What are the High Holidays or Fall Feasts?
The Fall Feasts are a unique season that changes the rhythm of life in all of Israel for almost a month. There is nothing like it. And just as you do not enter a competition without training, you do not enter the new year without proper preparation.The month of Tishrei is considered the holiest month of the Hebrew calendar. It contains several significant holidays, which can teach you a lot about the culture and people of Israel. Jesus celebrated these holidays, after all! But most importantly, they speak of the God of Israel.
The days preceding and during the Moedim (the Appointed Times) are a time to settle accounts from the previous year. This is a time of repentance, necessary for spiritual renewal. And as a sign of restoration, we wear white.
A Blank Slate at the High Holidays
The High Holidays, which include Rosh Hashanah (the Jewish New Year), ten Days of Awe, and Yom Kippur (Day of Atonement), are the season in Jewish life when everyone should seek God’s forgiveness and His favor. This practice is not as strictly Jewish as one may think, as it is Biblical.
God instructs Israel and all who join His people to seek His face and pursue righteousness at the appointed times (Leviticus 23:1-2:25). Rosh Hashanah was a solemn day with trumpet blasts reminding people to reflect on their lives and repent. This is the time to come before God, but also to make things right with one’s neighbor.
The true centerpiece of the High Holidays is the shofar — the ceremonial ram’s horn. Traditionally, the Jewish people are commanded to hear the sound of the shofar in this season, which is our reminder to repent and seek forgiveness. In the last days, this sound will announce the return of our King, Jesus the Messiah (1 Thessalonians 3:16).
Fall Feasts – Time of Healing
Today, Rosh Hashanah is probably a little less formal than it was in the Biblical days, but Yom Kippur has not lost any of its fervency.
We may consider Rosh Hashanah to be a festive day, when families come together for a colorful and abundant meal. Every dish is symbolic of God’s blessings. But the sweet tradition of dipping apples in honey leads to the Days of Awe.
These ten days are indisputably linked to penitence, but they can also be seen as a time of healing. Repentance strips us of our pride before God, who knows our hearts and minds.
Additionally, these days give us an opportunity to sincerely confess and seek forgiveness for our wrongdoing from those around us. This commandment can bring healing into our families and our communities.
On Yom Kippur – the Day of Atonement – Jewish people in Israel flock to the Western Wall dressed all in white, holding on to the promise from the Book of Isaiah:
“Come now, let us settle the matter,” says the LORD. “Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red as crimson, they shall be like wool.” Isaiah 1:18
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High Holidays Turn to Celebration
The Day of Atonement reminds us what a gift we have in Jesus, who became the ultimate atonement for our sins. The Bible indeed instructs us to repent, however the atonement has already been made once and for all, through Jesus’ blood. Yom Kippur is then a sign to us as well – of the freedom that we find in our Messiah.
Although Yom Kippur marks the end of the Jewish High Holidays, it is not the end of Moedim – the Appointed Times. At sundown of the Day of Atonement, one can break the fast (from all food and drink) which was commanded on that day. With the sunset we are set free to go straight into celebration!
As soon as the sun sets after Yom Kippur, every garden, patio and balcony turns into a construction site. With palm branches, bamboo sticks and decorations galore, one by one the sukkot (booths) appear. The streets get illuminated with colorful lights coming from each ‘temporary dwelling’.
Leaving the Safety of One’s Home
The joyous Feast of Tabernacles is a pilgrimage holiday, when many Jewish people ascend to Jerusalem.
Regardless where they are though, the Scriptures command them to stay in temporary dwellings for a week, to remember the Hebrews’ journey through the desert. By doing so, they recognize that life on earth is also temporary and our eternal home is with God.
On Sukkot, we leave our material riches behind to grasp how truly equal we are in our dependency on God’s goodness. Every blessing in life comes from the Father, and our true home is in Heaven. This powerful truth is valid all year around. Whether we have a lot or very little, we are all sojourners and God is watching over us.
The Jewish people eat all their meals in the booths, some even choose to sleep in them. All that to truly appreciate what is most important in life – that all we need in life is God and each other.
Did you know God talked about a holiday that someday ALL nations would celebrate together?
On Sukkot, we leave our material riches behind to grasp how truly equal we are in our dependency on God’s goodness. Every blessing in life comes from the Father, and our true home is in Heaven. This powerful truth is valid all year around. Whether we have a lot or very little, we are all sojourners and God is watching over us.
The Jewish people eat all their meals in the booths, some even choose to sleep in them. All that to truly appreciate what is most important in life – that all we need in life is God and each other.
Did you know God talked about a holiday that someday ALL nations would celebrate together?
What we can learn from the Jewish Fall Feasts?
Preparing for the Fall Holidays, therefore, means more renouncing than acquiring. The idea is not to make more or be more, but instead it is about “less”. We leave behind our sins, our possessions and our own ideas of security. And we abandon more than our sinful nature. It is time to forsake our own solutions, our defenses and our scenarios.
The Feast of Trumpets is a prophetic holiday pointing our attention to the last trumpet blast foretold in the Book of Revelation. The Day of Atonement speaks clearly of Judgement Day. The Feast of Tabernacles is linked to Messiah’s coming to Earth, many believe both the first and the second.
We may feel pretty confident that Jesus will return during this special season. But if we are honest, the Bible asks us to be vigilant at all times. It would be foolish of us to focus on His promises only once a year!
Celebrate Every Day
On High Holidays we wear white, because yes, God purifies us. But also because there is nothing we can possibly do to impress Him. We come before Him like a blank slate. Stripped of all our accomplishments and earthly titles, we start the New Year fresh.
During the Fall Feasts we welcome God’s plans and we look to Him for guidance. May that reverence and thanksgiving accompany us daily! The Fall Holidays are not just an opportunity to decorate our homes and cook delectable meals. They were established by God to remind us of His eternal plan and His endless goodness.
We don’t have to put our celebratory spirit into “storage”, until the next holiday. Every day we have a reason to celebrate, because the Messiah atoned for our sins, gave us Salvation, and promised a place in the Father’s home.
High Holidays Bible Reading Plan – Free PDF Download
Explore the feasts of the Lord with us to see God’s heart for His people!
The High Holidays Bible Reading Plan will guide you through the upcoming holy days with the Word of God.
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