the
synagogue with beautiful drapery (Tur, OH 610); to wear white clothes, either in order to
resemble the angels (Sefer Ravyah, no. 528) or because white is the color of shrouds and will
thus inspire repentance by evoking death (Isserles to Sh. Ar., OH 610, 4). This last custom
also passed into Italy and Provence, and it became a widespread custom to wear a white robe
called kittel. Even a confirmed repentant is forbidden to wear sackcloth (Sefer Hasidim, ed.
Freimann, 646). Very significant is the custom which originated in Germany in the days of
the tosafists, and which became law, to light candles at home and recite a blessing over them.
In addition to this candle and to that kindled (according to ancient custom) in order to prevent
cohabitation, which is forbidden this day (Pes. 4:4), it has also become customary in some
places to light a candle for the souls of the living (Abraham b Nthan ha-Yarhi, Ha-Manhig
(1855), Hilkhot Zom Kippur, no. 71; cf. E. E. Urbach (ed.), Arugat ha-Bosem of Abraham b.
Azriel, 3 (1962), 572, notes 35-36 and a candle for the souls of the dead (Sefer ha-Minhagot
of Abraham b. Saul of Lunel in S. Asaf, Sifran shel Rishonim (1935), 152). It also became the
custom “to mention the dead on the Day of Atonement and to donate charity in their memory”
(Tanh., Ha’azinu 1, addendum). In northern France and Germany, after the reading of the
Law, they used to publicly announce charitable donation “on behalf of the living and the dead:
charity on behalf of the dead is not donated throughout Germany save on this Day” (Mahzor
Vitry, ed. S. Hurwitz (1923, 392). The custom of donating for charity was also adopted in
Provence, Italy, and Spain, whereas the special prayer commemorating the dead was adopted
only among the Ashkenazim and the Italians. Northern France is the place of the source of the
custom of wearing a tallit also for the evening service, which is even put on while it is still day
in order to be able to recite the blessing over it (Rashi, Ha-Pardes, ed. by Ehrenreich (1924),
234). In Germany it was fixed that in the evening, just at the beginning of the prayer,
“absolution is granted from the ban against praying together with anyone guilty of
transgressing any communal regulations” (Sefer Ravyah, no. 528). The formula “In the higher
[i.e., celestial] assembly and in the lower assembly, with the consent of the Omnipresent and
the consent of the congregation, we permit prayers being said together with transgressors”
(Tur and Sh. Ar., OH 619) was adopted, with minor variations, throughout most of the
Diaspora. It was customary, in the main, to recite the She-Heheyanu blessing in the
synagogue on the night of the Day of Atonement before Barekhu. Some, however, said the
blessing at home, or on the way to the synagogue, or even after the evening prayer. Women
recite it when they kindle the festive candles. During the recital of the Shema, the words
“Blessed be His glorious sovereign Name for ever and ever” are said aloud and not quietly as
is usual (Deuteronomy Rabbah, ed. by S. Lieberman (19642,69). In Germany the custom of
saying the Amidah aloud was introduced, and from there comes also the custom that some
remain standing during all the day of Atonement prayers, and some even remain in the
synagogue throughout the whole night, reciting psalms, hymns, and praises (Sefer Ravyah,
529. In many places, no break at all is made in the prayers during the course of the day, the
Minhah service following immediately after the Musaf service. Some places are most
particular about the choice of a suitable reader, and some have had the custom of having two
62
men stand one at each side of the reader during all the prayers. It is customary to smell spices,
the enjoyment of pleasant odors not being forbidden.
The Eve of the Day of Atonement
A special importance was assigned to the day prior to the Day of Atonement, as a preparation
for, but as an inseparable part of, the Day of Atonement. The statement, “Everyone who eats
and drinks on the ninth [of Tishri] is considered by Scripture as having fasted on the ninth and
tenth” (Ber. 8b) means that one should eat and drink well on the eve of the Day not merely to
prepare for the fast but also to fulfill the command to rejoice in and to honor the festive day.
From ancient times much meat, fowl, and fish was eaten on this day (see, e.g.,
Gen. R. 11:4), in which one spent less time in study and prayer. Little by little the eve of the
Day of Atonement took on the character of a festival, some people desisting from doing any
work then. It is customary to send gifts to the poor, and a duty to ask forgiveness from one
another and to appease each other. During the geonic period, the custom of ritual immersion
on the eve of the Day of Atonement after midday was introduced; this was usually performed
before the Minhah service, in any case before the final meal (se’uddah mafseket), but there
were also other customs. Some said a blessing before the immersion. The opinion of most
halakhic authorities, however, has been that a blessing should not be said. Even one who
finds it difficult to immerse himself should endeavor to wash in hot water. It is also customary
to trim the hair. In Germany and France it was customary after the Minhah service to inflict 39
stripes, while the victim repeated the confession, and the one wielding the lash said “And He
being full of compassion forgiveth iniquity” (Ha-Orah 1:95; et al.). This also became the
custom among the Sephardim. Some visit the cemetery. In recent generations the custom
originated in some places of blessing one’s children before nightfall. (For customs from the
geonic period which have an element of magic, see Kapparot, Kol Nidrei.)
This will not only be a day for Israel’s Day of Atonement, but fro among the nations of the
world, many individuals will not take the mark of the AntiChrist. And when the Lord
Messiah returns to the earth, many will repent of their sins before the Book of Life is forever
closed. The Lord had these Gentiles in mind in His Olivet Discourse. He taught:
Matthew 25-34 “When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels
with him, he will sit on his throne in heavenly glory. All the nations will be
gathered before him, and he will separate the people one from another as a
shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. He will put the sheep on his
right and the goats on his left. “Then the King will say to those on his right,
‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom
prepared for you since the creation of the world. (NIV).
In this multitude from among the nations, along with those from among the sons of Jacob,
who will enter the messianic Kingdom still in mortal bodies as distinct from the raptured and
glorified Church who will inhabit the New Jerusalem. What does Kol Nidre (The day before)
and The Day of Atonement mean for the believer? It is the final chance to atone for our sins
and believe that the Messiah made complete atonement for our sins and he will return and
63
separate the wheat from the barley or the sheep from the goats. Those who are the wheat or
the sheep’s will have a place of inheritance! Hallelujah!
Sukkot or the Feast of Tabernacles:
This festival, beginning on the 15th day of Tishri, which commemorates the sukkot in which
the Children of Israel dwelt in the wilderness after the Exodus. The festival lasts for seven
days, of which the first (and the second in Diaspora) is a yom tov (a festival on which work is
prohibited) and the other days hol ha-mo’ed (intermediate days on which work is permitted).
Immediately after Sukkot, on the eighth day (the ninth in the Diaspora), is the festival of
Shemini Azeret (“the eighth day of solemn assembly”) which is a yom tov.
In the Bible
Tabernacles, the “feast of ingathering” (Exodus 23:16ba, 34:22ba), was celebrated by the
Israelites at the time of the ingathering from the threshing floor and wine press (Deuteronomy
16:13; cf. Exodus. 23:16B; Leviticus 23:39a) “at the end of the year” (Exodus 23:16b; cf. “at
the turn of the year,” 34:22b). The last of the three Israelite feasts connected with the
agricultural year (Exodus 23:16; 34:22; Leviticus 23:34-36, 39-43; Numbers 29:12-38;
Deuteronomy 16:13-15), Tabernacles was from ancient times one of the most important feast
of the Israelites and the therefore called “the feast of the Lord” (Leviticus 23:39; Judges 21:19)
or simply “the feast” (I Kings 8:2, 65; 12:32; Ezek. 45:25; Nehemiah 8:14; II Chronicles 5:3,
7:8). The seven-day feast (Deuteronomy 16:13a; cf. I Kings 8:65 [=II Chronicles 7:8]) was
originally-- like Passover—congruent with the period of a week; the date (in the month of
Etanim, i.e., the seventh month (Sept./Oct.), I Kings 8:2) was determined by the end of the
harvest. After the Exile (Ezek. 45:25) it was dated to the 15 to the 21 st of the seventh month
(Leviticus 23:34-36a, 39-41; Numbers 29:12-38)a). The third agricultural festival, like the
other two, was taken over from the Canaanites. According to Judges 9:27, the Schechemites
celebrated a feast of joy at the end of the grape harvest; a similar Israelite feast in the
vineyards, at which the girls dances, was celebrated every year in Shiloh according to Judges
21:19-21. Festival joy is shown in other places to be a main feature of the feast (Leviticus
23:40; Deuteronomy 16:14; Nehemiah 8:17). It is not yet mentioned in Judges 21:19-21, but
later in the Bible the seven-day dwelling in booths became the central custom of the feast (cf.
Leviticus 23:42; in Jerusalem this was carried out at the Temple square according to
Nehemiah 8:14ff.); hence the name “Feast of Booths” or “Tabernacles” (Leviticus 23:34;
Deuteronomy 16:13, 16; 31:10; Zechariah 14:16, 18-19; Ezra 3:4; II Chronicles 8:13). As the
main feast of the year, Tabernacles was the occasion for the consecration of Solomon’s
Temple (I Kings 8). According to the Deuteronomistic construction, in every seventh year the
law was to be read before the gathered people on the same occasion (Deuteronomy 31:10-11).
AT the end of days all the peoples would assemble for the feast of Jerusalem to worship the
Lord (Zechariah 14:16ff.). Unlike Passover and Pentecost the Feast of Booths was rather late,
its connection with the Exodus was, therefore, forced. According to Leviticus 23:42-43, the
Israelites were to dwell in booths as they did during the Exodus from Eqypt; but in the
wilderness at the time they did not have booths, but tents.
64
The Origin:
According to the Bible, the Feast of Booths was a thanksgiving festival. Recent information
concerning cult and feasts in Mesopotamis has led biblical sholars to use new methods of
research to gain further knowledge about this feast. P. Volz and –independently—S.
Mowinckel tried to understand the Feast of Booths as an old Israelite New Year’s festival.
Through the cultic-mythic explanation of the so-called “Psalms of Enthronement” (Ps. 47; 93;
96-99) and a number of other psalms, Mowinckel reconstructed a feast of YHWH’s
enthronement which was celebrated every year at the time of the Feast of Booths (1922); from
the structure of the Sinai periscope be derived the ritual of this celebration which centered
around the reading of the law as the expression of the divine will and covenant between God
and people (1927). Because according to Deuteronomy 31:10-11 and Nehemiah 8 the law
was read during the Feast of Booths, it has been concluded that this feast is identical with the
Feast of Booths. As Mowinckel supposed the feast of enthronement, including the procession
of the ark, to be the highlight of cultic life in Israel and the “Sitz im Leben” of most of the
psalms and their literary forms, so A. Weiser maintained that the “feast of the covenant,”
including a cultic theophany of YHWH, was the highlight. H.J. Kraus assumed that a “feast
of tents” has been celebrated as a nomadic forerunner of the Feast of Booths in a cultic camp
around the tent sanctuary (possibly in Beer-Sheba), as a reminder of the march through the
wilderness from Egypt to Palestine. For the pre-Exilic period, Kraus, referring to II Samuel 6,
7 and Psalms 132 reconstructed a “royal Zion Feast” to be held on the first day of the Feast of
Booths. This feast, held on the first day of the festival, which included a procession of the ark
(cf. II Sam.6 and I Kings 8), celebrated the election of Jerusalem and of the Davidic dynasty.
These theses have—to varying extents—influenced research, but all of them also called forth
important objections. Nowhere in the Bible is it said that one of these subjects is always
connected with the Feast of Booths. The feast of ingathering was celebrated, according to
Exodus 23:16, “at the end [not at the beginning] of the year” (E. Kutsch, in ZAW, 83 (1971)).
It was thought to be at the “beginning” of the year because it was dated on the 15th to the 21st
of the seventh month, and the first day of this month-in the post biblical period (RH 1:1, 2; but
cf. already Lev. 23:24b, 25; Num. 29:1-6; Neh, 8:2)—became New Year’s Day. The feast
itself never was a New Year’s feast; therefore it lacks any important equivalent in relation to
Mesopotamian parallels. Further, the formula YHWH malakh” (Ps. 93:1; 96:10; 97:1; cf.47:9)
does not mean “YHWH has become king” but “YHWH rules as king” (D. Michel, in VT, 6
(1956), 40-68; it emphasizes God’s kingship, but not an enthronement acted out in the cult. II
Samuel 6 and I Kings 8 report two different transfers of the ark (to the City of David, to the
Temple), each of which took place only once, and therefore do not reflect a regularly held
procession of the ark. A “feast of the covenant,” or “feast of the renewal of the covenant,”
cannot have existed because berit in the Bible does not mean “covenant” (E. Kutsch, in ZAW,
79 (1967), 18-35), and because Israel did not interpret her relationship to YHWH as a
“covenant” (E. Kutsch, in Tuebinger Theologische Quartalschrift, 150 (1970), 299-320).
Deuteronomy 31:10-11 prescribes a proclamation to YHWH (not a covenant), to take place—
if at all—every seventh year on the Feast of Booths. After the Exile such an act could be
dated to the first or second of the seventh month (Neh. 8:1ff.), to Pentacost (II Chron. 15:10
ff.; cf. Ex. 19:1), to the 24th of the seventh month (Neh. 10:1ff in connection with 9:1), or the
beginning of the first month (II Chron. 29:10, cf. 29:3). Joshua 24:25 and II Kings 11:17a;
23:3 do not give any fixed date. Such an act of commitment was at no time bound to a certain
feast, therefore it was not bound to the Feast of Booths. Furthermore, it is impossible to derive
65
(cf. Weiser) from Joshua 24 or the Pslams a connection between the commitment of the
people and the proclamation of the divine salvatory acting (“Heilshandeln”) as the contents of
the Feast of Booths. Kraus wrongly presupposed that the “Tent of Meeting” and the Ark were
jointly used in an early Israelite cult (according to PC) and that the “Tent of Meeting” stood at
some time in Shiloh (I Sam. 1:7, 9, 24; 3:3,15 against Joshua 18:1; 19:51 (both belonging to
PC); I Sam 2:22). On the other hand the basis of the “royal feast of Zion” (the parallelism
between II Sam. 6 and I Kings 8 (see above) and the traditional historical connection between
II Sam. 6 and 7) cannot be proved.
In the New Testament the Feast of Booths in John 7 is the background of Jesus’ appearance in
Jerusalem. The fact that according to 7:37, Jesus “on the last [i.e., on the seventh] day of the
feast” calls the ones who thirst to come to him is connected with the custom of pouring water
from the first to the seventh day of the feast that was common in the time of Jesus. On the
other hand, no motives of the Feast of Booths are presupposed in Mark 9:2 ff.
Laws and Customs of Sukkot

