Sukkot

How Do the Biblical Feast Days Point to Jesus?

Written by Holy Branches on January 14, 2025. Posted in Hanukkah, Passover, Rosh Hashanah, Sabbath, Shavuot, Sukkot, Yom Kippur. 5 Comments on How Do the Biblical Feast Days Point to Jesus?

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You may have heard many Christians started observing the Biblical Feast Days. You may even have heard them claim these seven Feast Days point to Jesus as our Messiah. Since the connection between the commands to observe these days in Leviticus and our faith in Jesus as our Savior can be confusing, here’s an overview of these important days and how each relates to Jesus and, thus, to our faith.

I must add that salvation is not found in keeping the Feast Days or God’s commands. Salvation through works is a significant misconception about the Hebrew Roots Movement and the source of many people’s objection to Christians keeping The Holy Days or following the commands of the Torah. Salvation is found in Jesus alone and is based on the grace we’ve been given through Jesus’s sacrifice, not on our adherence to God’s laws (Eph. 2:8-9 and Titus 3:5). We follow His laws only out of love and respect for God and His commands and because His grace has saved us, not because the obedience itself will save us. On the other hand, although the laws don’t save us, we shouldn’t blatantly disregard the way God wants us to live. We should instead delight in His perfect laws (Psalm 1:2, 19:7, and 40:8)!

This article is a basic overview; the verses I give for each refer only to the command. All these observances are mentioned elsewhere in the Bible as well. Click on the day’s name for a more in-depth explanation of how it relates to the Christian faith and can be celebrated in a Christian home.

Celebrating Jesus in the Biblical Feasts Expanded Edition: Discovering Their Significance to You as a Christian

The Sabbath (Lev. 23:3 and Ex. 20:8-11)

Known as “Shabbat” in Hebrew, this Feast Day occurs weekly. The Sabbath is a day to rest and to keep holy – that is, to focus on our God and Savior.

Jesus said that he is “Lord of the Sabbath” (Matt. 12:8 and Mark 2:28). In addition to revealing his divine nature in this verse, having been there at the creation of the universe, Jesus took part in the creation of the Sabbath when God first declared it (John 1:1-5, Gen. 1:26 and 2:3).

Jesus is our “Sabbath rest” (Hebrews 4). As believers, we can rest in our salvation and observe the Sabbath just as God did. We should strive to align our behavior with what God desires of us despite and because of our salvation. However, we can rest in the mercy and grace we’ve been given and approach God with no shame after repenting and turning from our sin.

Passover (Lev. 23:5 and Exodus 12)

“Pesach” in Hebrew, this Feast is a remembrance of the Passover and the resultant exodus from slavery in Egypt. During the Passover, the blood of the Passover Lamb on the doorposts of the Hebrew people saved them from the final plague of the death of the firstborn.

John the Baptist prophetically calls Jesus “the Lamb of God that takes away the sin of the world” (John 1:29). After Jesus’s crucifixion and resurrection, Paul refers to him as “our Passover” (1 Cor. 5:7). What these two men realized is that the sacrifice of the Passover Lamb that saved the Hebrew people foreshadowed the sacrifice Jesus made that saves us today!

Jesus also tells us he’ll celebrate The Passover with us again someday (Mark 14:24-25 and Luke 22:15-16). Wow! What an exciting Feast to look forward to!

Unleavened Bread (Lev. 23:6-8 and Exodus 12:15-20)

Also called “Chag HaMatzot,” this week-long Feast occurs during the week of Passover. It’s generally a time to remember the Passover further. Being in a hurry to leave Egypt when Pharaoh finally allowed them to, they didn’t have time to leaven their dough and had to cook and eat unleavened bread.

The command for this Feast is to remove all leaven (also called “chametz”) from one’s household and to eat none for seven days. “Leaven” or yeast is a biblical reference to sin or corruption. When something is described as “unleavened,” it’s pure or uncorrupted.

For example, when yeast is placed in bread, it spreads until it is in the entire batch. Think about people you know who have let a minor sin enter their lives; likewise, it spreads and spreads and sometimes ends up ruining lives. Think about a married man who friends an old girlfriend on social media and what damage this tiny action can lead to.

Jesus, our “bread of life,” was able to be the only atoning sacrifice for our sin because he was “unleavened” or uncorrupted by sin. Having adhered to the entire law (Torah), his perfection made his crucifixion the one-time blood sacrifice that could cover the sins of all mankind forever.

In 1 Cor. 5:6-7, Paul explains that a bit of leaven leavens the whole lump. Even if we lead perfect lives, we cannot achieve perfection, causing us not to be able to experience true communion with God. Having to clean out all the leaven in every nook and cranny of our homes reminds us that even the tiniest bits of sin left in the nooks and crannies of our hearts must be dealt with. If not, they will indeed “leaven the whole lump” and spread throughout our lives and those around us.

How blessed are we? Jesus has dealt with each crumb of leaven in our hearts so that we can approach God pure and “unleavened” as well!

First Fruits (Lev. 23:9-14)

Called “Yom Bikkurim” (the Day of First Fruits) or “Reshit Katzir” (beginning of the harvest) in Hebrew, this Feast Day is the dedication of the future harvest to God, which was demonstrated by waving a sheaf of green barley before God. It begins the 49-day countdown to The Feast of Weeks, the next Feast. The command also includes sacrificing a blemish-free male lamb as well. However, this part can only be done with the Temple.

Here’s another Feast Day that Paul sheds light on for us. In 1 Corinthians 15:20-28, he tells us that Jesus is the “first fruits” to both the dead and those “in Christ” when Jesus returns to Earth. Just as the First Fruits Feast offerings looked forward to the future harvest, so did Jesus’s resurrection. He came to save us and will raise the dead and rule the Earth when he returns! What a glorious day that will be!

Feast of Weeks (Lev. 23:15-21)

“Shavuot,” in Hebrew, means “weeks,” and is another name for this Feast. It’s more commonly known among Christians as Pentecost (which means “fifty”). It marks the 50th day after the original Passover, the day God gave His law (Torah) to His people on Mount Sinai. It’s called the Feast of Weeks because the counting was to be done in weeks. The command says to count seven Sabbaths (seven weeks) from the Day of First Fruits until this Feast.

