The Season of Teshuvah

Introduction

The fall feasts center around the theme of repentance, hence the term season of Teshuvah, or repentance. Teshuvah means to return, as in returning to the ways of God. This season is all about why we need to return to His ways.

The Season of Repentance

Continuing in our study of the Feasts of the LORD, as listed in Leviticus 23,
we have come to the Fall Feasts. The first of these late feasts is the Feast of
Trumpets. This feast leads into the Days of Awe, Yom Kippur (Day of Atonement),
and the Feast of Tabernacles. The Feast of Trumpets is known in Hebrew as Yom
Teruah (day of the awakening blast). Yom Kippur is a Hebrew phrase that simply
means: Day of Atonement

Another, more common name for Yom Teruah is Rosh haShanah, or head of the
year, placing Tishrei as the first month. However, in Exodus 12:2, YHVH sets the
month of Aviv (also known as Nisan) as the first of the year. Rosh haShanah is,
therefore, the beginning of the civil calendar, while the first of Aviv is the
beginning of the religious calendar. According to the ancient sages, Rosh
haShanah is the day on which Adam was created. Their conclusion is based on a
peculiarity in the text of Genesis chapter one. However interesting this may be,
this is not our primary focus. I believe we will find something much more
interesting than the first Adam.

Next comes the Day of Atonement. This feast has several other names or idioms
(A word or phrase that points to something else, .his face rings a bell. is an
example of an idiom.) that are used in Scripture. Some of these are: Face to
Face, The Day (That Day, the Great Day), The Fast, and The Great Shofar
(trumpet). The significance of these titles will become more clear as we
proceed. It is interesting to note that Yom Kippur comes at the end of a
forty-day season called .Teshuvah,. which means repentance, or returning. This
day is the day in which the whole of the nation of Israel would fast, and pray.
It is also on this day that the High Priest would offer sacrifices, repent for
the sins of the entire nation, and enter the Holy of Holies. This feast also
provides the theme of the scapegoat, the .azazel..

As we have seen from previous studies, the celebrations in Leviticus 23 are
listed as God's feasts, His "mo'edim," or set times. These convocations are
"miqra' qodesh" or holy assemblies, or even holy rehearsals. (We explained these
terms in the Passover study, earlier this year. You may wish to review that
study before continuing on in this study.) Yom Teruah is counted among these set
times, and is one of these holy assemblies. As we uncover the meaning of this
holy day, we will become aware of the great significance of this feast to every
person who calls on the Name of Yeshua as Messiah.

It is the belief of this author and the testimony of Scripture that these
"mo'edim," or set times, are God's standing appointments with man throughout
time. It is on these appointed times that specific events have, and will take
place. It is no coincidence that Messiah's death was on Passover, or that the
outpouring of the Ruach haChodesh (Holy Spirit) was on Shavuot (Pentecost), for
a couple examples. Yom Teruah and Yom Kippur are no exception. So, let's find
out what theses feasts have and yet will bring.

The Feast of Trumpets

Leviticus 23:23-24 23 And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, 24
Speak unto the children of Israel, saying, In the seventh month, in the first
day of the month, shall ye have a sabbath, a memorial of blowing of trumpets,
an holy convocation.

The Feast of Trumpets is the first of the Fall feasts, and therefore
re-introduces believers to the seasonal festivals after a long dry spell, so to
speak. It is no wonder that this feast has a theme of repentance. It is amazing
to me that we as believers in the Creator of the universe can become apathetic
and lazy in our faith if we do not have reminders of whom we serve. This Feast
serves as that reminder to us as we enter the Fall of the year, and more
importantly, as we approach the Day of Atonement. Yom Teruah, the Day of the
Awakening Blast, is simply that: a day in which the sound of the shofar
(trumpet) awakens those who sleep. In deed, the Ancient Hebrews knew this day as
.the last trump.. (The first trump being the day of Pentecost/ Shavuot.)

This theme of repentance is actually initiated the month prior to Yom Teruah,
on Elul 1. This is the season of Teshuvah, which means repentance or returning.
In fact, this is the true definition of the word repent, it is to turn away from
what you were doing and return to what is right. God asks us to turn away from
evil, and return to Him. Teshuvah is forty days long, from the first of Elul to
Yom Kippur. The first thirty days fall before Yom Teruah, then the following ten
days, called the Days of Awe, lead up to Yom Kippur. It is during this forty
days that the nation repented of their misdeeds, sought forgiveness and did good
deeds.

Yom Teruah, or Rosh haShanah is believed by many scholars to be the day in
which the believers in Messiah will be .raptured.. This is supported in 1
Corinthians, among other places:

1 Corinthians 15:52 In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at
the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised
incorruptible, and we shall be changed.

But, did not Messiah say that no man knew the day or the hour? In this, we
find yet another idiom that points to the Feast of Trumpets. This feast is the
only of the Leviticus 23 feasts that falls on the first day of the month.
Remembering what we have discussed about the Biblical reckoning of months, we
know that the month is determined by the cycles of the moon. The new moon, or
the first sliver of the moon is the first day of the month. In the days of the
Temple, there were two witnesses required to declare the beginning of the new
month. These two witnesses would come to the leaders of the people and report
the sighting of the new moon, and then would the new month be proclaimed. The
cycles of the moon are not regular in that they are not exactly 30 days, or 28
days. These cycles vary because the concealment of the moon can last from one
and a half to three and a half days. This makes the day of the new month
unpredictable. It is by the mouth of two witnesses that the new month is
established. Being that this feast is on the first day of the month, it is
impossible for any man to know the day or the hour. However, Paul tells us that
we can know the seasons, or more appropriately, the appointed times (mo'edim).
How can we know the appointed times? By not being in the darkness, but by being
in the light: the light of the Word. It is in the Word that we walk without
stumbling.