It is customary to use leaves or straw as the roof covering of the sukkah; the walls, however,
may be of any material. The sukkah must be so well covered that there is more shade (i.e.,
covered space) than open space but the covering should not be so thick that even strong rain
cannot penetrate. It must have at least three walls (the third need only be one handbreadth in
width), and be beneath the open sky, not under a tree or inside a house. It should be decorated
in accordance with the general rule that precepts be “adorned”. On the first night of the
festival, a person is obliged to eat at least the equivalent of an olive’s bulk of bread in the
sukkah but nor during the remainder of the festival. If meals are eaten, they must be partaken
of in the sukkah. In modern times, in colder regions, many do not sleep in the sukkah since
the rules of sukkah do not apply where there is severe discomfort. The pious have heated
sukkot so that they can fulfill the obligation of sleeping there. Not only is a person not obliged
to sleep or eat in the sukkah when rain penetrates, but he is forbidden to do so, on the grounds
that it is indelicate and presumptuous to insist on carrying out a religious duty from which
there is an exemption. It is customary to build a sukkah adjacent to the synagogue for the
benefit of congregants who have no sukkah of their own. In some Reform congregations, a
symbolic sukkah is erected in the synagogue itself, even though it has no validity as a sukkah
in Jewish law. A custom, originating with the school or Lurianic Kabbalan in the 16 th century,
is to “invite” each day one of the biblical heroes to the sukkah. The ushpizin (“guests”) are:
Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Moses, Aaron, Joseph, and David; they correspond to the seven
Sefirot of loving kindness, power, beauty, victory, splendor, foundation, and sovereignty.
The lulav is held with the spine facing the holder. On the first day it is necessary for each
person to take his own arba’ah minim, but on the other days of the festival they may be
borrowed. Arba’ah minim purchased by the congregation can, however, be taken even on the
first day, since each congregant has had a share in them. The arba’ah minim are waved while
the Hallel is recited. They are waved first toward the east, then the south, the west, the north,
above and below. Toward the end of the service in the synagogue, a scroll is taken from the
Ark and the congregation walks in procession around the bimah holding the four spices as a
reminder of the processions around the altar in Temple times. In liturgy, Sukkot is referred to
as zeman simhatenu (“the season of our rejoicing”).
66
Hoshana Rabba
The seventh day of Sukkot is known as Hoshana Rabba (“the Great Hoshana”); the name is
taken from the word hoshana (“Save, I Pray”) which is frequently used in the prayers of the
day. The hoshana prayers for a good harvest in the year to come are recited during a
procession seven times around the himah after which five aravot bound together are beaten.
In Temple times, aravot were carried around the altar seven times on this day. In connection
with the Feast of Tabernacles that the Gospel of John records a fascinating event. John wrote:
John 7:27-28 “On the last and greatest day of the Feast, Jesus stood and said
in a loud voice, “If anyone is thirsty, let him come to me and drink. Whoever
believes in me, as the Scripture has said, streams of living water will flow
from within him.” (NIV)
The Son of God was saying in the clearest possible way that He alone was the source of life
and blessing – that He could meet every need in the human heart. It is the custom to spend the
night of Hoshana Rabba in prayer and study, particularly of the Book of Deuteronomy.
Yeshua (Jesus) is the Tabernacle. He is our dwelling place and He dwells within. He is the
fountain of life (signifying the water) and He is the Light of the word.
Additional Feasts:
Tisha B’Av is a traditional day of mourning for the destruction of the temples of Jerusalem.
Historical Background
The First Temple, built by King Soloman, was destroyed by the Babylonian king
Nebuchadnezzar in 586 B.C.E. on the 10th of Av, according to Jeremiah 3:12, whereas in the
corresponding record in II Kings 25:8-9, the date is given at the 7th of Av. The Second
Temple was destroyed by the Romans in 70 C.E., on the 10th of Av, according to the historian
Josephus (Wars, 6:249-50). This day is still observed as a day of mourning by the Karaites.
The Talmud (Ta’an 29a), however, gives the date as the 9 th of Av, which became accepted as
the anniversary of both destructions.
The Talmud justifies the 9th of Av as the major day of mourning because a series of calamities
occurred on this day throughout Jewish history.
(1) On the 9th of Av it was decreed that the Children of Israel, after the Exodus from
Egypt, should not enter the Promised Land;
(2) The First and
(3) The Second Temples were destroyed;
(4) Bethar, the last stronghold of the leaders of the Bar Kokhba war, was captured in
135 C.E.; and
(5) One year later, in 136, the Roman emperor Hadrian established a heathen temple
on the site of the Temple and rebuilt Jerusalem as a pagan city which was renamed
Aelia Capitolina and which the Jews were forbidden to enter.
The expulsion of the Jews from Spain in 1492 is said also to have occurred on the 9 th of Av.
The 9th of Av thus became a symbol for all the persecutions and misfortunes of the Jewish
67
people, for the loss of national independence and the sufferings in exile. The massacres of
whole communities during the Crusades intensified this association.
In Zechariah 7:5 such an enquiry is quoted and the prophet’s answer is that instead of fasting
they should love truth and peace, as a result of which the former days of fast and mourning
would become days of joy and gladness (ibid., 8:16-19). Some rabbis advocated permanent
abstention from wine and meat in memory of the destruction of the Temple, but this was
regarded as an excessive demand (BB 60b., Tosef., Sof 15:11ff.). The general rule in the
Talmud for the mourning rites of Tish be-Av is that a person is obliged to observe on it all
mourning rites which apply in the case of the death of a next of kin (Ta-an. 30a). These
mourning rites have to be observed from sunset to sunset (Pes. 54b). Some mourning rites are
already observed during the weeks prior to Tishah be-Av, from the fast of the 17th of Tammuz
(see Three Weeks). On the 1st of Av, the mourning rites are intensified. On the eve of Tishah
be-Av, at the final meal before the fast, one may neither partake of two cooked dishes nor east
meat nor drink wine. It is customary to eat a boiled egg at this meal as a symbol of mourning,
and to sprinkle ashes on it. Grace after this meal is said individually and silently.
The following rules are observed on the fast of Tishah be-Av:
(1) Complete abstention from food and drink.
(2) Bathing is strictly forbidden. Washing of face and the hands is permissible for
cleansing purposes only (Ta’an. 13a).
(3) The use of any oils for anointing and the application of perfumes is forbidden, as is
sexual intercourse.
(4) It is forbidden to put on footwear mad of leather. Therefore the tenth blessing in the
Morning Benedictions, originally recited when putting on shoes, is omitted.
(5) One must sit either on the ground or on a low stool.
(6) It is customary to abstain from work and business because Tishah be-Av was regarded
as an inauspicious day. A person who works on the 9th of Av would derive no benefit
from his efforts (Ta’an. 30b).
(7) The study of Torah is forbidden because it is a source of joy, except for the reading of
the Scroll of Lamentations and its Midrash (Lamentations Rabbah), the Book of Job,
the cursed in Leviticus (26:14-42), some chapters in Jeremiah (e.g., 39).
On the night of Tishah be-Av the pious used to sleep on the floor with a stone as a pillow.
Many fasted until noon of the 10th of Av, although some of the mourning rites are lessened
from Tishah be-Av afternoon onward based on the belief that Tishah be-Av will again be a
holiday since the Messiah will be born then (TJ, Ber. 2:4).
68
In Modern Israel
Beside the special synagogue services for Tishah be-Av, public places of entertainment and
restaurants are closed on the eve of Tishah be-Av. The Eikhah dirges and talks about the
significance of the day replace music or entertainment on the radio. Newspapers devote
articles and pictures to the Old City of Jerusalem, the Western Wall, the Mount of Olives, and
other holy places. With the reoccupation of the Old City of Jerusalem in 1967, the problem
arose as to whether the mourning practices for the destruction of Jerusalem should be
modified. A modified ritual, based upon a passage in the Talmud envisaging a situation in
which Jews in Erez Israel would not be oppressed, but the Temple still not rebuilt, is
advocated by some.
You may ask, so when will the fast of Tisha B’Av end? Is Israel forever destined to mourn
her sin and the loss of her holy Temple? The question is so pressing that the lord himself
answers:
Zechariah 8:19 “This is what the LORD Almighty says: “The fasts of the
fourth, fifth, seventh and tenth months will become joyful and glad occasions
and happy festivals for Judah. Therefore love truth and peace.”(NIV)
There is a day coming, even in our days, when the Lord will turn away His anger and send the
Messiah,
Zechariah 6:12 “Tell him this is what the LORD Almighty says: ‘Here is the
man whose name is the Branch, and he will branch out from his place and
build the temple of the LORD. (NIV)
All of us have been waiting for that day. Israel’s sin will be remembered no more
Jeremiah 31:34 “No longer will a man teach his neighbor, or a man his
brother, saying, ‘Know the LORD,’ because they will all know me, from the
least of them to the greatest,” declares the LORD. “For I will forgive their
wickedness and will remember their sins on more.” (NIV)
And her Holy Temple will be restored, far more glorious than can ever be imagined. Most
importantly, the Lord will reign from that new Temple.
Zechariah 2:10 “Shout and be glad, O Daughter of Zion. For I am coming,

and I will live among you,” declares the LORD.” (NIV)
Zechariah 9:9 “Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion! Shout in triumph, O

daughter of Jerusalem! Behold, our king is coming to you; He is just and
endowed with salvation, humble, and mounted on a donkey, even on a colt, the
foal of a donkey.(NIV) and Zech 14:9 “The LORD will be king over the whole
earth. On that day there will be one LORD, and his name the only name.”
(NIV)
69
In that day, there will be no need for fasting. With the Messiah ruling from his holy Temple,
Tisha B’Av will become Israel’s great day of joy and gladness. Hallelujah!
Hanukkah:
Feast of Dedication, IS an annual eight-day festival commencing on the 25th of Kislev.

According to a well-founded tradition it was instituted by Judah Maccabee and his followers.
The term Hanukkah is found in Hebrew and in Aramaic (hanukta) in rabbinic literature, while
in Greek it is O EgkainismOj to> qusiasthriou, “dedication of the altar,” (I Maccabees 4:59)
and tF Egkainia, “feast of the dedication” (John 10:22, where it is an abbreviation of hanukkat
ha-mizbe’ah, “dedication of the altar,” of I Maccabees, and of hanukkat beit Hashmonai,
“dedication of the Hasmonean Temple” in rabbinic literature). The sources which refer to -
Hanukkah yield little information on the institution of the festival. They were composed long
(perhaps even generations) after its establishment; legends seem to be inextricably interwoven
with the historical traditions. I Maccabees (4:36-59) states that Judah Maccabee, after
defeating Lysias, entered Jerusalem and purified the Temple. The altar that had been defiled
was demolished and a new one was built. Judah then made new holy vessels (among them a
candelabrum, an altar for incense, a table, and curtains) and set the 25 th of Kislev as the date
for the rededication of the Temple. The day coincided with the third anniversary of the
proclamation of the restrictive edicts of Antiochus Epiphanes in which he had decreed that
idolatrous sacrifices should be offered on a platform erected upon the altar. The altar was to be
consecrated with the renewal of the daily sacrificial service, accompanied by song, the playing
of musical instruments, the chanting of Hallel, and the offering of sacrifices (no mention of
any special festival customs is made). The celebrations lasted for eight days and Judah decreed
that they be designated as days of rejoicing for future generations. Hanukkah, as the festival
that commemorates the dedication of the altar, is also mentioned in the scholium of Megillat
Ta’anit, as well as in the traditional Al ha-Nissim (”We thank Thee for the miracles”) prayer
for Hanukkah.
In ii Maccabees (1:8; 10:1-5) the main aspects of Hanukkah are related as in I Maccabees.
The book adds, however, that the eight-day dedication ceremony was performed on an
analogy with Solomon’s consecration of the Temple (2:12). The eight days were celebrated
“with gladness like the Feast of Tabernacles remembering how, not long before, during the
Feast of Tabernacles, they had been wandering like wild beasts in the mountains and the
caves. So, bearing wands wreathed with leaves and fair boughs and palms, they offered
hymns of praise”(10:6-8). Hanukkah is, therefore, called Tabernacles (1:9), or Tabernacles
and Fire (1:18). Fire had descended from heaven at the dedication of the altar in the days of
Moses and at the sanctification of the Temple of Solomon; at the consecration of the altar in
the time of Nehemiah there was also a miracle of fire, and so in the days of Judah Maccabee
(1:18-36, 2:8-12, 14;10:3).
Josephus, whose history of Hanukkah is based on I Maccabees, does not mention the term
Hanukkah and concludes: “From that time onward unto this day we celebrate the festival,
calling it “Lights” (flat, Ant. 12:325). He explains that the festival acquired this name because
the right to serve God came to the people unexpectedly, like a sudden light (ibid).
70
None of these writings mentions the kindling of lights on Hanukkah. Reference is first made
in a baraita: “The precept of light on Hanukkah requires that one light be kindled in each
house; the zealous require on light for each person; the extremely zealous add a light for each
person each night. According to Bet Sammai: ‘On the first day, eight lights should be kindled,
thereafter they should be progressively reduced’ while Bet Hillel held that: ‘On the first night
one light should be kindled, thereafter they should be progressively increased’ (Scholium to
Megillat Ta’anit; Shab. 21b). Another baraita states that the Hasmoneans could not use the
candelabrum in the Temple since the Greeks had defiled it. They, therefore, took seven iron
spits, covered them with zinc. And used them as a candelabrum (Scholium to Megillat
Ta’anit). Indeed the sages of the second century C.E. observe that the candelabrum of the
early Hasmoneans was not made of gold (Men. 28b; et al.). This tradition forms the core of
the story, a later version of which relates that the Hasmoneans found in the Temple “eight iron
bars, erected them and kindled lights in them” (PR 2:5. Another baraita ascribes the eight-
day celebration of Hanukkah to the kindling of the Temple candelabrum. It states that on
entering the Temple, the Hasomneans discovered that the Greeks had defiled all the oil, except
for one cruse, which contained enough oil to keep the candelabrum burning for only one day.
A miracle, however, happened and they kindled from it for eight days; in its commemoration
a festival lasting eight days was instituted for future generations (Scholium to Megillat
Ta’anit; Shab. 21b; cf. also Scroll of Antiochus). All these stories seem to be nothing but
legends, and the authenticity of the “oil cruse” story has already been questioned in the Middle
Ages.
Certain critics conjectured that the origin of Hanukkah was either a festival of the Hellenized
Jews or even an idolatrous festival that had occurred on the 25 th of Kislev. Antiochus had,
therefore, chosen the day to commence the idolatrous worship in the Temple. No allusion can
be found in the sources to bear out this surmise. Hanukkah is also not connected in any way,
except in calendrical coincidence, with the celebrations of the shortest day of the year (the
birthday of the sun), or with the feasts of the Greek god Dionysius.
Most of the Hanukkah traditions complement one another, and what is lacking in one may be
found in the other. Probably, during the eight-day dedication of the altar by Judah Maccabee, a
second Tabernacles (analogous to the Second Passover) was held because the festival had not
been celebrated at its proper time. They observed the precept of taking the lulav in the
Temple though not the precept of sitting in tents, for this was done at its proper time even by
the partisans in the mountains. The custom of Simhat Bet ha-Sho’evah (“the water-drawing
festival”), with its kindling of torches and lamps in the courts of the Temple and the city of
Jerusalem, seems likely to have been transferred as well from Sukkot to Hanukkah. This was
the general pattern of the festival as Judah instituted it. Before long, however, the custom of
taking the lulav during Hanukkah was abolished and forgotten in time. The author of I
Maccabees, who lived in Alexander Yannai’s time, was unaware of the custom although it
was still remembered in the Diaspora and is recorded by Jason of Cyrene and by the author of
II Maccabees. Hints of a connection between Hanukkah and Sukkot are also preserved in
rabbinic literature. The rejoicing with lights and illuminations in the Temple (after which
Hanukkah came to be called Urim, “Lights”) also became less common after a time so that
Josephus no longer knew why the name “Lights” was given to the festival. By then, however,
the custom of kindling lights on Hanukkah had spread to places outside Jerusalem lights being
kindled in the streets or in the homes. This variety of customs associated with Hanukkah is
71
reflected in the baraita which discusses the controversy between the schools of Shammai and
Hillel (see above) seemingly about the second half of the first century C.E. The custom of
kindling the Hanukkah lights was then fixed by the sages as a rule for each man; thus it spread
throughout Israel, and when other festive days mentioned in Megillat Ta’anit were revoked,
Hanukkah remained as a holiday (RH 18b-19b). Consequently, Hanukkah evolved from a
distinct Temple festival into a popular family one.
The halakkah prescribes that lighting the Hanukkah lamp should take place between “sunset
and until there is no wayfarer left in the street. The lamp should be placed outside the
entrance of the house. If a person lives on an upper story, it should be set on the window,
nearest to the street. If he is in fear of the gentiles, the lamp may be placed inside the inner
entrance of the house, and in times of danger, the precept is fulfilled by setting it on the table”
(Scholium to Megillat Ta’anit; Shab. 21b). “Danger” not only existed in Erez Israel during the
Hadrianic persecution, but also in Babylonia, where Jews feared the Habbarei who were fire
worshipers (Shab. 45a). Perhaps because of the danger involve, Jews in Babylonia were most
particular in the observance of the Hanukkah precepts; they decided that “because its purpose
is to publicize the miracle,” it take precedence over the purchase of wine for Kiddush on the
Sabbath (Shab 23b). “Women are also obliged to kindle the Hanukkah lamp since they were
also included in the miracle” (Shab 23a). The precept is best fulfilled by kindling with olive
oil, however, any oil may be used (ibid.). The Hanukkah lamp and the Hanukkah light may
not serve any practical purpose (Shab. 21b). On kindling the lights, two benedictions are
recited, one is a blessing on the lights and those other for the miracle; on the first night, “She-
Heheyanu” (the blessing for the season) is added. The kindling of the light is followed by
short prayer which begins with the words “Ha-Nerot Hallalu” (“these lamps”; Sof. 20:4). A
summary of the event, i.e., Al ha-Nissim…Bi-Ymei Mattityahu (“In the days of Mattathias”) is
recited in the Amidah prayer and in the Grace after Meals. The entire Hallel is said on each of
the eight days. The reading of the law is from the portion of the Torah which describes the
sacrifices brought by the princes at the dedication of the sanctuary, and the kindling of the
candelabrum (Numbers 7:1-8:4); special haftarot are prescribed for the Sabbaths of
Hanukkah. Tahanum is not said and it is forbidden to eulogize the dead or to fast.
In medieval times, Hanukkah became such a popular festival it was said “Even he who draws
his sustenance from charity, should borrow, or sell his cloak to purchase oil and lamps, and
kindle” the Hanukkah light (Maim. Yad, Megillah va-Hanukkah, 4:12). In some communities,
women did not work while the lights were burning, and often even during the whole of
Hanukkah. It became the custom to feast on Hanukkah and, relying upon late Midrashim
which associate the story of Judith with Hanukkah, cheese was customarily eaten. Pancakes
(latkes) are eaten in many Ashkenazi communities, and in Israel doughnuts (sufganiyyot) have
become customary food for the festival. Ma’oz Zur Yeshu’ati” (Mighty Rock of my
Salvation”), a hymn composed in Germany by a 13th –century poet about whom nothing is
known except his name Mordecai, is usually sung in the Ashkenazi ritual after the kindling of
the lights. The Sephardim recite Psalm 30. The origin of the custom to have an additional
light, the shammash (“servant”) with which the Hanukkah lights are kindled, is based on two
injunctions: not to kindle one Hanukkah light with another; and not to use Hanukkah lights
for illumination.
72
Hanukkah celebrations were also expressed in ways of which the halakhists disapproved, e.g.,
in card playing which became traditional from the end of the Middle Ages. On Hanukkah,
child play with a dreidel or sevivon (“spinning top”), and also receive gifts of “Hanukkah
money.” Among Sephardim, special feasts for the children and competitions for youths are
arranged. In countries where Christmas became a popular family festival, Hanukkah,
particularly among Reform Jews, assumed a similar form. In modern Israel, Hanukkah
symbolizes mainly the victory of the few over the many, and the courage of the Jews to assert
themselves as a people which was the impetus of the national renaissance. This view found
literary and artistic expression and is also reflected in such customs as the torch relay race
which sets out from Modi’in where the revolt broke out and the Hasmoneans are buried.
In Israel giant Hanukkah lamps, visible for great distances, are kindled during the feast atop
public buildings, such as the Knesset building in Jerusalem. Why is this festival important to
the Believer today? First it has a pattern that is important. In Scripture, an eight-day period
was always the pattern of dedication. That is, an eight-day period was always the pattern of
dedication. The object was to be set aside (sanctified) for seven days and on the eighth day, it
was holy to the Lord. Such was the case with firstborn animals consecrated to God.
Exodus 22:30 “Do the same with your cattle and your sheep. Let them stay
with their mothers for seven days, but give them to me on the eighth day.
(NIV)
Leviticus 22:27 “When a calf, a lamb or a goat is born, it is to remain with its
mother for seven days. From the eighth day on, it will be acceptable as an
offering made to the Lord by fire. (NIV)
Hebrew males were also circumcised on the eighth day. (Leviticus 12:3) the original altar in
the Temple was sanctified for seven days, and on the eighth day, it was holy. (Exodus.29:37)
The dedication of the rebuilt Temple after Babylonian captivity took place during Passover
(Ezra 6:16-22), which in conjunction with the Feast of Unleavened Bread lasted for eight
days. Further, the future altar of the millennial temple will be consecrated on the eighth day. 30
Ezekiel 43:26-27 “For seven days they are to make atonement for the altar
and cleanse it; thus they will dedicate it. At the end of these days, from the
eighth day on, the priests are to present your burnt offerings and fellowship
offerings on the altar. Then I will accept you, declares the Sovereign LORD.”
(NIV)
But an even closer parallel to Hanukkah as the situation of King Hezekiah’s day. His father,
wicked King Ahaz, has desecrated the Temple of the living God with altars and sacrifices to
the Assyrin gods (2 Kings 16:10-18; 2 Chronicles 28:21-25). When godly King Hezekiah
came to the throne, he cleansed the Temple and rededicated it to the Lord after eight days.
II Chronicles 29:16 “The priests went into the sanctuary of the LORD to
purify it. They brought out to the courtyard of the LORD’s temple everything
unclean that they found in the in temple of the LORD. The Levites took it and
carried it out to the Kidron Valley (NIV)
73
But there is further reason that Hannukah is celebrated for eight days, it was directly patterned
after the Feast of Tabernacles. The Feast of Tabernacles was a seven day feast followed by a
Sabbath of rest.
The fact that Hanukkah is patterned after Tabernacles also provides the emphasis on lights.
Yeshua (Jesus) is the light of the world and the center flame which lights all the other flames.
Without His light, we are dark and full of void. The light also signifies the Shekinah glory of
the Lord.
There is no connection between Hanukkah and Christmas as will be explained in the