Before his ascension into Heaven, 40 days after his resurrection, Jesus foretold what would happen on the day the apostles celebrated The Feast of Weeks. In the first chapter of Acts, Jesus tells them to stay in Jerusalem and wait for the promised Holy Spirit.

Sure enough, just as he said, the apostles were celebrating the Feast of Weeks ten days later, thanking God for giving His Word on Mount Sinai. During this celebration, they received the Word in their hearts just as was prophesied (Jer. 31:31-33 and Joel 2:28-29). While they thanked God for His Word, His Word entered their hearts as the Holy Spirit indwelt them.

Jesus said that he had to leave so that they could receive the Holy Spirit, and that’s precisely what happened. The Word was given on Mount Sinai, then lived among us, personified in Jesus, and then the Word was given to each believer personally through the Holy Spirit!

Feast of Trumpets (Lev. 23:23-25)

A Shofar or Ram’s horn. A type of “trumpet” discussed in the Bible.

Commonly called Rosh Hashanah due to its designation as the first day of the Jewish New Year, this day is called Yom Teruah in the Hebrew Bible. The command says it is a Sabbath, and trumpets (or shofars – rams’ horns) are to be blown, along with a sacrifice brought to the Temple. Biblically, it’s not the New Year but is a method of numbering and counting the years.

Generally, the creation of the universe is celebrated, and it marks the beginning of the “Ten Days of Awe,” which continues over the year’s remaining Feast Days. This ten-day period is a time of introspection where each person evaluates their life, repents for sin, and resolves to live more according to God’s will.

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We must first understand the “Teruah” to fully understand this Feast. More than just the noise of a trumpet blast, this was the same call made by the priests when the wall of Jericho fell. It’s the one used when King David returned the Ark of the Covenant to Jerusalem, and it will be the one heard on “the Day of The Lord” (Zeph. 1:16). This type of trumpet blast (or even shouting) is like a call to war or a celebration of a victory of God or His people.

The Feast of Trumpets is when we anticipate Jesus’s return to Earth. Jesus gives a chilling explanation of this day in Matthew 24. He says that after the sun, moon, and stars are darkened, and the powers of the heavens are shaken (woah…), the trumpet call will bring his elect from the Earth’s four corners. “His elect”? That’s us, Christian Brothers and Sisters! And so we remember to blow our trumpets yearly on The Day of Trumpets. And in the meantime, we wait… And listen for the trumpets…

And in the meantime, we wait… And listen for the trumpets…

As we think of a new year beginning and prepare our hearts for Yom Kippur, we can focus on repentance and re-aligning our lives with God’s will. An honest and prayerful examination of our lives can highlight the sin we must deal with and the changes we must make.

This process will naturally bring us to a state of thankfulness for our Savior. We can repent, turn from our sin, and know that his unselfish sacrifice on the cross covers it.

Day of Atonement (Lev. 23:26-32)

Also called Yom Kippur (the Day of Coverings), this was the only day of the year that the high priest could enter the Holy of Holies and make a sin sacrifice for God’s people. He was the only one who could stand between them and God to make atonement, and only on this day, according to specific procedures. Without the Temple to make these sacrifices today, the Jewish people see this as the day that God writes our names in the Book of Life or the Book of Death, depending on which we deserve.

As Christians, we see this day a bit differently, of course. While focusing on repentance, we can also celebrate and be grateful for the sacrifice that made atonement for our sin, Jesus. He is also our high priest (Heb. 4:14-15 and 8:1-6) and is therefore qualified to make atonement for our sins. Furthermore, if we profess Jesus as our Savior, we know that our names are already written in the Book of Life, so we can thank God for that!

Prophetically, we can also look forward to the day when Jesus returns as judge. Although one judgment was carried out when Jesus was crucified, there remains a Judgement Day for those who have rejected him. There are also a few places in the Bible (Matt. 12:36-37, 1 Cor. 3:13, and 2 Cor. 5:10) indicating that, as Christians, our actions will be judged as well (although not with gravity equal to those not in Christ). Because of this, we all must closely examine our actions and the fruit of our lives and further align with God’s will.

Feast of Tabernacles (Lev. 23:33-36, 39-43)

This Feast is also referred to as the Feast of Booths or Sukkot (“booths” or “tabernacles” in Hebrew). It’s traditionally a time to remember God’s provisions for His people and His dwelling or “tabernacling” with His people. The command includes living in a temporary dwelling for the week.

Celebrating Biblical Feasts: In Your Home or Church By Martha Zimmerman

Many Christians use this time of the year to celebrate the time Jesus spent tabernacling with us, from birth to resurrection. Sukkot is a time to celebrate God’s dwelling with His people. Jesus was precisely that! He is God and came to Earth as a man to walk with us!

We can also thank God for His provision and blessings during this time. Yes, He gives us more than we need in a material sense, but He also does in a spiritual sense. Being the sinful people we all are, we’re separated from God and in dire need of a way to Him that we can’t provide ourselves. Although we’re undeserving of it, God chose to give us a second chance. He sent Jesus so we could approach God even though we were unworthy. That’s the best blessing of all!

Many places in the Bible foretell a time when God will dwell with us again. The Feast of Tabernacles is when we can look forward to the Wedding Feast in Revelation. Jesus—the groom—will finally be united with us, his people—his bride—and there will be a great, joyful Wedding Feast! What an event to behold! I can’t wait, can you?!

All these Feasts point to Jesus in powerful yet unique ways. Bringing these traditions into your Christian faith will provide reminders of the part we all have in God’s Kingdom and of our eternal Savior and what he’s done in the past, what he’s doing right now, and what he will do in the future. Celebrate Jesus throughout the year—on the Feast Days and every day!

Holidays for Christians to Observe in Honor of Their Hebraic Roots

Written by Holy Branches on December 26, 2024. Posted in Hanukkah, Hebraic Roots, Passover, Purim, Rosh Hashanah, Shavuot, Sukkot, Traditions, Yom Kippur. 1 Comment on Holidays for Christians to Observe in Honor of Their Hebraic Roots

If you’re just here for the free printable calendar, get yours here!

The celebration of Passover has become more common among Christians in recent years. This celebration is so beneficial because Passover has many elements that point to our Messiah and highlight the greatness of our God and His love for us!