1 Thessalonians 5:1-2, 4 1 But of the times and the seasons
[mo'edim], brethren, ye have no need that I write unto you. 2 For yourselves
know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night. 4
But ye, brethren, are not in darkness, that that day should overtake you as a
thief.

Psalm 119:105 105 Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light
unto my path.

Yom Kippur

Leviticus 23:27-28 27 Also on the tenth day of this seventh
month there shall be a day of atonement: it shall be an holy convocation unto
you; and ye shall afflict your souls, and offer an offering made by fire unto
the LORD. 28 And ye shall do no work in that same day: for it is a day of
atonement, to make an atonement for you before the LORD your
God.

The Day of Atonement is the one day of the year that the High Priest would
enter the Holy of Holies, to present the blood of the sacrifice upon the Mercy
Seat of the Ark of the Covenant. It is understood that the Ark was where God
made His presence to dwell. It is during this feast that the atoning sacrifices
were made. The High Priest would repent for the sins of himself and the tribe of
Levi, and then for the sins of the whole of the nation. Included in the services
for this feast is the scapegoat. This goat is called "azazel". It is upon this
goat that the sins of the nation were laid. Another goat is sacrificed to
provide the blood that is sprinkled.

Being that no man could enter the Holy of Holies and live, this time in which
the High Priest did just that is of great importance. It is from this event that
one of the terms for this feast comes from, Face to Face. When the High Priest
enters the Holy of Holies, he is in the presence of God, as if he were "face to
face" with the All Mighty.

Yom Kippur is also called "The Day". Being that this day is the end of the
season of Teshuvah (repentance), it is the most solemn of days in the entire
year. It is understood by the ancient sages that this day is when the fate of
each man, and the nation as a whole was sealed. If, by this day, you had not
repented and sought forgiveness for your sins, then you were too late. Fasting
is a part of the commandment for this feast, "and ye shall afflict your souls".
Afflicting your souls is interpreted as fasting. Because of the seriousness of
this day, it was called "The Day", or "The Great Day".

Among the other names for this day, similar to Pentecost and the Feast of
Trumpets, is a term, "the Great Trump". There are, in Biblical times, three
trumpets associated with specific days of the years. As we mentioned earlier,
Pentecost is the "First Trump", the Feast of Trumpets is the "Last Trump", and
next, the Day of Atonement is the "Great Trump".

It is this feast, Yom Kippur, that scholars believe that Messiah will return,
setting His feet on the Mount of Olives. We find this in Yeshua's own words:

Matthew 24:30-31 30 And then shall appear the sign of the Son
of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they
shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great
glory. 31 And he shall send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and
they shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from one end of
heaven to the other.

Zechariah 14:4a 4 And his feet shall stand in that day upon the
mount of Olives, which is before Jerusalem on the east...

Conclusions

Though this was an extremely brief study on these two feasts, I think that it
is clear that these feasts hold much that modern believers should be aware of.
Is it not the gathering of the Saints and the return of Messiah that we long
for?

For centuries, it has been acknowledged that the Spring Feasts have been
fulfilled, just as they are laid out in Leviticus, by Messiah, Yeshua. These
Spring Feasts, or appointed times, came quickly. His death on Passover, His
burial just before Unleavened Bread, resurrection on First Fruits, and the
promise of the Holy Spirit on Pentecost. All these feasts were, in one season,
fulfilled by Yeshua.

It remains to be seen how the Fall Feasts will play out. However, keep in
mind that these feasts have their fulfillment in the future. God still has some
appointments with His children, and He never cancels appointments.

As I just mentioned, the Spring Feasts were quickly played out. It is my
opinion, and that of wiser men than I, that the Fall Feasts will play out in
just the same fashion; that of one season. Remembering that Yeshua fulfilled all
the Spring Feasts in one season, is it not logical that the Fall Feasts will
also be fulfilled in one season? This might hang a "pre-tribulational rapture"
out to dry. If, indeed, the regathering of the Saints is on the Feast of
Trumpets, and ten days later, on the Feast of Yom Kippur, Yeshua returns to the
Mount of Olives, there is no space for a seven year tribulation.

Besides, where do we get the idea of a "pre-trib rapture"? I believe this
idea springs from the mind of men. God delivers His people through tribulation,
not from it. But, it is by trusting His Word that we are delivered. Just as
Moses lead the children of Israel from the Passover, to Sinai, through the
wilderness, and THEN to the Promised Land, our journey will much resemble
theirs. We meet the Passover Lamb, receive the Word of God and are tested to see
if we really do trust Him. Those who do believe His Word, He will protect
through the wilderness. Those who don't trust His Word, will die in the
wilderness. There is a resurrection for those who met the Lamb, but greater is
the reward for those who trust, and thereby live to walk into the Promised Land!
Perhaps this is what Paul meant when he said that those who do "those things"
will LIVE by them. Grace is separate from obedience.

Romans 10:5 5 For Moses describeth the righteousness which is
of the law, That the man which doeth those things shall live by them.

When Messiah does return, will He find us being obedient? Will we have His
Word in our minds and our hearts, or simply in a book on a dusty shelf? Does His
Word teach us and shape us, or do we shape His Word to our whim?

During this season of Teshuvah, the season of repentance and returning, may
we all return to our first love, and cling to Him and let His Word be our very
life!