comparisonpart of this paper. Hanukkah stands as a heroic reminder of courageous and
enduring faith in God. Many were martyred.
Hebrews 11:35 “Women received back their dead, raised to life again. Others
were tortured and refused to be released, so that they might gain a better
resurrection. (NIV)
Others did get great exploits for their God. In addition, it is that one quality, faith that God is
looking for in men and women today. He is pleased with those who steadfastly put their trust
in Him, for “without faith it is impossible to please God”. The Word of God relates to
Abraham, that great man of faith, that “he believed in the Lord, and He accounted it to him for
righteousness.” (Genesis 15:6) But Hanukkah is also a reminder of the faithfulness of God.
It is not the curse of oil but God’s faithfulness to His people and His messianic promise that
continue to give true significance to Hanukkah today.
Purim:
The feast, instituted, according to the Book of Esther (9:20-28), by Mordecai to celebrate the
deliverance of the Jews from Haman’s plot to kill them. Purim (Akk. puru, “lots”) is also
called (Esther9:26) after the lots cast by Haman in order to determine the month in which the
slaughter was to take place (Esth. 3:7). Purim is celebrated on the 14 th of Adar, and in
Hasmonean times it was known as the “Day of Mordecai” (II Macc. 15:36). The Jews of
Shushan celebrated their deliverance on the 15th of Adar (Esther 9:18), and this day became
known as Shushan Purim. Out of respect for Jerusalem, it is said, the day is still kept by Jews
living in cities which had a wall around them “from the days of Joshua”. Thus in present-day
Israel Purim is celebrated in Jerusalem on the 15 th, but in Tel Aviv on the 14th. In leap years
Purim is celebrated in the second month of Adar
The chronological difficulties such as the identity of King Ahasuerus and the absence of any
reference in the Persian sources to a king having a Jew3ish consort; the striking resemblance
between the names Mordecai and Ester to the Babylonian gods Marduk and Ishtar; the lack of
and reference to Purim in Jewish literature before the first century B.C.E.; the language of the
Book of Ester, which suggests a late date-all these have moved the critics to look elsewhere
than the account in Ester for the true origin of the festival. Various conjectures have been
made (see Scroll of Ester) but the problem still awaits its solution. In any event the festivals
had long been established by the second century C.E. when a whole tractate of the Mishnah
(Megillah) was devoted to the details of its observance, especially to the rules governing the
74
reading of the Scroll of Esther, called in the rabbinic literature the megillah (“scroll”). Purim is
a minor festival in that work on it is permitted, but it has been joyously celebrated in Jewish
communities as a reminder of God’s protection of His people. However, the widespread
acceptance or the festival as only minor is reflected in the popular Yiddish saying that as a
high temperature does not denote serious illness neither is Purim a festival.
The main feature of Purim is the reading of the Book of Ester, the megillah, with a special
cantillation. Megillot are frequently decorated, sometimes with scenes form the narrative.
Since according to the midrashic interpretation the word ha-melekh (“the king”), when it is not
qualified by Ahasuerus, refers to the King of the universe, some megillot are so written that
each column begins with this word. It would seem that originally the megillah was read during
the day, but eventually the rule was adopted to read it both at night and during the day
(Meg4a). It is customary to fold the megillah over and spread it out before the reading since it
is called a “letter” (Esther 9:26, 29). The four verses of “redemption” (2:5; 8:15-16; and 10:3)
are read in louder voice that the other verses. The custom of children to make a loud noise
with rattles and the like whenever the name of Haman is read, in order to volt out the
“memory of Amalek” (se Deuteronomy 25:19, Esther 3:1 and I Samuel 15:8-9 for Haman was
a descending of Amalek) is ancient and still persists, though frowned upon as indecorous by
authorities. It is the practice for the reader to recite the names of the ten sons of Haman (Ester
9:7-9) in one breath (Meg.16b) to show that they were executed simultaneously. The custom
has also been seen, however, as a refusal by Jews to gloat over the downfall of their enemies
(C.G. Montefiore and H. Loewe (ed.), A Rabbinic Anthology (1938, 53). The Torah reading
fir Purim morning is Exodus 17:8-16.
The Book of Esther (9:22) speaks of “sending portions” (mishlo’ah manot- abbreviated to
shelakhomes) to friends on Purim and of giving gifts to the poor. The rule is to send at least
two “portions” of eatables, confectionery, and so forth, to a friend and to give a present of
money to at least two poor men. A special festive meal is eaten on Purim afternoon toward
eventide. Among the special Purim foods are boiled beans and peas, said to be a reminder of
the cereals Daniel ate in the king’s palace in order to avoid any infringement of the dietary
laws, and three-cornered pies known as hamantashen (“Haman’s ears”). There has been much
discussion around the saying of the Babylonian teacher Rava (Meg.7b) that a man is obliged
to drink so much wine on Purim that the becomes incapable of knowing whether he is cursing
Haman or blessing Mordecai. The more puritanical teachers tried to explain this away, but the
imbibing of alcohol was generally encouraged on Purim and not a few otherwise sober
teachers still take Pava’s saying literally (see, e.g., H. Weiner: 91/2 Mystics (1969), 207). The
laws of Purim and the reading of the megillah are codified in Shulhan Arukh, OH 686-97.
Various parodies of sacred literature were produced for Purim, the best known of which,
Massekhet Purim, is a skillful parody of the Talmud with its main theme the obligation to
drink wine merrily and to abstain strictly from water. The institution of the Purim rabbi, a kind
of lord of misrule, who recites Purim Torah, the frivolous manipulation of sacred tests, was
the norm in many communities. Some have seen in all this an annual attempt to find
psychological relief from what otherwise might have become an intolerable burden of loyalty
to the Torah (Druyanow, Reshumot, 1 and 2). Under the influence of the Italian carnival it
became customary for people to dress up on Purim in fancy dress, men even being permitted
to dress as women and women as men. The Adloyada carnival in Tel Aviv has been a
prominent feature of Purim observance in modern Israel.
75
In the kabbalistic and hasidic literature much is made of Purim as a day of friendship and joy
and as the celebration of God at work, as it were, behind the scenes, unlike Passover which
celebrates God’s more direct intervention. (God is not mentioned in the Book of Ester). The
“lots” of Purim are compared with the “lots” cast on the Day of Atonement (Leviticus 16:8),
what human being call “fate” or luck being, in reality, only another manifestation of God’s
providential care. So highly did the kabbalists esteem JPurim that they reported in the name
of Isaac Luria the Day of Atonement is “like Purim” (Yore ke-Furim).
What is the Biblical significance of Purim today? It is found in the Abrahamic Covenant. God
promised Abraham: “I will make you a great nation: I will bless you and make your name
great; and you shall be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and I will curse him who
curses you, and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed. (Genesis 12:2-3). To curse
Israel, whom God has blessed is to set oneself in direct opposition to God. This does not mean
tat Israel is always righteous however; to hate Israel is to hate the God who created her. The
Lord says concerning the Jewish people;
Zechariah 2:8 “For this is what the LORD Almighty says: “After he has
honored men and has sent men against the nation that have plundered you –
for whoever touches you touches the apple of his eye” (NIV)
In light of this, the Abrahamic Covenant exhibits something of a “boomerang effect.” God
blesses men to the exact degree that they bless Israel and the curses that ate hurled against
Israel He brings back upon the heads of her enemies.
This explains the plight of Haman. Haman built the gallows for Mordecai, but he himself was
hanged on it. The path of anti-Semitism is a well-worn path that always leads to the
destruction of the traveler. Even as the fate of Pharaoh, Antiochus Epiphanes, Hitler, Nasser,
Khomeini (actual name: Haman) so too, will be the fate of Arafat, Assad, Saddam Hussein
and the host of others who dare to curse Israel and thereby the God of Abraham. 27 God
himself has stated:
Isaiah 54:17 “No weapon formed against you shall prosper, and every tongue
which rises against you in judgment you shall condemn. This is the heritage of
the servants of the LORD, and their righteousness is from Me,” says the
LORD.” (NKJ)
But hoe empathetic is the statement of the Lord? He has decreed;
Jeremiah 31:36 “Only if these decrees vanish from my sight,” declares the
LORD, “will the descendants of Israel ever cease to be a nation before me.”
(NIV)
Hussein and the host of others who dare to curse Israel and thereby the God of Abraham. God
himself has stated:
27
The Feasts of the Lord, Howard, Kevin and Rosenthal, Marvin, Zion’s Hope, Inc. Orlando, FL., 1994
76
Isaiah 54:17 “No weapon formed against you shall prosper, and every tongue
which rises against you in judgment you shall condemn. This is the heritage
of the servants of the LORD, and their righteousness is from Me,“says the
LORD. (NKJ)
But how empathetic is the statement of the lord He has decree:
Jeremiah 31:36 “Only if these decrees vanish from my sight,” declares the
LORD, “will the descendants of Israel ever cease to be a nation before me.”
(NIV)
Sabbatical Year and Jubilee
According to the Bible, during the seventh year all land had to be fallow and debts were to be
remitted (Ex. 23:10-11; Lev. 25:1-7, 18-22; Deut. 15:1-11). The close of seven sabbatical
cycles instituted the Jubilee (Lev. 27:16-25; Num. 36:4; whether the Jubilee Year was the 49th
or the 50th see below).
A brief statement in the Book of Nehemiah (10:32) records the post-Exilic community’s firm
agreement to suspend all agricultural work during the seventh year and to forgo all debts as
commanded in the “Law of God.” The reference is to these three passages in the Torah, each
of which dwells on a different aspect of the seventh-year release. The earliest, found in the
Book of the Covenant (Ex 23:10-11), calls on the Israelites to let the land lie fallow and the
vineyards and olive groves untouched that the poor people may eat of them as well as the wild
beasts. The second passage (Lev. 25:1-7, 18-22) refers to the fallow year as a “Sabbath of the
Lord” and a year of complete rest for the land, promising the divine blessing on the crop of the
sixth year to those who suspend their work on the seventh (cf. the double portion of manna on
the sixth day; Ex. 16:22ff.). The Deuteronomist (Deut. 15:1-11) commands the Israelites to
observe every seventh year as a “year of release,” when debts contracted by fellow
countrymen are to be remitted. At the same time, they are cautioned not to let the recurrence
of the seventh-year release harden their hearts against the distressed who seek loans in the
hour of their need. While Deuteronomy does not mention the fallow, the passage is clearly
connected with that of Exodus by the use of the common verb 2mt (tmS). D. Hoffmann
argued that the remission of debts is entailed by the fallow—that it is precisely because the
debtor cannot work his fields during the seventh year that he is unable to make his payments
and the creditor is enjoined not to dun him for them. The same reasoning, according to
Hoffmann, explains why the debts of aliens are not remitted—i.e., the fact that their income is
not affected by the Sabbatical Year.
Ever since J. Wellhausen, a number of scholars have seen a connection between the surrender
of the produce of the seventh year to the poor (Ex. 23:11) and the liberation of the Hebrew
slave following the sixth year of his purchase (Ex. 21:2-6; cf. Deut. 15:12-18). Accordingly,
they maintain that the Book of the Covenant did not intend the seventh-year fallow to be
observed throughout the land on a fixed date any more than the manumission of all of the
Hebrew slaves. Each field, vineyard, and olive grove, then, had its own fallow cycle, just as
each slave had his own release date. Otherwise, the practice could not possibly have been
observed, for there would not have been enough food for all of the inhabitants of the land.
77
Hence, the Deuteronomist, who had to operate within the framework of a fixed, universal,
seventh-year release (cf. Deut. 15:9), disregarded the agricultural fallow and called for the
remission of debts instead, as well as the release of debtors who had been enslaved (15:12-18).
This is why, according to A. Menes, the Deuteronomist also commanded that the Torah be
read aloud every year of remission in the hearing of all Israel (31:10ff.). Such an assembly
could take place then, after all the Israelite debtors had been set free and were able to appear as
equals among their people. The Sabbatical Year, a fixed, universal, seventh-year fallow, as
opposed to the year of remission, then, was a later construction of the priestly writers which
was never observed in the pre-Exilic period (cf. Lev. 26:34-35, 43; II Chron. 36:21), and is
attested for the first time during the Second Temple period, and then only in certain parts of
the land (cf. I Macc. 6:49,53).
Plausible as it has seemed to many scholars, the theory is not supported by the evidence. In the
first place, there is no necessary connection between the manumission of the Hebrew slave
and the fallow year other than the fact that both involve a seven-year period. Secondly,
Wellhausen failed to see that not only the Priestly Code but also the Covenant Code connects
the seventh-year fallow with the weekly Sabbath (cf. Ex. 23:12 with 23:10-11). As M. Noth
correctly observes, both commandments require that the animals benefit in some way from
their observance—a concern that derives not merely from compassion for dumb beasts but
from the recognition that they are part of the nature which man must cease to dominate on the
Sabbath. Finally, since Wellhausen claims that the demands of the Deuteronomist were
utopian in character, the argument that a universally fixed date for the fallow year is
impossible because of its impracticality is inapplicable. It is true that outside the legislative
texts of the Bible, there is no reference to the Sabbatical Year in pre-Exilic sources. But an
argumentum ex silentio is of dubious value, especially when dealing with ancient historical
materials.
A similar problem exists with regard to the Jubilee Year, which is described in detail in
Leviticus 25:8-17, 23-55. Among its provisions are: the dating of the recurrent Jubilee Year,
the proclamation of its start with the sounding of the shofar on the Day of Atonement, the
return of all Israelites to the ancestral lands and families, the observance of the fallow, the
fixing of prices for the sale of land (except for houses in cities) in relation to the occurrence of
the Jubilee, the redemption of the land of next of kin, special land regulations for levites, and
the freeing of defaulting debtors and all Israelite slaves. The text justifies these prescriptions
in terms of two basic principles: God’s ownership of the land (25:23) and His undisputed
possession of all Israelites as His slaves (25:55).
Two other passages in the Priestly Code refer to the Jubilee Year (Lev. 27:16-25; Num. 36:4),
as does possibly Ezekiel (46:16ff.), but it is not mentioned in any historical texts, not even in
post-Exilic ones. Evidently, it was not observed in Second Temple times, as is attested by the
conditions in the time of Nehemiah (cf. 5:1-13, where there is no mention of the institution),
the obscure description of it in Josephus (Ant. 3:280ff), and the explicit comment of one of the
tannaim (Sifra 8:2).
Though the Priestly Code clearly distinguishes between the Jubilee and the Sabbatical Years,
many scholars consider the former a post-Exilic theoretical reworking of the latter. Thus, they
suggest that the manumission of slaves on the Jubilee replaces the one on the Sabbatical Year
78
and that the notion of the divine ownership of the land is an extension of the claim that all
Israelites belong to God. They concede that the Jubilee law does not require the remission of
debts. Still, Leviticus 25:24 may be interpreted, they maintain, as a form of debt release, with
the alienated property comparable to a foreclosed mortgage. The Jubilee, then, is “an artificial
institution superimposed upon the years of fallow regarded as harvest Sabbaths after the
analogy of Pentecost” (Wellhausen). In this way, one can explain the impossible demand for a
two-year fallow created by the Jubilee following the Sabbatical Year, as well as the directions
for the manumission of slaves, which were inconsistent with the earlier ones of the Covenant
Code.
That the matter is not so simple is evidenced by the appearance of ancient terms in Leviticus
25 as well as pre-Israelite usages (see next section).
The etymology of yovel (Ibvy) is not clear, with some suggesting that it is derived fro the root
(Iby) meaning “to bear along [in procession], hence yovul (Ivby) signifying “produce” or “that
which is borne,” and yuval (lbBy), “transfer” (of properties; cf. Ibn Ezra on Lev. 25:10). More
likely, the basic meaning of yovel is “ram’s horn” (cf. Ex. 19:13; Josh. 6:5; cf. also Phoenician
ybl, “ram,” and the comment of R. Akiva quoted by Bertinoro on RH 3:2). The Jubilee, then,
is “the year that is inaugurated by the blowing of the rams horn” (W.R. Smith). If this is so,
then serious consideration must be given to R. North’s suggestion that this is an ancient Near
Eastern legal requirement for a public proclamation (Abdbtu) “as a sort of registration-
formality prerequisite to the exchange of property administration.”
Closer inspection of the biblical text, too, proves the arguments of the Wellhausen School to
be far from convincing. The assumption that Hebrew slaves were to be released on the
Sabbatical Year is, as seen, unwarranted. The Jubilee laws do not refer to mortgaged
properties but to those that have actually been sold. And, finally, it is highly doubtful that the
belief in the divine ownership of the land arose at a late period in Israel’s history. On the
contrary, the evidence seems to point in the opposite direction, i.e., both the Sabbatical and
Jubilee Years are rooted in ancient traditions although some of the prescriptions connected
with them, such as the restrictions on the redemption of houses in a city (Lev. 25:29ff) and the
remission of debts (Deut. 15:1ff) were added later. Moreover, the elements basic to both
institutions go back to early Israelite, and even pre-Israelite, times. They are: the seven- and
50-year cycles, the fallow, the inalienability of ancestral lands (see below), and the
maintenance of the integrity of the clan.
As far as the seven-year cycle is concerned, there is reference to it in the Joseph stories (Gen.
41:25ff.) and in the earlier Near Eastern texts. Thus, the land is blighted for a seven-year
period because of the death of Aqhat (Pritchard, Texts 153) just as it flourishes for seven years
after Baal defeats Mot (Poems about Baal and Anath, 5; Pritchard, Tests, 141). Similarly, Anu
warns Ishtar that a seven-year drought would follow the slaying of Gilgamesh (Gilgamesh
Epic, 6, lines 101-106; Pritchard, Texts, 84-85). As for the existence of a 50-year cycle, this is
not as clearly attested, though J. Lewy claims to have discovered a primitive agricultural
“pentecontad” calendar among the Amorites of Assyria, Babylonia, Syria, and Palestine near
the end of the third millennium B.C.E. His interpretation of the relevant texts is, however,
open to question and note should be taken of a recent suggestion that the Jubilee occurred not
79
on the 50th but on the 49th year, coinciding with the seventh Sabbatical Year (cf. Lev. 25:8-9
and M. Noth on 25:10).
The fallow, as described in the Torah, has nothing to do with crop rotation and does not seem
to have had any agricultural value, such as that of replenishing the soil; no other crop was
planted that year nor were the fields worked as this was strictly forbidden during the
Sabbatical Year. C.H. Gordon suggests that it was originally connected with Canaanite
fertility rites. However, even if this is not so, Noth is undoubtedly correct in considering it an
example of restitution in integrum, when the land was permitted to return to its undisturbed
rest. G. Dalman makes a similar observation with regard to the release of alienated lands
during the Jubilee, seeing in it a recognition by the Israelites that they had no right
permanently to set aside the lands allotted by God to the tribes and clans a the time of the
conquest of Canaan. The release of Israelite slaves, then, and their return to their ancestral
lands may also be considered a restitution in integrum, the restoration of the structure of
Israelite society as it had been divinely ordained in ancient days.
Accordingly, A. Jirku concludes that the concept of both the Sabbatical and the Jubilee Years
originated under simple economic and social conditions, possibly when agriculture was not
yet the major source of the food supply of the Israelites. This relates to a time not long after
the conquest, which also provides a proper setting for the idea of the Jubilee. At this early
date, tribal solidarity was still strong, the consciousness of the common possession of the
ground and soil fresh in their minds, and the memory of the patriarchal relationships in the
desert vivid.
These arguments, however, are not conclusive, since the ideals of the desert period lived on
among the peoples for many centuries, especially outside the large centers. At any rate,
neither the Sabbatical nor the Jubilee Year appears in the Bible as a nascent institution. While
they drew on earlier Semitic practice for some of their ideas, in their present form they
represent a unique Israelite attempt to combat the social evils that had infected Israelite society
and to return to the idyllic period of the desert union when social equality and fraternal
concern had prevailed.
The Future Fulfillment:
The fulfillment of the jubilee year is to be found, not in its timing, but in the prophetic truth
which it portrays. The Jubilee Year looks to the restoration of Israel by the Messiah and to the
resulting messianic Kingdom of peace. But how will this be accomplished?
• The oppression of Israel will be ended.
• The ownership of Israel will be restored.
Zech 9:14-17 “Then the LORD will appear over them; his arrow will flash
like lightning. The Sovereign LORD will sound the trumpet; he will march in
the storms of the south, and the LORD Almighty will shield them. They will
destroy and overcome with slingstones. They will drink and roar as with wine;
they will be full like a bowl used for sprinkling the corners of the altar. The
80
LORD their God will save them on that day as the flock of his people. They
will sparkle in his land like jewels in a crown. How attractive and beautiful
they will be! Grain will make the young men thrive, and new wine the
youngwomen. (NIV)
and
Micah 4:4 “Every man will sit under his own vine and under his own fig tree,
and no one will make them afraid, for the LORD Almighty has spoken. (NIV)
There will be Jubilee rest in the land and for the people in Messiah’s glorious day! Hallelujah!
81
Lesson 5
The Covenant: (The Treaty)
What is covenant? It is a general obligation concerning two parties. It was confirmed either
by an oath (Gen. 21:22ff.; 26:26ff.; Deut. 29:9ff.; Josh. 9:15-20; II Kings 11:4; Ezek. 16:8;
17:33ff.), by a solemn meal (Gen 26:30; 31:54; Ex. 24:11; II Sam. 2:20), by sacrifices (Ex.
24:4ff.; Ps. 50:5), or by some other dramatic act such as dividing of an animal and the passing
of the parties between the portions (Gen 15:9ff.; Jer. 34:18ff.). The etymology of the Hebrew
word berit is uncertain. Most probably it was used in the sense of binding (cf. Akkadian
biritu, “fetter”), since the terms for covenant in Akkadian (riksu) and in Hittite (i20iul) also
signify binding. Hebrew has two additional terms for covenant, edut (cf. the parallel terms
luhot haedut and luhot ha-berit) and alah. These also have their counterparts in the cognate
languages: dy[] in old Aramaic (Sefire) and adK in Akkadian on the one hand, and lt in
Phoenician, mamitu in Akkadian, and lingai in Hittite on the other. Alah and the
corresponding terms in Akkadian and Hittite connote an oath which actually underlies the
covenantal deed. The terms berit and alah often occur together (Gen. 26:28; Deut. 29:11, 13,
20; Ezek. 16:59; 17:18), rendering the idea of a binding oath, as does the Akkadian hendiadys
adK mamit or adk u mamite. For concluding a covenant the Bible uses the expression “cut
(kurat) a covenant.” The same idiom is used in Aramaic treaties in connection with dy$ (cf.
gzrdy$ in the Sefire treaties) and in a Phoenician document in connection with lt (cf. the
incantation from Arslan Tash). It is quite possible that this idiom derives from the ceremony
accompanying the covenant, viz., cutting an animal. The expression hekim (heqim) berit and
natan berit should not be considered synonyms of karat berit, used by different sources. The
first term means “to fulfill a covenant (already made)”; the second signifies “the voluntary
granting of special privileges.”
Covenants are established between individuals (Gen 21:22ff.; 31:44ff.; I Sam. 18:3; 23:18),
between states or their representatives (II Sam 3:13, 21; I Kings 5:26; 15:19; 20:34), between
kings and their subjects (II Sam. 5:3; ii Kings 11:4, 17), and also between husband and wife
(Ezek. 16:8; Mal. 2:14; Prov. 2:17). The term is used figuratively in a covenant between men
and animals (Job. 5:23; 40:28; cf. Hos. 2:20) and also a covenant with death (Isa. 28:15, 18).
The covenant does not always constitute a mutual agreement; sometimes it represents a
relationship in which a more powerful party makes a pact with an inferior one freely and out
of good will. In this case the superior party takes the inferior under his protection, on
condition that the latter remain loyal to him. The covenant of the Israelites with the Gibeonites
(Josh. 9) and the covenant requested by the people of Jabesh-Gilead (I Sam. 11:1-2) from the
king of Ammon belong to this category. That the covenant of the Israelites with the Canaanite
population was of a similar nature is shown in Deuteronomy 7:1-2: “When the Lord your God
brings you to the land….and delivers them [the Canaanites] to you and you defeat them, you
must doom them to destruction: do not cut a covenant with them [lo tikhrot lahem berit] and
do not be gracious to them.” J. Begrich (see bibl.) observed that this type of covenant is
distinguished by the form “to cut a covenant to somebody,” karat berit le--, in contrast with
the other type of covenant which is phrased as “to cut a covenant with somebody,” karat berit
im. Another type of covenant is that established through the mediation of a third party,
82
especially when a covenant with the Deity is involved. Thus Moses (Ex. 24) and Joshua (Josh.
24) mediated the covenant between God and Israel. The priest Jehoiada fulfills the same
function (II Kings 11:17), when he serves as a mediator in a double covenant: that between
God and King plus people on the one hand and between the king and the people on the other
(apparently because the king was still a minor). Another example of this kind is mentioned in
Hosea 2:20 where God is to establish a covenant between the people and the beasts of the
earth, etc.
Sometimes the covenant is accompanied by an external sign or token to remind the parties of
their obligations (cf. Gen. 21:30; 31:44-45; 52; Josh. 24:27, etc.). The “sign of the covenant,”
ot berit, is especially characteristic of the Priestly source of the Pentateuch. The Sabbath, the
rainbow, and circumcision are the “signs” of the three great covenants established by God at
the three critical stages of history of mankind: the Creation (Gen. 1:1-2:3; cf. Ex. 31:16-17),
the renewal of mankind after the Flood (Gen 9:1-17), and the beginning of the Hebrew nation.
Circumcision came to be regarded in Jewish tradition as the most distinctive sign of the
covenant, and is known as berit milah—“the covenant of circumcision.”
The Covenant between God and Israel
The covenant par excellence in the Bible is that between God and Israel. Until recently this
has been considered a relatively late idea (cf. J. Wellhausen). But S. Mowinckel (Le
DMcalogue, 1927) adopting the form-critical approach and Sitz im Leben method of
investigation, concluded that it reflected an annual celebration involving a theophany and
proclamation of the law. His arguments are based mainly on Psalms 50:5ff. and Psalms 81,
where theophany is combined with covenant-making and decalogue formulas (cf. Ps. 50:7,
18-19; 81:10-11). He was followed by A. Alt (see bibl.) who argued that the so-called
apodictic law had been recited at the Feast of Tabernacles at the beginning of the year of
release (cf. Deut. 31:10-13) and that this periodical convocation was a solemn undertaking by
the congregation which is reflected in the Sinai covenant. G. von Rad (see bibl.) inquiring
into the significance of the peculiar structure of Deuteronomy—history (ch. 1-11), laws (12:1-
26:15), mutual obligations (26:16-19), and blessings and curses (ch. 27-29)—suggested that
this structure, and similarly that of the Sinai covenant—history (Ex. 19:4-6), law (20:1-23:19),
promises and threats (3:20-23), conclusion of the covenant (24:1-11)—reflects the procedure
of a covenant ceremony. This opened with a recital of history, proceeded with the
proclamation of the law—accompanied by a sworn obligation—and ended with blessings and
curses. Since, according to Deuteronomy 27 (cf. Josh. 8:30-35) the blessings and curses had to
be recited between Mounts Gerizim and Ebal, von Rad identified Shechem as the scene of the
periodic covenant renewal in ancient Israel.
Although no real evidence for a covenant festival has been discovered so far, the observation
made by Von Rad that the literary structure of Deuteronomy and Exodus 19-24 reflects a
covenantal procedure has been confirmed by subsequent investigations. It has become clear
that the covenantal procedure has been confirmed by subsequent investigations. It has
become clear that the covenant form, as presented in these texts and especially in
Deuteronomy, was in use for centuries in the ancient Near East. G. Mendenhall in 1954 found
that the Hittite treaty has a structure identical with that of the biblical covenant. The basic
common elements are: titular descriptions; historical introduction, which served as a
83
motivation for the vassal’s loyalty; stipulation of he treaty; a list of divine witnesses; blessing
and curses; and recital of the treaty and deposit of its tablets. The Sinai covenant described in
Exodus 19-24 has indeed a similar structure, although it is not completely identical. Thus, the
divine address in chapter 19 opens with a historical introduction stressing the grace of God
toward the people and its election (19:4-6), followed by the law (23:20-33), and finally the
ratification of the covenant by means of a cultic ceremony and the recital of the covenant
document (24:3-8).
Admittedly the analogy is not complete, since what is found in Exodus 19-24 is not a treaty, as
in the Hittite documents, but rather a narrative about the conclusion of a covenant.
Nevertheless, it is clear that the narrative is organized and arranged in line with the treaty
pattern, which emerges in a much clearer fashion in Deuteronomy. This book which is
considered by its author as one organic literary creation (cf. the expression Sefer ha-Torah ha-
zeh “this Book of Teaching) and represents the covenant of the plains of Moab, follows the
classical pattern of treaties in the Ancient Near East. Unlike the Sinai covenant in Exodus
which has no list of blessings and curses, Deuteronomy (like the treaties and especially those
of the first millennium B.C.E.) has an elaborate series of blessings and curses and likewise
provides for witnesses to the covenant, “heaven and earth” (4:26;30:19), which are missing
altogether in the first four books of the Pentateuch. Deuteronomy also makes explicit
references to the deposit of the tablets of the covenant and the book of the Law in the divine
Ark (10:1-5; 31:25-26). The Ark was considered in ancient Israel as the footstool of the Deity
(the cherubim constituting the throne), and it was indeed at the feet of the gods that the treaty
documents had to be kept according to Hittite legal tradition. As in the Hittite treaties,
Deuteronomy commands the periodical recital of the Law before the public (31:9-13) and
prescribes that the treaty be read before the king or by him (17:18-19).
The historical prologue in Deuteronomy (1-11) recalls to a great extent the historical prologue
in Hittite state treaties. In this section the Hittite suzerain recounts the development of the
relationship between him and the vassal, specifying, for example, the commitments and the
promises of the overlord to the vassal’s ancestors. This theme is echoed in Deuteronomy’s
recurring references to the promise made to the Patriarchs (4:37-38; 7:8; 9:5). The prologue
also dwells on the insubordination of the vassal’s ancestors and its consequences, a feature
expressed in the historical introduction of Deuteronomy which deals fully with the
rebelliousness of the generation of the desert. The Hittite historical prologue frequently refers
to the land given to the vassal by the suzerain and its boundaries, a theme fully elaborated in
Deuteronomy (3:8ff.). In a fashion similar to the Hittite sovereign, who urges the vassal to
take possession of the given land, “See I gave you the Zippa21a mountain land, occupy it”
(Medduwata2, in: Mitteilungen der vorderasiatisch-aegyptishchen Gesellschaft (=MVAG),
32 (1927), 17, 19, 46), God says in Deuteronomy: “I have placed the land at your disposal, go
take possession of it” (1:8, 21). In this context the Hittite king warns the vassal not to trespass
beyond the set boundaries. Thus for example, Mur2ili2 II says to Manapa-Datta2: “Behold I
have given you the SeOa-river-land…but unto Ma2Ouiluwa2 I have given the land Mira…
whereas unto Targa2nalli2 I have given the land Bapalla” (MVAG, 30 (1926), no. 3:3;
MVAG, 34 (1930), no. 4:10-11). The historical prologue similarly states: “See, I place the
land at your disposal” (1:21), “I have given the hill country of Seir as a possession to Esau”
(2:5), “I have given Ar as a possession to the descendants of Lot” (2:9), “I have given [the
84
land of the Ammonites] as a possession to the descendants of Lot” (2:19). The purpose of
these reminders is to justify the command forbidding the trespass of the fixed borders of these
nations.
Analogies have been drawn mostly from Hittite treaties as these have been preserved in fairly
large number and in relatively good condition. However, the few treaties known from the first
millennium B.C.E., i.e., the Aramaic treaty from Sefire, the treaty of Ashur-NirDri V with
Matiel of Bit-Agushi, and the treaty of Esarhaddon with his eastern vassals, do not differ in
principle from those of the Hittites, and it seems in fact that there was a continuity in the treaty
pattern for approximately 800 years. This might explain the fact that in a late book, according
to the documentary hypothesis, like Deuteronomic elements are preserved which also occur in
the Hittite treaties form the 14th-13th centuries B.C. E. In spite of this continuity, careful
analysis reveals certain significant differences between the treaties of the second millennium
and those of the first. This applies to the political treaties in the ancient Near East as well as to
the theological covenants in Israel. While the Hittite treaties and similarly the Sinai covenant
have a very short list of curses, those of the first millennium and the covenant in Deuteronomy
have long lists. Furthermore, Deuteronomy has preserved in chapter 28 a series of curses
which has an exact parallel in the neo-Assyrian treaty Esarhaddon made with his eastern
vassals regarding the coronation of his son Ashurbanipal (concluded in 672 B.C.E.). An
investigation of these curses has shown that their origin is to be sought in Assyria, since their
order can be explained by the hierarchy of the Assyrian pantheon while the order in
Deuteronomy has no satisfactory explanation (see M. Weinfeld, Biblica, see bibl.). It has been
supposed that a series of Assyrian treaty curses was incorporated into the section of curses in
Deuteronomy, thereby making it clear that the pledge of loyalty to the Assyrian emperor had
been henceforward replaced by the pledge to YHWH, a transfer which is to be understood
against the background of Josiah’s liberation from Assyrian dominion. The shift of fealty, as it
were, from one suzerain to another may also explain the striking similarity between the laws
of sedition in Deuteronomy 13 and the warnings against sedition in the treaties of the first
millennium B.C.E. and particularly in those of Esarhaddon with his vassals; compare also the
Aramaic treaty of Sefire. Like the vassal treaties of Esarhaddon, Deuteronomy 13 warns
against a prophet inciting rebellion and against any member of the family conspiring to break
faith with the overlord. In the Aramaic treaty from Sefire there is a clause concerning a
rebellious city which, like Deuteronomy 13, commands its destruction by the sword. In both
sources the wording is almost identical: brHb hvkT hkn ah hyrc Nhv, “and if it is a city,
you must strike it with a sword” in the Sefire treaty, “you must strike the inhabitants of this
city with the sword” in Deuteronomy 13:16. Furthermore, the exhortations to keep faith with
God in Deuteronomy are very close in form and style to the exhortations in the political
treaties. As has been shown by W.L. Moran, the concept of “love of God” in Deuteronomy
actually expresses loyalty, and it is in the sense that “love” occurs in the political documents of
the ancient Near East. Such expressions as: “to follow with the whole heart and with the
whole would,” “to hearken to the voice of ,” “to be perfect with,” “to go after,” “ to serve,” “to
fear (to revere),” “to put the words in one’s heart,” “not to turn right or left, “ etc. are found in
diplomatic letters and state treaties of the second and first millennia B.C.E. and are especially
prominent in the vassal treaties of Esarhaddon, which are contemporaneous with
Deuteronomy. The scene of the concluding of the Josian covenant in II Kings 23:1-3 and the
scene of the concluding of the covenant in Deuteronomy 29:9-14 are presented in a manner
85
which is very close to the descriptions of the treaty ceremonies in Neo-Assyrian documents.
The section stipulating the perpetual validity of the covenant occurs twice, both in the
Esarhaddon treaty and in the Deuteronomy covenant, before the conditions and after them.
The end of chapter 29 in Deuteronomy reads: “And the generations to come…and the
foreigners...will ask ‘Why did the Lord do thus to this land?’ and they will be told: ‘Because
they forsook the covenant of the Lord.’” The theme of self-condemnation (Deut. 29:21-24) is
also encountered in the Neo- Assyrian texts in connection with a breach of a treaty. Thus the
annals of Ashurbanipal state: “The people of Arabia asked one another saying: ‘Why is it that
such evil ha befallen Arabia?’ and they answered: ‘Because we did not observe the valid
covenant sworn to the god of Ashur’” (Rassam Cylinder, 9:68-72).
The difference between the Deuteronomy covenant, which reflects the treaty pattern of the
first millennium B.C.E., and the earlier covenants reflecting the pattern of the second
millennium will be appreciated if the covenant ceremonies in Genesis and Exodus are
compared with that of Deuteronomy. The patriarchal covenants, secular and religious alike
(Gen 15:9ff.; 21:22ff.; 26:26ff.; 31:44ff.), and the Sinai covenant (Ex. 24:1-11) are validated
by sacrifices and holy meals, similar to the covenants of the third and second millennia B.C.E.
In the Deuteronomy covenant, on the other hand, as in the contemporary Assyrian and
Aramaic treaty documents, it is the oath which validates the covenant and no mention is made
of a sacrifice or meal (cf. especially Deut. 29:9ff.).
The Covenant with Abraham and David