But did you know other holidays celebrate our God and Savior while honoring the Jewish history of our faith? Some of them are Biblical, and others are traditionally Jewish in our culture but also have implications for us as Gentile believers.

Adding these significant days to your family’s legacy can enrich and deepen your faith and help you pass it on to your children and others. It can even bring you and your family closer to God and Jesus as we learn more about them through observation of these meaningful times.

Here are some that are the most directly connected to the practice of our faith as Christians, especially as it relates to our Jewish roots.

Purim (פּוּרִים)

Purim is the celebration of God’s deliverance of the Jewish people through Queen Esther. A man named Haman was plotting their destruction, but Esther bravely approached the king and revealed her identity as a Jew to encourage him to save her people. He did and had Haman executed instead.

As Christians, we’re familiar with persecution and how God orchestrates historical events that affect His people. We can celebrate that Esther was in the place she was because God knew what the need for her to be there would be and made her an instrument for His plan.

Purim is a fun celebration. Both children and adults dress as characters from the story and act it out in dramatic fashion. It is held on the 14th day of Adar on the Hebrew calendar, corresponding to February or March on our Gregorian calendar.

Passover (פֶסַח- Pesach)

This celebration commemorates God’s rescuing the Israelites from slavery under the Egyptians. Its relevance to Christians is very basically two-fold. Firstly, since we are also God’s people, we have a part in this history, and secondly, we have been rescued from the slavery of our sin by the blood of Jesus.

Biblically, Passover is to be celebrated on the “fourteenth day of the first month.” On the Hebrew calendar, it starts on the fourteenth day of the month of Nisan, which corresponds with our Gregorian calendar, which is sometime in March or April.

Holocaust Remembrance Day (יוֹם הַשׁוֹאָה – Yom HaShoah)

This somber observance was established in 1953. It’s a national holiday in Israel to remember the Holocaust in Europe during World War II and the murder of over six million Jewish people, including children. This remembrance occurs on the 27th day of Nisan on the Hebrew calendar, during March or April.

Why should Gentile (non-Jew) Christians observe Holocaust Remembrance Day? Romans 1:16 tells us that salvation came first to the Jew and then to the Greek (Rom. 1:16). Christians are the Gentile believers that are “grafted in” to the promises to God’s people described in Romans 11.

Throughout the Old Testament, God clarifies that the Jewish people are His chosen people. He made a covenant with Abraham concerning their lineage throughout history and brought the Savior to the world through the Jewish line. God also says that He will never abandon the Jewish people.

If the Jewish people are this important to God and are the roots of the tree we’re grafted into; we must be concerned with their well-being in our day and throughout history. The tragedy that struck as the Holocaust brutally and senselessly extinguished the lives of so many people precious to God (Jews and others) must never be forgotten, and its horrors never repeated.

Pentecost and Shavuot (שָׁבוּעוֺת)

I combine these two celebrations because they’re similar in meaning and history. Before the Holy Spirit appeared as tongues of fire and inhabited the Apostles in Acts 2, this time was known as Shavuot or the Feast of Weeks.

It was commanded in Leviticus 23 and was a type of harvest festival that was to occur 50 days after the Passover. Also recognized on this date is the gift of God’s Laws being given to His people on Mt. Sinai. Shavuot is what the Apostles were celebrating when they were “gathered” when God’s Spirit was given to them.

They would have realized the significance of the gift of God’s Spirit being given specifically on this day during a celebration of the gift of God’s Word being given as well. Jesus also foretold it when he said they’d be baptized by the Spirit in Acts 1:4-5.

The command says it is to take place on the 6th and 7th of the month of Sivan. It is to be observed 50 days (or 7 Sabbaths and one day) after the Day of Firstfruits during the Feast of Unleavened Bread (when the Passover and Exodus from Egypt occurred).

Rosh Hashanah (רֹאשׁ הַשִּׁנִה)

This holiday is commonly known as the Jewish New Year and is called Yom Teruah in the Bible. It was designated the first day of the new year primarily for year-counting purposes, but it’s also one of the commanded Feasts in Leviticus 23. It was a two-day festival during which trumpets (shofars) were blown and sacrifices were performed.

Today, it marks the beginning of the High Holy Days in Autumn. It’s a time when people examine their lives, seek to rid them of their old, sinful ways, and make a change for the better. In this way, it’s a lot like the American New Year, but it’s also a type of Judgment Day or the beginning of a season of judgment for the Jewish people.

Christians can remember on Rosh Hashanah that we will be judged with Jesus as our substitute. We can also examine our lives and see whether we’re living in a way that expresses the joy of this salvation. The command to blow a trumpet on this day should cause us to look forward to the day when Jesus has returned and the dead are raised (1 Cor. 15:52).

The Feast of Trumpets occurs on the 1st and 2nd days of the month of Tishrei on the Hebrew calendar and in September or October on the Gregorian calendar.

Day of Atonement (יוֹם כִּיפּוּר – Yom Kippur)

This Holy Day is another of the commanded Feasts in Leviticus 23. It’s observed ten days after Rosh Hashanah and is a day of confession and repentance. Biblically, it was a day when sacrifices were offered for the people’s sins. As Christians, this is a day we can celebrate the mercy we have been given in having our sins fully atoned for by Jesus!

The date is the 10th of Tishrei, which occurs in September or October.

Feast of Tabernacles (סֻכּוֺת- Sukkot)

Another Holy Day from Leviticus 23, Sukkot, is a seven-day celebration, five days after the Day of Atonement. Also known as the Feast of Booths, it is a time when people leave the comfort of their homes and live in temporary shelters.

This celebration serves to appreciate God’s provision for us and to celebrate God being among His people on earth. Christians can be even more thankful at the time of Sukkot for Jesus, who, as God, came down to earth to be with us.

Eighth Day (שְׁמִינִי עֲצֶרֶת – Shimini Atzeret)

This day is the day just following the last day of Sukkot. It’s on the 22^nd day of Tishrei, which falls in September or October. It is the final commanded Feast in the List in Leviticus 23.

It’s a day to remain with God and rest in His provision, even after the previous seven have been focused on Him. This day is more spiritual and considered greater than the 7 of Sukkot. A formal prayer for rain is often said, and it’s said to be a time to store the memories of what God has provided in our hearts.

Simchat Torah (שִׂמְחַת תּוֺרָה)

This celebration is not in the Bible but is a great way to thank and praise God for giving us His Word! It’s held on the 22nd day of Tishrei and is also known as “rejoicing in the Torah.”

Jews and Christians enjoy the immense blessing through the words and commands God Gave us in the Torah (the first five books of the Bible) and the rest of His Word. Simchat Torah’s joyful celebration marks the end of the annual Torah reading cycle and the beginning of a new one. When celebrated in a synagogue, there is dancing and singing, and it’s a beautiful time of worship.

Hanukkah (הֲנֻכָּה)

Although not a commanded Holy Day, Jesus celebrates it in the Book of John. It commemorates the dedication of the rebuilt temple after the Babylonians destroyed Solomon’s temple.

The story of Hanukkah is miraculous. The Jewish people were vastly outnumbered as they decided to fight against the destruction of their people and culture and the blasphemy of God. God was with them as they fought, and they were victorious!

Celebrated from the 25th of Kislev to the 2nd or 3rd day of Tevet on the Hebrew calendar, Hanukkah falls in late November or December.

Christians can celebrate God’s power displayed in His people and the victory over persecution. We are also interested in this day as we can see Jesus having shown up in Jerusalem for its celebration, translated as the Feast of Dedication. At this time, Jesus said that his sheep would never perish and that no one could snatch them out of his or His Father’s hand.

Here’s a calendar of the dates of these important days. Print out the free PDF version to keep handy in planning for these days.

Having a Jewish calendar to see what holidays are approaching and plan for them is helpful. Many are out there, but I like the First Fruits of Zion calendar best!

I hope observing these holidays brings you joy, deepens your Christian faith, and provides yet another way to pass your faith on in your family’s legacy, as they have for my family. I’ll continue to post ways for Christian families to observe these meaningful days on the Hebrew Roots Mom website, so stay tuned!

Resolutions: The New Year and Beyond

Written by Holy Branches on December 26, 2024. Posted in Hanukkah, Passover, Rosh Hashanah, Sabbath, Shavuot, Sukkot, Traditions, Yom Kippur. No Comments on Resolutions: The New Year and Beyond

This time of year, it seems everyone’s thinking about resolutions – losing weight, quitting smoking, reading their bible more, etc. But we’ve also heard that statistics show these resolutions often don’t last long. People stick to them for the first few weeks or months of the New Year and then return to their previous ways.

But what if there was more than one New Year’s Eve? What if there were a few more times in the year marked for a reassessment of our lives and the making of resolutions with the overall goal of bettering ourselves? Just think of who we’d be and what we could accomplish if we routinely adjusted the direction of our lives.

A GPS navigation system recalculates our route if we get off track. If we take a wrong turn or go straight instead of turning left, the system recalculates the course, ensuring that we still reach our destination despite deferring from the path we should be on.

Fortunately, we can do the same with our lives! Though we may be dedicated to God and genuinely want to follow His plan, we all veer off the route He has for us. It takes repeated examination, re-dedication, and re-adjustment to stay where God wants us.

Enter the Holy Days

Recalculating the route is what I love about celebrating the Biblical Holy Days. That’s one purpose of them – introspection and examination of our lives, re-aligning them with God’s plan. Each of these set-aside times also points us back to Jesus! This re-alignment is done many times yearly, and celebrating these days helps my family and I continually recalculate the routes our lives are on. Here are some of those times.

The Sabbath

God commands us to “remember” the Sabbath and keep it holy. But what exactly are we to remember? Ezekiel chapter 20 (verses 12 and 20) tells us that the Sabbath is a sign that we belong to God. Keeping the Sabbath is our acknowledgment of the covenant God made with us.

Our activities on the Sabbath should then point us to Him and remind us of Him and His goodness. The Sabbath, combined with Bible study and attending services, should encourage us to look at our lives weekly and see where we need to make changes to adhere more closely to the will of God.

The Sabbath also provides a time to rest before the next busy week. It gives us time to plan the days ahead and make the necessary changes to help us be more effective weekly.

Passover

The themes of Passover will also encourage close examination of our lives. That we are no longer slaves to Egyptian captors or to sin causes us to recall all God has done for His people. We could never have obtained this freedom for ourselves. Just as the blood of the lamb freed the Hebrew people from Egypt, Jesus, our Passover Lamb, freed us from the sin that enslaved us.

Think of God’s faithfulness to all His people. In the most challenging times, God can free you from what afflicts you, often working a miracle in your life as he did throughout Exodus. Nothing is too hard for God, and there is no limit to how good your life can be when following Him.

Passover brings a question of identity to mind. Who are we? Or, instead – whose are we? The answer for Christians is that we belong to God. He is the one who rescued us and the one who provided a way to Him despite our sinfulness. As His people, we mature in our faith and begin to learn to look at ourselves through His eyes. While He loves, accepts, and forgives us with our flaws, our desire to obey Him grows as our love for Him does.

Unleavened Bread

The Feast of Unleavened Bread is seven days where leaven (yeast) is not only not eaten but also cleaned out of homes altogether. The Bible often uses leaven as a symbol of sin or wickedness. Cleaning leaven out of your home and diet for seven days is difficult! Think of all the crumbs in your pantry or even under your fridge!

The cleanout of leaven causes us to look closer at the sin in our lives. If we’re honest, it’s there on the surface but also in the dark pantry-type corners of our lives! We must constantly be on the lookout for the crumbs of sin in our lives and get rid of them before we end up with a filthy mess. We must also do the more unpleasant cleaning in the parts of our life we’d rather ignore – like that mess under the fridge. During this period, we should sincerely evaluate our lives and identify where sin has been festering, then work to make ourselves more pleasing to God.

Cleaning sin out of our lives should also awaken us to the grace we’ve received. Isn’t it amazing that God knows we aren’t capable of a flawless cleanout and has provided us with a perfectly leaven-free Savior – a gift so indescribably good it makes even a clean home seem like chopped liver!

First Fruits

First Fruits is a Spring festival that celebrates the fertility of the land as a blessing from God. Part of this new growth (a lamb without defect along with wine and bread) is given back to God as an offering and show of gratitude for His blessings. In the New Testament, 1 Corinthians 15:20-23 explains that Jesus is the first fruits.