Aside from the covenant between God and Israel described in Exodus and Deuteronomy, two
covenants of a different type are found in the Bible. These are the covenant with Abraham
(Gen 15, 17) and the covenant with David (II Sam. 7; cf. Ps. 89), which are concerned
respectively with the gift of the land and the gift of kingship and dynasty. In contradistinction
to the Mosaic covenants, which are of an obligatory type, the Abrahamic-Davidic covenants
belong to the promissory type. God swears to Abraham to give the land to his descendants
and similarly promises to David to establish his dynasty without imposing any obligations on
them. Although their loyalty to God is presupposed, it is not made a condition for God’s
keeping His promise. On the contrary the Davidic promise as formulated in the vision of
Nathan (II Sam.7) contains a clause in which the unconditional nature of the gift is explicitly
stated (II Sam. 7:13-15). By the same token, the covenant with the Patriarchs is considered as
valid forever (ad olam). Even when Israel sins and is to be severely punished, God intervenes
to help because He “will not break his covenant” (Lev. 26:43).
In the same way as the obligatory covenant in Israel is modeled on the Suzerain-vassal type of
treaty so the promissory covenant is modeled on the royal grant. The royal grant in the
Ancient Near East as well as the covenants with Abraham and David are gifts bestowed upon
individuals who distinguished themselves in loyal service to their masters. Abraham is
promised the land because he obeyed God and followed His mandate (Gen. 26:5; cf. 22:16-
18), and similarly David is rewarded with dynastic posterity because he served God with truth,
righteousness, and loyalty (I Kings 3:6; 9:4; 11:4, 6; 14:8; 15:3). The terminology employed
in this context is very close to that used in the Assyrian grants. Thus the grant of Ashurbanipal
to his servant reads: “Balta… whose heart is whole to his master, stood before me with
truthfulness, walked in perfection in my palace… and kept the charge of my kingship…. I
86
considered his good relations with me and established [therefore] his gi[f]t.” Identical
formulations are to be found in connection with the promises to Abraham and David. With
regard to Abraham it is said that “he kept my charge” (Gen 26:5), “walked before God”
(24:40; 48:15), and is expected “to be perfect” (17:1). David’s loyalty to God is couched in
phrases which are even closer to the Assyrian grant terminology: “he walked before the Lord
in truth, loyalty, and uprightness of heart” (I Kings 3:6), “followed the Lord with all his heart”
(I Kings 14:8), etc. Land and “house” (i.e., dynasty), the subjects of the Abrahamic and
Davidic covenants, are the most prominent gifts of the suzerain in the Hittite and Syro-
Palestinian examples; like the Hittite grants, the grant of land to Abraham and “house” to
David are unconditional. Thus, the Hittite king says to his vassal: “After you, your son and
grandson will possess it, nobody will take away either his house or his land in order to give it
to a descendant of somebody else.” The promises to Abraham and David, which were
originally unconditional, were understood as conditional only at a later stage of Israelite
history. The exile of northern Israel appeared to refute the claim to eternity of the Abrahamic
covenant, and therefore it was stressed that the covenant is eternal only if the done. A similar
interpretation is given to the Davidic covenant in the Books of Kings (I Kings 2:4; 8:25; 9:4-
5).
Why does god choose to have a holy people?