Just like the Holy Day of First Fruits, which is to recognize ahead of time the blessings that God will give, Paul shows in Corinthians that Jesus’s resurrection assures us of the blessing we’ll receive in the harvest at the end of time. We look ahead to when we’ll commune with God, and Jesus will rule.

Looking forward to this time in the future should prompt us to be grateful and prepare ourselves as offerings. We need to do all we can to align our lives with what God wants of us and be continually and earnestly hunting for what that looks like.

Shavuot

This celebration commemorates the Law God gave to the Hebrew people on Mount Sinai. Also known as The Feast of Weeks or Pentecost, this is what the apostles were celebrating when the Holy Spirit was given in Acts 2. Shavuot is a reminder that God gave us His Law as a blessing and that the Holy Spirit is the Law written on our hearts that was prophesied by Jeremiah (31:33).

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But do we see God’s Laws as a blessing? Or do we compromise, justify our disobedience, and declare that certain ancient Laws don’t apply to us? Shavuot is a time to thank God for His Law and to delight in it as the Psalmist does in chapter 1, verse 2. It’s a time to take a close look at our actions and see whether there’s truth in saying that we aim to obey them and delight in them. We should reflect on how God’s Law has improved our lives and its blessing for all his people. How can we better please God by following his commands?

Shavuot is also when we thank God for the gift of His Spirit. Having the Holy Spirit dwelling in us serves many functions, confirmation of our salvation being just one of many. He’s also our guide and convicts us when we need to change the course of our lives. As we celebrate the gift of the Holy Spirit, we pay special attention to whether we’re listening to this conviction and guidance and adjust our hearts, minds, and actions accordingly.

Yom Teruah

Also known as Rosh Hashanah, this Feast gives many reasons for introspection and re-calculation of the routes of our lives. Celebrating our names being written in the Book of Life, remembering the story of Abraham almost sacrificing Isaac (Gen. 22), casting off sin, and calling attention to trumpet blasts are all themes of this celebration.

These themes should make us want to audit our behavior and encourage us to make adjustments. The Bible says the names of the righteous are written in the Book of Life. Sin in all our lives prevents us from being wholly righteous, which is why we can celebrate the gift we have in Jesus, who stands in our place just as God provided a ram to stand in Isaac’s place.

But just because we have Jesus as our substitute does not mean we don’t try our best to obey. It’s not to earn our salvation that we obey but out of love for God. Focusing on repentance provokes change. I always tell my children when they say apologize that sorry people change. If they’re genuinely sorry, I’ll see it in their actions, not just their words. It’s the same with us and God. Being genuinely sorry will change us noticeably.

We also focus on trumpet blasts at this time. The original command for this celebration includes the blowing of trumpets. This trumpet blowing is not just for musical enjoyment or celebratory noise. This type of trumpet blowing, using a ram’s horn or shofar, is Biblically an indication that God’s about to do something big! Other times trumpet blasts of this type are used is when the wall of Jericho was brought down or when Jesus returns (Joshua 6:20 and 1 Thess. 4:16-17, respectively)!

We often forget the supernatural aspects of God, and the trumpet blasts remind us that the miraculous events in the bible are REAL and not just stories. If we believe that, we should look forward to Jesus’s return and listen for the accompanying trumpet blasts, for real! If this doesn’t motivate us to ponder our lives and make necessary adjustments, I don’t know what will!

Yom Kippur

Yom Kippur is also known as the Day of Atonement because it’s on this day that confession of and atonement for sin is to be made. This atonement is as a people, not necessarily an individual level. We’re apologizing for the things we’ve done to turn away from God as His people, not just for the individual disobedience in our own lives.

There are two things a Christian can focus on during Yom Kippur. The first is the honest and humble confession of sin. Yes, we can do this on any day of the year, but this day, set aside for confession, reminds us to do so when we may otherwise forget. Some pray and fast on Yom Kippur because it’s a time when we’re genuinely sorry and commit to change.

The other focus is that Jesus has eternally atoned for our sins! While we’re repentant, we’re also grateful for the undeserved grace we’ve been given. Even if we were to maintain a “good” life, we cannot earn our salvation and deserve condemnation. But that’s not our destiny if we’ve received Jesus as our Savior, and that’s something we should be humbly grateful for.

If we take even a glance at our lives, we’ll see that God has richly blessed us. This day is to celebrate what God has given us – food, shelter, and everything we need. He not only meets our needs; He goes above and beyond to provide for His people. In our culture, we often take these things for granted, and his graciousness is difficult to see, but Sukkot encourages us to see it for what it is – lavish blessings on His people!

He not only meets our physical needs but, more importantly, our spiritual needs. Among all other provisions, He’s also provided Jesus as a way for our sin debt to be paid. A theme of Sukkot is that God tabernacled with His people in the desert. He didn’t just observe them from Heaven; he was with them on their travels, guiding them. This guidance is the same thing Jesus does for us! He came from Heaven to Earth to live among us and become the provision for our sin.

Sukkot prompts us to look around again and see what God has done. He’s met and continues to meet our needs, especially the most desperate – the need for a Savior. Acknowledging this should alter the way we live. If we’re grateful, we will grumble and complain less about what we don’t have. We’ll show our gratitude for forgiveness by extending it to others, as well as repenting for sin and striving to live obedient lives.

Hanukkah

While not one of the seven appointed times in the book of Leviticus, Hanukkah is also an excellent time for resolutions. This celebration is all about re-dedication – both of God’s Temple and ourselves. Hanukkah celebrates the amazing things God has done for His people and our re-dedication to Him of what was His in the first place.

Hanukkah is a time to consider what or who we stand for. Having to state what we stand for seems optional when we live in a time and place that’s one of comfort and little persecution. But Christians everywhere don’t enjoy this type of comfort now, and we probably won’t experience it forever, either. Even our daily actions will show what we stand for, though. An honest review of our lives will show who we serve and where we need to get back on track.

So, go ahead and make that resolution for the New Year. But revisit it soon! If you don’t already celebrate the Biblical Holy Days, getting started is easier than you think! Visit the pages linked above to read more about each Holy Day on this website. Happy New Year!