• To represent His way of life
• To teach His word
• To be agents of His salvation
A covenant indicates its two parts, one is God’s part and the other is our part. We must keep
the Ten Commandments and write his teaching on our hearts.
Jeremiah 31:31-34“The time is coming,” declares the LORD, “when I will

make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah. It
will not be like the covenant I made with their forefathers when I took them by
the hand to lead them out of Egypt, because they broke my covenant, though I
was a husband to them, “declares the LORD. “This is the covenant I will
make with the house of Israel after that time,” declares the LORD. “I will put
my law in their minds and write it on their hearts. I will be their God, and they
will be my people. No longer will a man teach his neighbor, or a man his
brother, saying ‘Know the LORD,’ because they will all know me, from the
least of them to the greatest,” declares the LORD. “For I will forgive their
wickedness and will remember their sins on more.” (NIV)
We all have the ability to do this by building a relationship with Yeshua (Jesus).
The Names of God:

The names of God in Hebrew are listed below. Some of these are employed in both the
generic and specific sense; others are used only as the personal name of the God of Israel.
Most of these terms were employed also by the Canaanites, to designate their pagan gods.
This is not surprising; since on settling in the Promised Land the Patriarchs and early Israelites
made “the language of Canaan” their own (Isa. 19:18), the Hebrew language would naturally
87
use the Canaanite vocabulary for terms designating their own Deity. It must be noted,
however, that in the Bible these various terms, when used by the Israelites to designate their
own Deity, refer to one and the same god, the sole God of Israel. At least from the time of
Moses on this is certainly true, and it is probably true even from the time of Abraham. When
Joshua told the tribes of Israel, assembled at Shechem, that their ancestors had “served other
gods” (Josh 24:2), he was referring to the ancestors of Abraham, as is clear from the context.
The God who identified Himself to Moses as YHWH said He was “the God of Abraham, the
God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob” (Ex 3:6). Therefore, the terms “the Fear of Isaac”
(perhaps rather, “the Kinsman of Isaac,” Gen. 31:42, 53) and “the Mighty One of Jacob”
(Gen. 49:24; Isa. 49:26), are synonymous with YHWH, even though these terms may have
been specific titles by which the God of these partriarchs was known as their individual
tutelary deity.
El:
The oldest Semitic term for God is el (corresponding to Akkadian (ilu(m), Canaanite el or il,
and Arabic el as an element in personal names). The etymology of the word is obscure. It is
commonly thought that the term derived from a root yl or wl, meaning “to be powerful” (cf.
yesh le-el yadi, “It is in the power of my hand,” Gen. 31:29; cf. Deut. 28:32; Micah 2:1). But
the converse may be true; since power is an essential element in the concept of deity, the term
for deity may have been used in the transferred sense of “power.”
In Akkadian, ilu(m), and plural ilu and ilanu, is used in reference to any individual god as well
as to divine beings in general; but it is not employed as the personal name for any god. In
Ugaritic Canaanite, however, il occurs much more frequently as the personal name of the
highest god el than as the common noun “god” (pl., ilm; fem., ilt). In the Ugaritic myths El is
the head of the Canaanite pantheon, the ancestor of the other gods and goddesses, and the
Creator of the earth and its creatures; but he generally fades into the background and plays a
minor role in the preserved myths.
In the Bible el is seldom used as the personal name of God, e.g., El-Elohei-Yisrael, “El, the
God of [the Patriarch] Israel” (Gen. 33:20; cf. Ps. 146:5). Almost always, el is an appellative,
with about the same semantic range as elohim (see below). The word can thus be preceded by
the article: ha-el, “the [true] God” (e.g., Ps. 18:31, 33, 48: 57:3). Like elohim, el can be
employed in reference to an “alien god” (Deut. 32:12; Mal. 2:11) or a “strange god” (Ps.
44:21; 81:10). It can also have the plural form elim, “heavenly beings” (Ex. 15:11). In
contrast to the extremely common word elohim, el occurs relatively seldom, except in archaic
or archaizing poetry, as in Job and Psalms. But el and, rarely, elohim are used when the term
is modified by one or more adjectives, e.g., “an impassioned God” (e.g., Ex. 20:5; 34:14), “a
God compassionate and gracious” (e.g., Ex. 34:6; Ps. 86:15). Moreoever, el, not elohim, is
used when God is contrasted with man, i.e., the divine contrasted with the human (Num.
23:19; Isa. 31:3, Ezek.28:9; Hos.11:9; Job 25:4). As an element in theophoric names, el, not
elohim, is used often as the first element, e.g., Elijah, Elisha, and Elihu, and even more often
as the last element, e.g., Israel, Ishmael, and Samuel. Of special interest are the divine names
of which El is the first element: El Elyon, El Olam, El Shaddai, El Roi, and El Berit.
El Elyon:
88
The Hebrew word elyon is an adjective meaning “higher, upper,” e.g., the “upper” pool Isa.
7:3), the “upper” gate (II Kings 15:35), and “highest,” e.g., the “highest” of all the kings of the
earth (Ps. 89.28). When used in reference to God, the word can rightly be translated as “Most
High.” Since in reference to God elyon is never preceded by the article ha- (“the”), is must
have been regarded as a proper noun, a name of God. Thus, it can be used as a divine name
meaning “the Most High” (e.g., Deut. 32:8; Isa. 14:14; Ps. 9:3) or in parallelism with YHWH
(e.g., Ps. 18:14; 21:8; 83:19), El (Num. 24:16; Ps. 107:11), and Shaddai (Ps. 91:1).
Among the Canaanites, El and Elyon were originally distinct deities, the former attested by
archaeological evidence from Ugarit in Western Syria, the latter by evidence from Phoenicia
further south. Later, both terms were combined to designate a since god El Elyon. In the Tell
el-Amarna Letters of the 15th-14th centuries B.C.E., the Canaanites called El Elyon “the lord of
the gods.” According to Genesis 14:18-20, Melchizedek, king of Salem, was “a priest of God
Most High [El Elyon],” and he blessed Abraham by “God Most High, Creator of heaven and
earth.” Abraham accepted the title “Most High” as merely descriptive of his own God; he
swore by “YHWH, God Most High, Creator of heaven and earth.” The combined form El
Elyon occurs also in the Aramaic Sefire inscriptions of the eighth century B.C.E. (see Pope,
El in the Ugaritic Texsts (1955), 54ff.) and in later Greek inscriptions as Zeus Hypsistos.
Whereas for the pagans the terms referred to the god who was supreme over the other gods, in
Israel it referred to the transcendent nature of the one true God.
El Olam:
According to Genesis 21:33, “Abraham planted a tamarisk at Beer-Sheba, and invoked there
the name of YHWH, “the everlasting God.” The Hebrew for “the Everlasting God” is el
olam, literally, “the God of an indefinitely long time.” Perhaps it was the title of El as
worshipped at the local shrine of Beer-Sheba (cf. El Bethel, “the El of Bethel,” in Gen 335:7).
Then Abraham would have accepted this Canaanite term as descriptive of his true God. In
any case, the epithet is logical in the context, which concerns a pact meant for all times. The
term by which Abraham invoked YHWH at Beer-Sheba is apparently echoed in Isaiah 40:28,
where YHWH is called “the Everlasting God” [elohei olam], the Creator of the ends of the
earth” (cf. Jer.10:10, melekh olam, “the everlasting King”; Isa. 26:45, zur olamim, ”an
everlasting Rock”). In Deuteronomy 33:27, where “the ancient God” (elohei qedem) parallels
“the everlasting arms” (zeroot olam), the text is uncertain. Only in the late passage of Daniel
12:7 (probably translated from Aramaic) is the article used with olam: “The man clothed in
linen… swore by Him that liveth for ever (be-hei ha-olam).”
El Shaddai:
According to the literary source of the Pentateuch that the critics call the “Priestly Document,”
YHWH “appeared to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob as El Shaddai” (Ex. 6:3). The traditional
English rendering of the obscure Hebrew term El Shaddai as “God Almighty” goes back to
ancient times The Septuagint renders Shaddai as Pantokragtor, “All-powerful”; this is
followed by the Vulgate’s Omnipotens, “Omnipotent.” Apparently, this rendering is based
on an ancient rabbinic interpretation, sha, “who,” and dai, “enough,” i.e., “He who is self-
sufficient” (e.g., Hag.12a); thus, the Jewish translators Aquila and Symmachus in the early
centuries C.E. translated shaddai by Greek hikanos, “sufficient, able.” But this definition can
hardly be taken as the true etymology of the term. No fully satisfactory explanation of it has
89
yet been accepted by all scholars. The term is usually explained as a cognate of the Akkadian
word 2adu, “mountain,” but not in the sense of El Shaddai would mean “God the Rock”
(cf.zur, “Rock,” an epithet of God, e.g., Deut. 32:4, 30,37).
Rather, El Shaddai would mean “El-of-the-Mountain,” i.e., of the cosmic mountain, the abode
of El; for the Patriarchs the term wouldmean “the God of Heaven.” The ending-ai of shaddai
would be adjectival, as in Ugaritic r/y (to be vocalized ar/ai), “She of the Earth,” the name of
one of the three daughters of the Ugaritic El. It may be objected that Akkadian 2adu should
be cognate with Hebrew sadeh, “open field”; and that therefore in Hebrew the divine name
should have been El Saddai. It is possible, however, that the Patriarchs brought the term with
them from Mesopotamia, and thus preserved the Akkadian shift of original c to 2 in this word,
contrary to the correct Hebrew distinction between original c and 2. Or, perhaps, Akkadian
2adu is not cognate with Hebrew shad, “breast,” which comes from proto-Semitic tad; the
semantic development from rounded “breasts” to “hills” and “mountains would not be
impossible. Although no Ugaritic equivalent of El Shadddai has yet been found, in the
Ugaritic poem about Baal and Anath (II AB, iv-v:23-24, in Pritchard Texts, 131-3) it is said
that Asherah “penetrates the dd [mouintain?] of El and enters the pavilion of King Father
Shunem [or the King, the Father of Years?].”
In the Bible the full name El Shaddai, is used only in connection with Abraham (Gen. 17:1),
Isaac (Gen. 28:3), and Jacob (Gen. 35:11; 43: 14; 48:3). The word Shaddai alone occurs as
God’s name in the ancient oracles of Balaam (Num. 24:4, 16), in poetic passages (Isa. 13:6;
Ezek. 1:24; Joel 1:15; Ps. 68:15; 91:1; and 31 times in Job), and even in archaizing prose
(Ruth 1:20-21). Moreoever, Shaddai is an element in very ancient Israelite names, such as
Ammishaddai (“My Kinsman is Shaddai”; Num. 1:12) and Zurishaddai (“My Rock is
Shaddai”; Num 1:6).
El Ro’i:
The divine name El Roi occurs in Genesis 16:13. After Hagar was driven away by Sarai
(Sarah) and fled into the western Negev, at a certain spring or well she had a vision of God,
“and she called YHWH who spoke to her, ‘You are El Roi’”. The meaning of the word “Roi”
in this context is obscure. By itself it can be either a noun, “appearance” (I Sam. 16:12),
“spectacle, gazingstock” (Nah. 3:6), or a participle with a suffix of the first person singular,
“seeing me,” i.e., who sees me (Job 7:8). Therefore El Roi could mean either “the God of
Vision” (who showed Himself to me) or “the God who sees me.” The explanation of the
divine name that is given in the second half of the same verse (Gen 16:13b) is equally obscure.
As the Hebrew text now stands, it is usually rendered as “She meant, ‘Have I not gone on
seeing after He saw me [aharei roi]?’” (JP|S, 1962), or, “She meant, ‘Did I not go on seeing
here [halom] after He had seen me?” (E.A. Speiser, Genesis (1964),117). In the following
verse (16:14) it is stated: “Therefore the well was called Beer-Lahai-Roi.” This name is
explained in a footnote as “Apparently, ‘The Well of the Living One Who sees me.’” (JPS).
However, on the basis of the name of the well, E.A. Speiser (op. cit., p.119) would emend the
unvocalized Hebrew text of Genesis 16:13, hgm hlm ryty ry, to read hgm lhm ryty why,. “Did
I really see God, yet remain alive?” The name of the well he would then take to mean, “Well
of living sight.” Since the well was in the region occupied by the Ishmaelites (and Hagar was
90
the mother of Ishmael), the divine name El Roi, may have been proper to the Ishmaelites
rather than to the Israelites.
El Berit:
The divine name El Berit (“God of the Covenant’) occurs only in Judges 9:46, where mention
is made of “the house [i.e., temple] of El Berit” at Shechem. This is certainly the same
sanctuary that is called “the house [i.e., temple] of Baal Berit” in 9:4. From the treasury of the
temple of Baal-Berith the citizens of Shechem gave seventy silver shekels to Abimelech, the
son of Jerubbaal (another name of Gideon) to aid him in his fight for the sole kingship of
Shechem against the other sons of Jerubbaal (ibid). A few years later, the rebellious citizens
of Shechem were burned to death by Abimelech in the temple of El-Berith where they had
taken refuge (9:46-49).
The Deuteronomist editor of the Book of Judges regarded Baal-Berith as a pagan god. But the
case is not quite that simple. First of all, in early Israel the word baal, meaning “owner,
master, lord,” was often regarded more or less as a synonym of adon, “lord” (see below under
“Adonai”), and so it could be used legitimately as a title of YHWH. Among the sons of King
Saul, who was certainly not a worshipper of a pagan god, were those who bore the names of
Merib-Baal, “the Lord contends” (?) and Eshbaal (originally, ish-baal), “man of the Lord,” I
Chron. 8:33,34; 9:39,40; and even one of King David’s sons was called Beeliada (originally
baal-yada), “the Lord knows” (I Chron 14:7), who is called Eliada (el-yada). “God knows” in
II Samuel 5:16. Only after the time of Soloman was the word “Baal” recognized in Israel as
the specific title of the Canaanite storm-god Hadad, and thereafter avoided by true Israelites as
a title for YHWH. (Scribal tradition later changed the baal in older Israelite names to boshet
(“shame”) in the Books of Samuel and Kings; see Euphemism and Dysphemism.) It is
likewise uncertain what the berit (“covenant”) refers to in the words Baal-Berith or El-Berith.
Shechem was regarded as a sacred site by Abraham and Jacob, each of whom erected an altar
there (Gen. 12:6-7; 33:19-20). In addition, Jacob’s acquisition of land at Shechem (Gen
33:19; cf. 48:22) and the connubium between the sons of Jacob and the sons of Hamor (as the
Shechemites were then called) imply certain covenant agreements. Moreoever, the strange
name, “sons of Hamar” (benei hamor, “sons of the ass”), who is said to be the “father of
Shechem (Gen 34:6), seems to have something to do with covenant making. From the Tell el-
Amarna Letters (c. 1400 B.C.E.) it is known that there was a strong Hurrian element in
Shechem. The Septuagint is therefore probably correct in reading hhry (“the Horite,” i.e., the
Hurrian) instead of hhwy (“the Hivite”) of the Masoretic Text in describing the ethnic origin
of “Shechem” (Gen 34:2); moreover, the uncircumcised Shechemites (Gen. 34:14, 24) were
most likely not Semitic Canaanites (see E.A. Speiser, op. cit., 267). It is also known that the
slaughtering of an ass played a role among the Hurrians in the making of a covenant. Thus,
Baal-Berith or El-Berith may have been regarded by the Shechemites as the divine protector
of convenants.
Did the early Israelites perhaps regard El-Berith as the God of the convenant made between
YHWH and Israel? It is a noteworthy fact that Joshua, who had apparently been able to
occupy the region of Shechem without force because Israelites who—many scholars believe
—had never been in Egypt were already living there, renewed the Covenant of Sinai with all
Israel precisely at Shechem, the city sacred to El-Berith, “the God of the Covenant” (Josh.
8:30-35; 24:1-28). Therefore, even though the late Deuteronomist editor of the Book of
Judges (it is conjectured by the adherents of the documentary hypothesis) considered Baal-
91
Berith one of the pagans Canaanite Baalim, this term may well have been regarded in early
Israel as one of the titles of YHWH.
Eloha, Elohim:
The word eloha “God” and its plural, elohim, is apparently a lengthened form of El (cf.
Aramaic elah, Arabic ilah). The singular eloha is of relatively rare occurrence in the Bible
outside of Job, where it is found about forty times. It is very seldom used in reference to a
pagan god and then only in a late period (Dan 11:37ff.; II Chron. 32:15). In all other cases it
refers to the God of Israel (e.g., Deut. 32:15; Ps. 50:22; 139: 19; Prov. 30:5; Job 3:4, 23). The
plural form elohim is used not only of pagan “gods” (e.g., Ex. 12:12; 18:11; 20:3), but also of
an individual pagan “god” (Judg. 11:24; II Kings 1:2ff.) and even of a “goddess” (I Kings
11:5). In reference to Israel’s “God” it is used extremely often—more than 2,000 times—and
often with the article , ha-elohim, “the [true] God.” Occasionally, the plural form elohim,
even when used of the God of Israel, is construed with a plural verb or adjective (e.g., Gen
20;13; 35:7; Ex. 32:4, 8; II Sam. 7:23; Ps. 58:12), especially in the expression elohim hayyim,
“the living God.” In the vast majority of cases, however, the plural form is treated as if it were
a noun in the singular. The odd fact that Hebrew uses a plural noun to designate the sole God
of Israel has been explained in various ways. It is not to be understood as a remnant of the
polytheism of Abraham’s ancestors, or hardly as a “plural of majesty”—if there is such a thing
in Hebrew. Some scholars take it as a plural that expresses an abstract idea (e.g., zekunim,
“old age”; neurim, “time of youth”), so that Elohim would really mean “the Divinity.” More
likely, however, it came from Canaanite usage; the early Israelites would have taken over
elohim as a singular noun just as they made their own the rest of the Canaanite language. In
the Tell-el-Amarna Letters Pharaoh is often addressed as “my gods [ilaniya] the sun-god.” In
the ancient Near East of the second half of the second millennium B.C.E. there was a certain
trend toward quasi-monotheism, and any god could be given the attributes of any other god, so
that an individual god could be addressed as elohai, “my gods” or adonai, “my lords.” The
early Israelites felt no inconsistency in referring to their sole God in these terms. The word
elohim is employed also to describe someone or something godlike, preternatural, or
extraordinarily great, e.g., the ghost of Samuel (I Sam. 28:13 cf. Isa. 8:19 “spirits”), the house
of David (Zech. 12:8), the mountain of Bashan (Ps. 68:16), and Rachel’s contest with her
sister (Gen. 30:8).
Adonai:
The Hebrew word adon is correctly rendered in English as “lord.” In the Bible it is often used
in reference to any human being who had authority, such as the ruler of a country (Gen.
42:30), the master of a slave (Gen. 24:96), and the husband of a wife (Gen. 18:12). In formal
polite style a man, not necessarily a superior, was addressed as “my lord” (adoni, e.g., Gen.
23:6. 15; 24:18)’ and several men could be addressed as “my lords” (adonai e.g, Gen 19:2).
Since God is “Lord [adon] of all the earth” (Josh. 3:11), He is addressed and spoken of as
“my Lord”—in Hebrew, Adonai (literally, “my Lords,” in the plural in keeping with the plural
form, Elohim, and always with the “pausal” form of a long a at the end). Originally,
“adonai,” especially in the combined form “adonai YHWH” (e.g., Gen. 15:2, 8: Deut. 3:24,
9:26), was no doubt understood as “my Lord.” But later, “Adonai” was taken to be a name of
God, the “Lord.”
92
YHWH:
The personal name of the God of Israel is written in the Hebrew Bible with the four
consonants YHWH and is referred to as the “Tetagrammaton.” At least until the destruction
of the First Temple in 586 B.C.E. this name was regularly pronounced with its proper vowels,
as is clear from the Lachish Letters, written shortly before that date. But at least by the third
century B.C.E. the pronunciation of the name YHWH was avoided, and Adonai, “the Lord,”
was substituted for it, as evidenced by the use of the Greek word Kyrios, “Lord,” for YHWH
in the Septuagint, the translation of the Hebrew Scriptures that was begun by Greek-speaking
Jews in that century. Where the combined form Adonai YHWH occurs in the Bible, this was
read as Adonai Elohim, “Lord God.” In the early Middle Ages, when the consonantal text of
the Bible was supplied with vowel points to facilitate its correct traditional reading, the vowel
points for Adonai with one variation—a sheva with the initial yod of YHWH instead of the
hataf-patah under the aleph of Adonai—were used for YHWH, thus producing the form
YeHoWaH. When Christian scholars of Europe first began to study Hebrew, they did not
understand what this really meant, and they introduced the hybrid name “Jehovah.” In order
to avoid pronouncing even the sacred name Adonai for YHWH, the custom was later
introduced of saying simply in Hebrew ha-Shem (or Aramaic Shema, “the Name”) even in
such an expression as “Blessed be he that cometh in the name of YHWH” (Ps. 118:26). The
avoidance of pronouncing of name YHWH is generally ascribed to a sense of reverence.
More precisely, it was caused by a misunderstanding of the Third Commandment (Ex. 20:7,
Duet. 5:11) as meaning “Thou shalt not take the name of YHWH thy God in vain,” whereas it
really means “You shall not swear falsely by the name of YHWH your God” (JPS).
The true pronunciation of the name YHWH was never lost. Several early Greek writers of the
Christian Church testify that the name was pronounced “Yahweh.” This is confirmed, at least
for the vowel of the first syllable of the name, by the shorter form Yah, which is sometimes
used in poetry (e.g., Ex. 15:2) and the-yahu or-yah that serves as the final syllable in very
many Hebrew names. In the opinion of many scholars, YHWH is a verbal form of the root
hwh, which is an older variant of the root, which is an older variant of the root hyh “to be.”
The vowel of the first syllable shows that the verb is used in the form of a future-present
causative hiphil, and must therefore mean “He causes to be, He brings into existence.” The
explanation of the name as given in Exodus 3:14, Eheyeh-Asher-Yihweh, “He brings into
existence whatever exists”; or Yahweh Zevaot (I Sam. 1:3, 11), which really means “He brings
the hosts [of heaven- or of Israel?] into existence.” “The Lord of Hosts,” the traditional
translation of the latter name, is doubtful.
According to the documentary hypothesis, the literary sources in the Pentateuch known as the
Elohist and the Priestly Document never use the name of Yahweh for God until it is revealed
to Moses (Ex. 3:13; 6:2-3); but the Yahwist source uses it from Genesis 2:4 on, thus implying
that it was a least as old as Abraham. If the name is really so old, then Exodus 6:2-3 must be
understood as meaning that from the time of Moses on, Yahweh was to be the personal name
of the God who brought the people of Israel into existence by bringing them out of Egypt and
established them as a nation by His covenant with them at Sinai. This gives us a better
understanding of the God of the Old Covenant.
Shabbat Day:
93
SABBATH (Heb. TYQ; Shabbat; related to the verb shavat, “cease, desist, rest”), the seventh
day of the week, the day of rest and abstention from work.
In the Bible
The etiology of the Sabbath is given in Genesis 1:1-2:3, although the name of the day does not
appear there: God worked six days at creating the world; on the seventh he ceased working
(shavat mi-kol mela$khto), blessed the day, and declared it holy (see 2:1-3). The special status