How to Celebrate a Christian Sukkot with Your Children

Written by Holy Branches on October 17, 2024. Posted in Sukkot. 2 Comments on How to Celebrate a Christian Sukkot with Your Children

As many families decide to observe the Biblical Holy Days in order to embrace the Hebrew roots of our faith, we look for ways to include our children so we can pass our faith on through them.

It seems that God had the kids in mind when He gave His people the commands for the Holy Days. Their multi-sensory celebrations serve as tangible reminders of what God has done in the past and will do in the future! Sukkot is a rich time for kids as we build and hang out in an outdoor enclosure – something children love to do any day!

What We Celebrate

Sukkot is a time to:

Thank God for His provisions – both material and spiritual.
Celebrate God “tabernacling” (dwelling) with His people.
Exercise our ability to bless others out of what God provides for us.
Remember the Israelites living in the desert after God rescued them from Egypt.

For a background on Sukkot in our faith as Christians, check out An Attitude of Gratitude: Sukkot for Christians.

Crafts for Sukkot

Crafts not only provide kids with a hands-on learning experience, and they also make lovely decorations for your sukkah! Here are some creative ways to get all ages involved.

Build a Mini Sukkah

Building an edible sukkah may be my kids’ favorite Sukkot activity. They talk about it all year! We use the instructions at the link above as a base, then get pretty crazy, adding candy, cilantro for the roof, you name it. We even molded furniture out of Starbursts one year!

Decorate Gourds

This idea from PJ Library uses the unique types of decorative gourds plentiful this time of year. Your kids could use googly eyes, paint, yarn, or whatever else you have around the house. The possibilities are endless!

Paper Chains

This one from the Chabad’s Kids’ Page is a classic but still ends up being one of our favorites! Combine them with these Sukkah Decoration Cut-outs for a great addition to your sukkah!

And while you’re cutting lots of paper strips for those chains, you may as well make some of these adorable Paper Strip Fruits out of them too!

Chinese Lanterns

We enjoy having these decorate our sukkah as well. This site has very simple instructions.

Fruit Balloons

These would be fun sukkah decorations! You could make them into a garland or hang them around your sukkah for a colorful touch. You could also follow these simple instructions from ReformJudaism.org for Free-Form Foil Fruit!

Citron Sun Catchers

A citron is a citrus fruit used during Sukkot, as mentioned in Leviticus 23:40 and Nehemiah 8:14-15. In Hebrew, it’s called an Etrog (אֶתְרוֹג, pronounced “eht-rōg”).

Books for Sukkot

There are great books for kids about Sukkot, but don’t forget to teach them from the Bible! Here are some verses about Sukkot to read together:

Exodus 34:22
Leviticus 23:34-44
Deuteronomy 16:13-17
1 Kings 8:2
2 Chronicles 8:13 and 31:3
Ezra 3:4
Nehemiah 8:13-18
Zechariah 14:16-19
John 1:14-18 and 7:2, 37-38
Revelation 7:9-10

Sammy Spider’s First Sukkot

Sammy is the star in many cute books as he learns about Jewish traditions and holidays. In this one, he learns about Sukkot from the roof of the Shapiro family’s sukkah.

Tikvah Means Hope

This heartwarming story is one of hope being found (both literally and figuratively!) in the devastating fire in Oakland, California, in 1991.

Educational Resources for Sukkot

Sukkot Movie

This movie is super cute and educational. Made by Bim Bam using Legos, it’s under 5 minutes, fitting for those short attention spans!

Bible Pathway Adventures Activity Book – The Fall Feasts

My children use many of the Bible Pathway Adventures Activity Books. They contain activities for a range of ages (6-12 years is stated, but some activities are suitable for younger ones as well).

YMTOI Parsha Pearls – Sukkot Edition

I’ve used Parsha Pearls for my kids to study the weekly Torah Portions; they’re a great resource! Their Feast Day editions are similar, with both fun and educational activities. Here’s a video of one of their Sukkot crafts, the Sukkah Hand Puppet.

Kid-friendly Sukkot Foods

Stuffed Peppers

Divina Dolmas Stuffed Grape Leaves, 7 Oz

Stuffed foods are popular at Sukkot as we’re blessed with a “stuffed” sukkah!

Stuffed Grape Leaves (Dolmas)

You can buy these at your local grocery store or make your own.

Tzimmes

Usually served on Rosh Hashanah, Tzimmes is a sweet dish, perfect for the fall season.

Challah Bread

No holiday meal is complete without challah bread. And children LOVE to help make it! For a fall twist, try this Pumpkin Challah recipe from Tori Avey. from Tori Avey.

Cheese Danish

Delicious for breakfast, dessert, or in between, this is one of my favorites. It’s easy enough to make that the kids can help, or older ones could even make it themselves!

Gyros

Gyros are another of my family’s favorites! Stuff the ingredients into pita bread and top with Tzatziki sauce (recipe included in the Gyro link above).

Whatever you choose to celebrate Sukkot with your children, don’t do what I sometimes do – get wrapped up in the activities and neglect the purpose! The celebration of Sukkot should introduce our children to a God who provides. As He provided for the Hebrew people in the desert, He provides for us, and He provided a Savior so we can be near to God despite our sin! What a beautiful reason to celebrate! Chag Sameach!

An Attitude of Gratitude: Sukkot for Christians

Written by Holy Branches on October 17, 2024. Posted in Sukkot, Traditions. 10 Comments on An Attitude of Gratitude: Sukkot for Christians

In a festival similar to Thanksgiving, the Biblical feast of Sukkot (pronounced sue-COAT) gives us a chance to focus on our blessings from God and His desire to be with His people. Also called the Feast of Booths, Tabernacles, or Ingathering, it’s one of the seven commanded feasts in Leviticus 23. Sukkot was also when Jesus revealed himself as the source of Living Water for those who believed in him! Also, the events that occur when Jesus rides into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday are directly related to the festival of Sukkot. I promise, after understanding the festival of Sukkot, you will never look at Palm Sunday the same again.

The Command

In Leviticus 23, after the Israelites had been rescued from slavery in Egypt and as they began wandering in the desert, God specified 7 Holy Days His people were to keep annually. Along with Sukkot is Passover, The Feast of Unleavened Bread, First Fruits, Shavuot, Rosh Hashanah(Yom Teruah), and The Day of Atonement (Yom Kippur).

Again the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, “Speak to the sons of Israel, saying, ‘On the fifteenth of this seventh month is the Feast of Booths for seven days to the Lord. On the first day is a holy convocation; you shall do no laborious work of any kind. For seven days you shall present an offering by fire to the Lord. On the eighth day you shall have a holy convocation and present an offering by fire to the Lord; it is an assembly. You shall do no laborious work.
Lev. 23:33-36, (NASB)

‘On exactly the fifteenth day of the seventh month, when you have gathered in the crops of the land, you shall celebrate the feast of the Lord for seven days, with a rest on the first day and a rest on the eighth day. Now on the first day you shall take for yourselves the foliage of beautiful trees, palm branches and boughs of leafy trees and willows of the brook, and you shall rejoice before the Lord your God for seven days. You shall thus celebrate it as a feast to the Lord for seven days in the year. It shall be a perpetual statute throughout your generations; you shall celebrate it in the seventh month. You shall live in booths for seven days; all the native-born in Israel shall live in booths, so that your generations may know that I had the sons of Israel live in booths when I brought them out from the land of Egypt. I am the Lord your God.’”
Lev. 23:39-43, (NASB)

A Joyful Holy Day

Sukkot is the last feast listed in Leviticus 23. Just five days after the very somber Day of Atonement, Yom Kippur, it’s the most joyful of the biblical Holy Days. Part of its biblical command is that we’re supposed to “rejoice before the LORD .” Really though, with all He’s done for us, we should all welcome an excuse to be joyful before Him!

On the Biblical calendar, the 15th day of the month of Tishrei is when Sukkot starts, and it continues until Tishrei 22. On our Gregorian calendar, this is in September or October. Here’s a calendar of the dates of the Holy Days for reference.

Sukkot in the Old Testament

Sukkot is one of three festivals for which a pilgrimage to The Temple in Jerusalem was made, along with Passover and Shavuot.

Sukkot is called the Feast of Ingathering in Exodus 34:22. It occurs at the same time as the wheat harvest in Israel, so it’s the perfect timing for a harvest festival. The reason God gave for commanding the Israelites to celebrate Sukkot was for them to remember God’s provision and their dependence on Him.

“You shall live in booths for seven days; all the native-born in Israel shall live in booths, so that your generations may know that I had the sons of Israel live in booths when I brought them out from the land of Egypt. I am the Lord your God.”
Lev. 23:42-43, (NASB)

In 1st Kings, King Solomon had the priests bring the Ark of the Covenant into the Temple during the Feast of Sukkot. How appropriate it is that this Ark, which represented and housed the presence of God, was brought into His Temple, the place He was to dwell with His people, during Sukkot!

Ezra and Nehemiah recount a time when the Temple was restored, and so was Israel’s adherence to the commands of God. Both books discuss the people returning to the Feast of Sukkot because of the Temple’s restoration and their commitment to follow God’s command.

Sukkot in the New Testament

In Jesus’s time, two practices were performed annually at the Temple during Sukkot.

One was a water ceremony, in which the priest would lead everyone to the pool of Siloam, fill a golden pitcher, and pour it out as a type of sacrifice in the courtyard of the Temple. People would then wave their palm branches (lulavot – more on this below) and shout, “Save now, I pray, oh LORD; oh LORD, I pray, send now prosperity.”

Jesus was in Jerusalem on Sukkot, fulfilling the command to celebrate this feast there (John 7:2). To an audience very familiar with this ceremony, Jesus chose Sukkot to foretell the pouring out of the water – the Spirit – on those who follow him!

Now on the last day, the great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried out, saying, “If anyone is thirsty, let him come to Me and drink. He who believes in Me, as the Scripture said, ‘From his innermost being will flow rivers of living water.'”
John 7:37-38, (NASB)

In the other ceremony at the Temple during Sukkot, the people would wave the lulav (palm branch) and have a procession around the Temple, shouting “Hosannah” or “Please save us .” Sound familiar? We’ve all heard of when Jesus was on his way into Jerusalem before Passover during the week of his crucifixion, and the people did this. They waved palm branches because they recognized Jesus as the one who would save them. For over a thousand years, the Israelites had observed Sukkot and celebrated God’s provision when Jesus came along. Jesus’s entry into Jerusalem is recorded in 3 books – Matthew, Luke, and John. Although the people of Jerusalem knew Jesus was there to save them, they didn’t recognize that he would save them from the condemnation of their sin and that that was a more significant threat than the people in power around them who thought he was there to rescue them from.

Some propose that Jesus was born during Sukkot, which, if true, would mean he was conceived during Hanukkah. Though the bible doesn’t confirm this, it would enhance the concept that Jesus is God dwelling with us (John 1:14) since this is part of what we celebrate during Sukkot. It would also make sense that the Light of the World was conceived during Hanukkah, the festival commemorating the rededication of the Temple and the lighting of the Temple menorahs where God would dwell among His people.

Sukkot Today

Celebrated for seven days in Israel and eight outside, Sukkot is a harvest festival and a time to remember how God provided for the Israelites in the desert. God’s dwelling among His people is also celebrated during the week of Sukkot.

The procession mentioned above around the Temple is often replicated in Jewish congregations today. They wave the lulav and etrog (citron fruit) and shout, “Hosannah.” This practice is done at synagogues worldwide instead of a procession around the Temple in Jerusalem.

The Sukkah

The most common thing to do during Sukkot today is to build a Sukkah. The word “sukkah” is a Hebrew word meaning “booth” or “tabernacle.” It’s generally a small tent-like shelter with at least three sides and a roof made of plant material. It’s supposed to resemble the dwellings of the Israelites when they were living and wandering in the desert as newly free people of God. People often decorate their sukkah with artwork as well as the four species. And sukkah plural is… get ready for it… sukkot, which is where this appointed time got its name.

The command says that God’s people are to “live” in the sukkah during the week of Sukkot. Although some abandon their homes entirely during this time and live completely in a sukkah, most just have their meals there. Some people take the week of Sukkot to go camping, which is an excellent way to fulfill the commandment and re-live the lifestyle of the Israelite desert-dwellers.

A sukkah also reminds us that God chose to dwell – or tabernacle – with His people. We often read about it but seldom stop to let that sink in. The God that created the universe and is Himself the Holiest being that ever existed chose to dwell on earth with His people – physically and through Jesus’s life on earth! If that doesn’t give you chills, sit and think about it for a while. It’s incredible that He would choose to do this and that it actually occurred. What an awesome God we have!