of the seventh day and its name were disclosed to Israel in the episode of the manna. God
supplied each day’s need of manna for five days; on the sixth, a double portion was provided
to last through the seventh day, on which no manna appeared. Correspondingly, the Israelites
were commanded to go out, collect, and prepare each day’s portion for the first five days; on
the sixth, they were to prepare for two days; on the seventh day they were not to go out at all
but were to remain at home. Thus they learned that the seventh day was “a Sabbath of the
Lord,” which they must honor by desisting from their daily food-gathering labor (Ex. 16:22).
The fourth “word” of the Decalogue generalizes the lesson of the manna. All work
(mela$khah) is banned on the Sabbath, which here for the first time is given a rationale, drawn
directly from the formulation of Genesis 2:1-3 and expressly identifying the Sabbath with the
seventh day of creation (Ex. 20:8-11). The meaning of the “blessedness” and “sanctity” of the
day is inferable from the manna experience.
According to Exodus 23:12 and 34:21, work is to cease on the seventh day in order to give
slaves and draft animals rest; this must be observed even during the critical seasons of plowing
and harvest. Deuteronomy’s version of the Decalogue embodies this humanitarian motive in
its divergent rationale of the Sabbath rest; Israel is to keep the Sabbath so that its slaves might
rest, and because God, who liberated it from Egyptian bondage, so commanded (Deut. 5:14-
15). God’s instructions concerning the building of the Tabernacle end, and Moses’
conveyance of them to the people begins, with an admonition to keep the Sabbath, indicating
its precedence even over the duty of building the sanctuary. The Sabbath is called a sign both
of God’s consecration of Israel, and of His six-day creation. The rulings are applied in the
exemplary tale of Numbers 15:32ff. A man was found collecting wood (to make a fire) on the
Sabbath. Apprehended by witnesses and brought before Moses, he was sentenced to death by
stoning at the hands of the whole community. Besides the daily sacrificial offering, an
additional one, amounting to the total offering of a weekday, was prescribed for the Sabbath
(Num. 28:9-10); cf. Num. 28:3-8). Admonitions to observe the Sabbath are coupled once
with reverence toward parents (Lev. 19:3; cf. the juxtaposition in the Decalogue), and twice
with reverence toward the sanctuary (Lev. 19:30; 26:2). As a time marker, the Sabbath
terminated the week. Thus in the Tabernacle cult, the weekly replacement of showbread
occurred on the Sabbath (Lev 24:8; I Chron. 9:32).
Only scraps of evidence are available concerning the nature of the Sabbath during the
Monarchy. In the Northern Kingdom during the ninth and eighth centuries, Sabbath and New
Moon are mentioned together as days when business activity was halted (Amos 8:5); and
people paid visits to men of God (II Kings 4:23). From Hosea 2:13 it appears that the
Sabbath, like the New Moon and the festival mentioned before it, was among “all the joys” of
the North that were under God’s doom; this is a precious attestation of the joyous character of
the day. In eighth-century Judah, too, Sabbath and New Moon were popularly celebrated in
sacred convocations held in the Jerusalem Temple (Isa. 1:13; cf. Lam. 2:6 for the later times).
94
Again, as a time marker, the Sabbath was the day on which the palace guard was changed
weekly (II Kings 11:50-9). Esteem of the Sabbath rose just before, during, and after the Exile.
Jeremiah 17:19-27 berates the rules and populace of Judah for condoning the hauling of
burdens (market wares) into and within Jerusalem on the Sabbath. In an unprecedented
prophecy, the fate of the dynasty and the city is made to depend upon the observance of the
Sabbath. Ezekiel contains similar prophecies. Chapter 20:12ff. lays stress on the Sabbath as a
sign of Israel’s consecration to God; its significance is shown by juxtaposition with all the rest
of the divine laws, the Sabbath along being singled out by name. In catalogs of sins for which
Jerusalem was doomed, desecration of the Sabbath occurs repeatedly. As a part of his
program for a reconstituted Israel, the prophet innovates the priestly duty of seeing that the
Sabbath is kept holy (44:24). Noteworthy too is the increase in the number of animals
prescribed for the Sabbath sacrifice from double that of the weekday to the befitting number
seven (Ezek. 46:4). The Exilic “Isaiah” also singles out the observance of the Sabbath,
juxtaposing it to all the rest of the covenant obligations as the precondition of individual and
national restoration (56:2, 4, 6, 58:13: “If you call the Sabbath a delight/that which the Lord
has sanctified-a day to be honored”). This prophet looks to an eventual universalization of the
Sabbath among all nations (66:23). The prophet’s estimate of the fateful importance of the
Sabbath observance was taken to heart in the fifth-century community of restored Jerusalem.
The public confession of Nehemiah 9:14 once again singles out the Sabbath from all the
“commandments, laws, and teachings” given to Israel through Moses. A special clause in the
covenant subscribed to by the community’s representatives forbids commerce with outsiders
on Sabbaths and holy days (Neh. 10:32). Nehemiah enforced this clause rigorously as
governor of Judah, reminding the indifferent aristocrats that for desecrating the Sabbath their
ancestors had been visited with catastrophe (13:15-22).
Historical and Literary-Historical Considerations
Evidence that in the period of the Monarchy the Sabbath was a popular, joyous holy day,
marked by cessation of business and celebrated publicly and by the individual, in the
Sanctuary and outside it, accords with the pentateuchal traditions that it was among the chief
stipulations of the Masaic covenant. The antiquity and interrelation of the various rationales
given in the Pentateuch for the Sabbath are, however, problematic. Such rationales appear in
both versions of the Decalogue. That of Exodus, associating the Sabbath with the Creation, is
theocentric and sacramental. The sanctity of the day is grounded in an event in the life of
God-His cessation from work, His rest, His blessing and consecration. Israel’s observance of
the day is imitative and out of respect for God’s authority. The revelation of the day’s sanctity
exclusively to Israel-with the attendant obligation to keep it—is a sign of Israel’s consecration
to God. This rationale is worked out in the creation story, the Exodus Decalogue, and the two
admonitions connected with the building of the Tabernacle. Critical analysis assigns all these
passages to the Priestly Source (P); their interrelation is, in any event, beyond dispute. The
Deuteronomic version of the Decalogue grounds the Sabbath, ambiguously, on the liberation
of Israel from slavery. On the one hand, the humane concern of Exodus 23 over the welfare
of slaves is involved, on the other, the authority of God to give such laws by virtue of His
having redeemed Israel. Since none of these rationales is reflected in the meager extra-
pentateuchal passages on the Sabbath, speculations on their age and interrelationship can be
based only on internal evidence. Even if conceptual or literary development can be shown,
absolute dating is impossible—all the more so when it is borne in mind that presently
95
interrelated ideas have arisen independently and contemporaneously, and in either case, before
their literary embodiment. The compassionate ground of Exodus 23:12 is conceptually
simpler than the historical-humanistic one of Deuteronomy. On the other hand,
Deuteronomy’s is tangential to the essence of the Sabbath day—its holiness. That is
accounted for only by the cosmic-sacramental rationale associated with the Exodus
Decalogue. But if the rationale in Exodus is the best developed, it is not necessarily the latest.
Deuteronomy’s seems to have been substituted for it, as more in accord with the spirit of that
work, in its version of the Sabbath commandment. Critics consider the sacramental (probably
priestly) rationale an Exile conception, since its esteem of the Sabbath as a sign of Israel’s
consecration agrees with the Exilic views of the importance of the day. But is a historical
explanation really needed for the priestly esteem of a holy day whose centrality in Israel’s life
is vouched for by its inclusion in the Decalogue—the only holy day so honored? Distinctively
Exilic is the appreciation of the Sabbath as a decisive factor in national destiny, and that is
lacking in the priestly material as elsewhere in the Pentateuch. Warnings of doom for
violation of the covenant laws single out idolatry (Ex. 23:24; Deut. 4:25ff.) as the fatal
national sin; Leviticus 26:34-35, 43—of priestly provenance—adds neglect of the Sabbatical
(fallow) Year to the causes of national doom. But violation of the Sabbath day is nowhere
held to be a factor in Israel’s downfall, nor is its observance a warrant of national well-being
—as in Jeremiah, Ezekiel, the Exilic Isaiah, and Nehemiah. This suggests that the age of
Jeremiah is the terminus ad quem of the pentateuchal material on the Sabbath. The increased
regard for the Sabbath from Jeremiah’s time on is to be connected with the danger of
assimilation to the gentiles that loomed since the reign of Manasseh (cf. Zeph. 1), and greatly
troubled the religious leaders of the Exile (Ezek. 20:32ff). With the Temple destroyed and the
Jews dispersed the distinctively Israelites obey a day of rest, which allowed public and private
expression and which was not essentially bound up with a sacrificial cult, became a chief
vehicle of identification with the covenant community. To mark oneself off from the gentiles
by observing the peculiar, weekly “sign” of God’s consecration of Israel was an act of loyalty
which might well be counted the equivalent of the rest of the covenant commandments, while
disregard of the Sabbath might well be considered as serious a breach of faith with the God of
Israel as the worship of alien gods. Such in fact was the view of Exilic and post-Exilic
thinkers who put forward the idea that the breaking of the Sabbath was a cause of the nation’s
collapse.
Speculation on the origin of the Sabbath has centered on the apparent Babylonian cognate,
Zapattu, the mid-month day of the full moon, called “the day of calming [the god’s] heart”—
apparently an auspicious day. The biblical combination of “New Moon and Sabbath” has
been thought, accordingly, to reflect what were originally two holy days, one at the start, the
other in the middle of the month. Another partial analogy to the Sabbath has been found in
the “evil days” of the Babylonian month (mostly at seven-day intervals) on which the king’s
activity was severely restricted. Haw the Zapattu might have been combined with the entirely
distinct “evil days,” become dissociated from the lunar cycle, and finally emerge as the
joyous, weekly “Sabbath of the Lord” has not been persuasively explained. Nonetheless, an
ultimate connection between the biblical and the Babylonian phenomena seems likely. If so,
the history of the Sabbath began with a radical severance from the past. The particularity of
the biblical days was its positive sanctity—so that abstention from work on it expressed piety,
and that sanctity was a divine ordinance—not a matter of lucky and unlucky times. It was
96
perhaps first grounded on God’s compassion toward workers, later brought into relation with
the Creation, and later still with the Exodus.
In Rabbinic Literature the rabbis wax eloquent on the value of Sabbath observance. “If Israel
keeps one Sabbath as it should be kept, the Messiah will come. The Sabbath is equal to all
other precepts of the Torah” (Ex. R. 25:12). “God said to Moses: ‘Moses, I have a precious
gift in My treasury whose name is the Sabbath and I want to give it to Israel. Go and tell
them’” (Beah 16a). “The Sabbath is one sixtieth of the world to come” (Ber 57b). “The
Sabbath increases Israel’s holiness. ‘Why does so-and-so close his shop?’ ‘Because he keeps
the Sabbath.’ “Why does so-and-so and so refrain from work?’ Because he keeps the
Sabbath;’ Furthermore, whoever keeps the Sabbath testifies of Him at whose word the world
came into being; that He created the world in six days and rested on the seventh” (Mekh. Sb-Y
to Ex. 31:14). The juxtaposition of the instructions to build the Sanctuary and the prohibition
of Sabbath work caused the rabbis to deduce that it was forbidden on the Sabbath to do any
work that was required for the Sanctuary. The rabbinic definition of forbidden Sabbath work
is, therefore, that which was needed for the Sanctuary (Mekh. Sb-y to Ex.35:1; Shab. 49b).
Any work analogous to those types used for the building of the Sanctuary is classified as being
biblically forbidden. There are thus 39 main classes of work (“fathers of work,” avot) used in
the building of the Sanctuary, and many others derived from these (“offspring”, toledot) with
only slight technical differences between “father” and “offspring” (BK 2a). Watering of
plants, for instance, is a toledah of sowing; weeding, of plowing; adding oil to a burning lamp,
of lighting a fire. The Mishnah (Shab. 7:2) gives a list of the 39 main classes of work. (It has
been noted that the number 39 is a standard number in rabbinic literature and that these types
of work are all of a kind obtaining in the rabbinic period.) The Mishnah (Hag.1:8) also states
that the laws of forbidden work on the Sabbath are as mountains hanging by a hair, for there is
little on the subject in the scriptures yet the rules are many. In addition to the biblical
prohibitions, there are various rabbinic prohibitions introduced as a “fence to the Torah” (Avot
1:1), such as the handling of tools or money (mukZeh), riding a horse, instructing a gentile to
do work. These rabbinic prohibitions are known as shevut (“rest”; Bezah 5:2). One who
profanes the Sabbath in public is treated as an idolater (Hul. 5a). Conversely, whoever
observes the Sabbath as it should be is forgiven his sins, even if he practiced idolatry (Shab.
118b).
The Sabbath is a festive day and three meals should be eaten on it (Shab.118a). It was
considered meritorious for a man to make some preparations for the Sabbath himself, even if
he had servants to do it for him (kid. 41a). R. Safra used to singe the head of an animal, R.
Huna used to light the lamp, R. Papa to plait the wicks, R. Hisda to cut up the beets Rabbah
and R. Joseph to chop the wood, R. Zera to kindle the fire (Shab. 119a). R. Hanina would say
on the eve of Sabbath; “Come let us go out to meet the Bride, the Queen.” R. Yannai used to
adorn himself and say “Come O Bride, come O Bride” (ibid., BK 32a-b). Out of respect for
the sacred day, it was forbidden to fast on the evve of the Sabbath (Ta’an. 27b). In a well
known passage (Shab. 119b), it is said that on the eve of the Sabbath two ministering angels
accompany a man from the synagogue to his home. If, when he arrives home, he finds the
lamp burning, the table laid, and the couch covered with a spread, the good angel declares,
“May it be thus on another Sabbath too” and the evil angel is obliged to answer “Amen”. But
97
if not the evil angel declares, “May it be thus on another Sabbath too” and the good angel is
obliged to answer “Amen.” At the beginning of the Sabbath, the special sanctification
(Kiddush) is recited (Pes. 106a), and after the termination of the Sabbath the Havdalah
(“distinction”) benediction (which signifies the separation of the Sabbath from the weekday) is
recited (Ber. 33a), both over a cup of wine. A man should wear special garments in honor of
the Sabbath; he should walk differently for the way he does on a weekday, even his speech
should be different (Shab. 11a-b).
In Jewish Thought
From an early period, the Sabbath became a day of spiritual refreshment. Philo (II Mos. 216)
and Josephus (Apion, 2:175) refer to the practice of public discourses on the torah on this day,
as do the rabbis (Yal., Ex. 108). Philo (Decal. 96) sees the Sabbath as an opportunity for man
to imitate his Creator who rested on the seventh day. Man, too, should rest from his weekday
labors in order to devote himself to contemplation and to the improvement of his character.
The Midrash (Mekh. Sb-Y to 20:11) similarly states that if Gad, who exerts no effort, “writes
about Himself” that he rested how much more should man rest of whom it is said that he was
born to toil. The benediction for the Sabbath afternoon service sums up the rabbinic attitude to
the Sabbath as a precious gift from god, and as a sacred day kept even by the Patriarchs:
“Thou art One and Thy Name is One, and who is like thy people a unique nation upon the
earth? Glorious greatness and a crown of salvation, even the day of rest and holiness, Thou
hast given unto Thy people –Abraham was glad, Isaac rejoiced, Jacob and his sons rested
thereon- a rest granted in love, a true and faithful rest, a rest in peace and tranquility, in
quietude and safety, a perfect rest wherein Thou delightest. Let thy children perceive and
know that this their rest is from Thee and by their rest may they hallow Thy Name.”
The medieval Jewish philosophers tend to dwell on the symbolic nature of the day. For
Maimonides (Guide, 2, 31), the Sabbath has a twofold significance: It teaches the true opinion
that god created the world, and it provides man with physical rest and refreshment. According
to Isaac Arama (Akedat Yizhak, 55 ed. Bialystok (1849), 285-89), the Sabbath teaches the
three fundamental principles of Judaism: belief in creatio ex nihilo, in revelation (because the
Sabbath is a time when the Torah is studied), and in the world to come (of which the Sabbath
is a foretaste). Judah Halevi looks upon the Sabbath as a God-given opportunity for men to
enjoy complete rest of body and soul for a sixth part of their lives, in a way denied even to
kings, who know nothing of this precious boon of complete cessation from toil and distraction
(Kuzari, 3, 10).
Samson Paphael Hirsch (Horeb, section 2:21; tr. By I Gunfeld, 1 (1962), 61-78) understands
the prohibition of creative activity on the Sabbath (the types of forbidden work do not so much
involve effort, as they are creative) to be a lesson for man to acknowledge his Creator as
Creator of everything there is. Man is allowed to rule over the world for six days by God’s
will, but is forbidden on the seventh day to fashion anything for his own purpose. On each
Sabbath man restores the world to god, as it were, and thus proclaims that he enjoys only a
borrowed authority.
The Laws and Customs of the Sabbath
98
The mistress of the house kindles at least two candles before the advent of the Sabbath, one
corresponding to “remember the Sabbath day” (Ex. 20:8), the other to “observe the Sabbath
day” (Deut. 5:12). For each meal two whole loves of bread are placed on the table, covered by
a cloth, to correspond to the double portion of manna for the Sabbath (Ex. 16;22-26). Before
the Kiddush is recited, the parents bless the children. During the festive meals of the day,
special table hymns (zemirot) are chanted. Whenever possible, guests should be invited to
participate in the Sabbath meals. There is a special order of service for Sabbath in the
synagogue. Psalms are recited before the evening service on Friday night and the morning
service includes the weekly readings from the Torah, as well as a Musaf Amidah. The
afternoon service also includes a torah reading from the portion to be read on the following
Sabbath. When the Sabbath is over, the Havdalah benediction is recited, together with a
benediction over spices (to restore the soul saddened by the departure of the day), and over
light (which could neither be lit nor blessed on the Sabbath). Where there is danger to life
(pikku’ah nefesh), the Sabbath must be set aside and Sabbath profanation in such
circumstances is meritorious in the extreme. Unlike the Karaites, who took the verse “let no
man go out of his place on the seventh day” (Ex. 16:29) literally, the rabbis placed no
restrictions on freedom of movement within one’s town, but they prohibited any walking
outside the town beyond 2,000 cubits (a little more than half a mile). This boundary is known
as the tehum Shabbat (Sabbath limit). It is, however, permitted to place, before the Sabbath,
sufficient food for two meals at the limits of the 2,000 cubits; then, by a legal fiction known as
eruv, this place becomes one’s “abode” for the duration of the Sabbath, so that the 2,000
cubits may then be walked from there. It is forbidden to instruct a non-Jew to do any work on
the Sabbath which is not permitted to a Jew, unless it is for the sake of health. In cold times,
the heating of the home by a non-Jew falls under the heading “for the sake of health.”
Modern inventions have produced a host of new questions regarding Sabbath observance.
Orthodox Judaism forbids travel by automobile on the Sabbath, Reform Judaism permits it.
Conservative Judaism has differing views on this question, but generally permits travel by
automobile on the Sabbath solely for the purpose of attending synagogue. The basic legal
question regarding the switching on of electric lights is whether the non combustive type of
burning produced by electricity falls under the prohibition of making a fire or any of the other
prohibitions listed above. Orthodox Jews refrain from the use of electrical appliances on the
Sabbath, with the exception of the refrigerator, which may be opened and closed on the
grounds that any electrical current produced in the process is incidental and without express
intention. It has, however, become the practice for observant Jews to use electrical appliances
on the Sabbath which are operated by time switched set before the Sabbath. In Israel, on
religious kibbutzim, the same procedure is used to milk cows on the Sabbath. Israel also has
local bylaws forbidding certain activities on the Sabbath. There is, however, no
comprehensive law covering the whole country. Thus, whereas the public transport does not
operate on the Sabbath in Jerusalem and in Tel Aviv, in does in Haifa. Except for specifically
non-Jewish sections of the country, the Sabbath is the official day of rest on which all business
and stores must close, but there is some doubt as to what is a business for this law (see Israel,
State of, Religious Life).
Kiddush
99
When the head of the household returns from the synagogue service, he finds the table set: at
one end stand the two candles, a Kiddush cup filed with wine, and two Hallot (see Food), the
special Sabbath bread. During the recitation of the Kiddush, the Hallot are covered by a
special cloth, so as to avoid slighting the bread, the staff of life, which thus is “absent” during
the benediction over the wine. Decorative Hallah cloths, traditionally embroidered by women,
are known to have been in existence since the 17th century. The Kiddush cup, which is also
used for the Havdalah ceremony at the end of the Sabbath, is one of the most important
appurtenances of the Sabbath table. It is possible that Kiddush cups were adorned in ancient
times, and that the famous Jewish cups with gold bottoms discovered in the catacombs of
Rome were intended to be used on Sabbaths and festivals. Information about medieval
Kiddush cup is to be found in literary sources and in illuminated manuscripts, but none of
them has survived, nor have any from the Renaissance period. Baroque and modern cups are
mad of silver, gold, or glass, their shapes varying from that of a tumbler to a bell-shaped bowl
on a high baluster stem.
In modern times it is customary to use a special knife and saltcellar for the Kiddush. A
beautiful ‘set” by Moshe Zabari in silver and walnut also includes a pair of candlesticks, a
Kiddush cup, and a breadboard.
Counterfeit Vs. Real

At the beginning of this course, history was given on the Occult Holidays based on the
Gregorian calendar. Then in the later part of this study, I described the Biblical feasts of the
Lord. What I attempted to demonstrate is that for every Counterfeit Holiday there is a Lord
centered feast. Please see the picture entitled Holidays, Holy days and History. This is a month
by month description of the month, the Holy Day, the History and the holiday and the history.
When you look at this calendar, it is easy to see the real and the attempt at the counterfeit. If
you pay close attention, you can see that Satan tries to copy that which is good and pure of the
Lord. He does it in such a way that is seems so close to the original that one may not know the
difference. He does it so the evil part of the celebrations actually looks innocent. (Halloween is
a good example).
God has given me a passion and desire to educate the Body of Messiah so that they will know
the origin of these Gregorian calendar holidays and therefore know the truth. The Bible says:
“You shall know the truth and the truth will set you free.” (Paraphrased) If we as the Body of
Messiah continue to celebrate paganism and Occult holidays, what kind of an example or
legacy is this for the generations to come? Not to mention the generational curses we have
loosed on our children. There is no need for this because we have the truth in God’s Word.
The clear purpose of the Law is to maintain the people’s relationship with our God, not God’s
relationship with the people. Let’s look at the Old Covenant regarding this:
Deuteronomy 30:11-20 “Now what I am commanding you today is not too

difficult for you or beyond your reach. It is not up in heaven, so that you have
to ask, “Who will ascend into heaven to get it and proclaim it to us so we may
obey it?” Nor is it beyond the sea, so that you have to ask, “Who will cross
the sea to get it and proclaim it to us so we may obey it?” No, the word is very
near you: it is in your mouth and in your heart so you may obey it. See, I set
100
before you today life and prosperity, death and destruction. For I command
you today to love the LORD your God, to walk in his ways, and to keep his
commands, decrees and law: then you will live and increase, and the LORD
your God will bless you in the land you are entering to possess. But if your
heart turns away and you are not obedient, and if you are drawn away to bow
down to other gods and worship them, I declare to you this day that you will
certainly be destroyed. You will not live long in the land you are crossing the
Jordan to enter and possess. This day I call heaven and earth as witnesses
against you that I have set before you life and death, blessing and curses. Now
choose life, so that you and your children may live and that you may love the
LORD your God, listen to his voice, and hold fast to him. For the LORD is
your life, and he will give you many years in the land he swore to give your
fathers, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. (NIV)
What a promise God gives us, His children if we obey and seek after Him and keep His
commands. As a believer, we should know that God has done for us what he did for the
Israelites in the person of Yeshua (Jesus) He wants all his children, Jew and Gentile alike to
share in the blessings. This is why I feel it is a joy for a Gentile to know about and celebrate
the Feasts of the Lord. Let’s recap the Feasts:
• Passover speaks of Redemption. Messiah, the Passover lamb has been slain for all of
us.
• Unleavened Bread speaks of Sanctification. He was set apart. His body would not
decay in the grave.
• Firstfruits speak of Resurrection. Death could not hold her Foe. On the third day,
Yeshua, (Jesus) rose from the grave.
• The Feast of Weeks, Shavuot speaks of Origination. The coming of the Holy Spirit
inaugurated the New Covenant and church Age which the Messiah instituted in the
Upper Room.
• Rosh Ha Shanah or the Feast of Trumpets speaks of the Rapture.
• The Day of Atonement or Yom Kippur speaks of Forgiveness.
• Sukkot or the Feast of Tabernacles speaks of the new Messianic Kingdom.
The four spring feasts relate to His first coming and the three fall feasts all speak of His
second coming. They paint a very vivid picture of the Messiah. Only a God who is omniscient
could have foretold these astounding events! Only the fool can deny His existence; the man of
pride refuses to accept His gracious provision of life. Time is running out - the trumpet blast
will soon be heard around the world announcing His coming.
The Bible says: “Without the vision, the people perish.” God knew we needed laws and
commandments to be kept on target. He knew that left to our own thoughts and desires we
will indeed perish. You have a choice to make today. Will you choose to follow God or not? If
you choose God, then you must be educated on how to follow his ordinances and holy
convocations. It is my prayer that this course will help you to do just that.
101
102

Man's Holidays Vs God's Holy Days

Uploaded by

Document Information

Original Description:

Original Title

Copyright

Available Formats

Share this document

Share or Embed Document

Sharing Options

Did you find this document useful?

Is this content inappropriate?

Copyright:

Available Formats

Man's Holidays Vs God's Holy Days

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

Man’s Holidays vs.

God’s Holy Days

Gateway International Bible Institute

Let’s consider the pagan roots of the symbols of Christmas:

“Through Your precepts I get understanding; Therefore, I hate every false

Elves: They are little demonic helpers for Santa.

Some Occult Christmas Carols:

Candlemas or Imbolg or Groundhog’s Day

Let’s look at the parallels of the Groundhog and Mother Earth.

St. Valentines Day:

Let’s look at the camouflaged gods in Valentine’s Day:

Psalm 103:17-18 “But the mercy of the LORD is from everlasting to

Valentines Day Customs:

The Easter Bunny:

Hot Cross Buns:

New Clothes and Hats:

April Fool’s Day:

God Hates All Pagan Customs and Traditions

God commanded in verse 30 not to defile ourselves!

II Kings 24:3-4 “Surely these things happened to Judah according to the

St. Patrick’s Day:

Other occult symbols include:

I Corinthians 2:13 “This is what we speak, not in words taught us by human

Sweets and Trick or Treat:

Witches and Witchcraft:

The Wicker Man:

Should Christians adopt such practices?

I Thessalonians 5:21-22 “Test everything. Hold on to the good. Avoid every

Ephesians 5:11-12 “Have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness,

I Corinthians 10:20-21 “No, but the sacrifices of pagans are offered to

Luach is the Hebrew word for calendar.

Leviticus 23:5-8 “The LORD's Passover begins at twilight on the fourteenth

Let’s consider these points when we talk about Passover:

 On the fourteenth day of the first month at twilight is Yeshua’s Passover.

These promises are still true today!

The Fulfillment of Passover:

 The sacrificial lamb represents our Savior, Yeshua (Jesus)

All sinners must die, we cannot save ourselves!

As John the Immerser said,

Did our Savior not say;

The Feast of Unleavened Bread:

The Feast of Firstfruits:

This Feast proclaims the Physical Resurrection of Messiah:

I Corinthians 15:3-4 “For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also

To deny the physical resurrection of Messiah was to repudiate their faith.

To deny the physical resurrection of Messiah was to consign men to misery.

Happy that the Corinthians were wrong about no bodily resurrection!

The Laws and Customs of Shavuot:

Rosh Hash Ha-Shanah

The order became:

The Laws and Customs of Rosh Ha-Shanah

Day of Atonement/Yom Kippur: Yom ha-Kippurim)

In the Second Temple Period

In the Halakhah (The way)

The Reading of the Torah

The Eve of the Day of Atonement

Sukkot or the Feast of Tabernacles:

Laws and Customs of Sukkot

The following rules are observed on the fast of Tishah be-Av:

(1) Complete abstention from food and drink.

(5) One must sit either on the ground or on a low stool.

Zechariah 2:10 “Shout and be glad, O Daughter of Zion. For I am coming,