The 4 Species

As mentioned in Leviticus 23:40 as well as Nehemiah 8:14-15, there are four species associated with Sukkot. The first is the lulav (plural is lulavot), a palm branch. The second, the etrog, is a lemon-like fruit also called a citron. The third is the aravot, a willow branch, and the last is Hadassah or myrtle. These four species represent Israel’s unity and the land’s harvest and fertility.

During Sukkot, these are waved or shaken in all six directions (North, South, East, West, up, and down), signifying that God is everywhere. A blessing accompanies this custom, thanking God for the harvest, and praises are also sung.

In the Future Kingdom of God

Many places in the bible tell us that there will be a day when God will physically dwell with us again. Ezekiel prophesies that God will dwell in His eternal sanctuary with us and make a covenant of peace with us.

Revelation 7:9-10 will give you goosebumps. It predicts a time when God’s people will stand before His throne, our lulavs in our hands, and worship him together. Wow! What a fantastic picture of the future we’re given!

The Eighth Day

Also known as Shemini Atzeret, this is the last of the commanded feasts in Leviticus 23. It’s celebrated the day after the last day of Sukkot, and this day is considered more spiritual than the previous seven days.

Traditions on the Eighth Day differ. The sukkah may or may not be used, and the four species are not waved. Different blessings are used on this day than the others commonly said during Sukkot.

A Christian Sukkot

Would you like to celebrate Sukkot? There are many traditions a Christian can keep that bring the concepts of Sukkot to the forefront. The basic commands are: gather the four species (Lev. 23:40), rejoice before the LORD (Lev. 23:40, Deut. 16:13-14), dwell in a sukkah (Lev. 23:42), and visit the Temple in Jerusalem (Ex. 23:14-17, 34:18-23, Deut. 16:16-17).

Visit Jerusalem

Christians around the world visit Jerusalem during Sukkot. If you’re planning a trip to Israel, this may be something to consider! Other great (and very crowded) times are Passover and Shavuot.

Build a Sukkah

You can purchase ready-made sukkahs online, but you can also build a simple one, just like the Israelites did in the desert. Your children would probably love to help you decorate it! Some people camp out during Sukkot, their tent serving as their sukkah. Eating meals in the sukkah is customary, but sleeping in it adds a realistic element as we remember God’s provision for the Israelites in the desert.

Get a Lulav and Etrog

The phrase “lulav and etrog” may include all four species but is commonly called the lulav and etrog. You can order them online before Sukkot, but check that the delivery date is before Sukkot starts!

Thank God

Thank Him for how He has lavishly blessed you and for sending Jesus to dwell among us. We can also thank Him for His promise to dwell with us in the future, which we surely do not deserve! The list of things we can thank Him for could go on forever.

Spend Time in the Word

Ecclesiastes is commonly read during Sukkot, so that’s a great place to start! Some places to read about the Feast of Sukkot are:

Exodus 34:22
Leviticus 23:34-44
Deuteronomy 16:13-17
1 Kings 8:2
2 Chronicles 8:13 and 31:3
Ezra 3:4
Nehemiah 8:13-18
Zechariah 14:16-19
John 1:14-18 and 7:2, 37-38
Revelation 7:9-10

Sing Praises

We can not only thank God through prayer but also through our worship of Him. Any day’s a great day to worship God, but Sukkot should make us focused on being grateful. He loves to hear from His people, so don’t disappoint Him! Worship is what these days are set aside for.

Teach Your Children

All of the biblical feast days have valuable lessons in their observance. Sukkot is no exception, and children will love to be involved! Aside from participating in the building and decorating of the sukkah, here are a few more ways kids can learn about and participate in Sukkot.

Build an edible sukkah at toriavey.com
Learn about Sukkot (and the other Fall Feasts) with this activity book from Bible Pathway Adventures
Watch this fun and creative Lego Sukkot video

Bless Someone Else

As we thank God for His generosity toward us, we can also extend it to those around us. Find a place to serve or a charity to donate to, and make sure your family knows why you’re giving.

Invite friends

Sukkot is a time for celebrating God’s goodness. What better excuse could there be to throw a party? Invite some friends to hang out in your sukkah and make a special meal. You could even celebrate with only your family, but remember the focus of your celebration!

Wish others a “Chag Sameach!”

The standard greeting during Sukkot is “Chag Sameach!” meaning “joyful festival.” It’s pronounced HOG sa-may-ach, with the first part of “HOG” starting in your throat, like the ending of Bach. In the U.S., people often say “Happy Sukkot” as well.

Be joyful!

Although the celebration of Sukkot is commanded, it’s not something we should do with a “have to” attitude. Part of the command is to be joyful, and how could we not when we focus on all God has done for us? From shelter to Jesus, we are some super blessed people!

A Thanksgiving celebration of sorts, Sukkot is a time Christians can give thanks for God’s provision for us and focus on our dependence on Him. We can also remember that He loves us enough to desire to be with us, even giving us Jesus to provide a way for us to be near Him and the Holy Spirit to be with us at all times. What an excellent way to celebrate these things! Chag Sameach and Happy Sukkot!

Explaining The Chosen: Season 2, Episode 4: The Perfect Opportunity

Written by Holy Branches on January 16, 2023. Posted in Hebraic Roots, Sukkot. 2 Comments on Explaining The Chosen: Season 2, Episode 4: The Perfect Opportunity

The Chosen, a series about Jesus’s life and ministry, is well-made and so much fun to watch! It shows what the lives of Jesus and his disciples may have been like in an entertaining and authentic way. If you haven’t seen it, click here to watch.

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In Episode 4 of Season 2, we meet the paralytic from John 5:1-17. We also meet the Zealots and get an intro to the Festival of Sukkot. Honestly, this episode was difficult to watch. The story of the paralytic, Jesse in The Chosen, was heartbreaking, but I’m sure it’s not a far stretch as all of those events occurred in some capacity or another in ancient times.

Jesse, the paralytic

In the opening scene, Jesse falls from a tree and becomes paralyzed. Then we see his mother die, giving birth to his brother, Simon. Jesse and Simon watched as their father was beaten in the streets by Roman soldiers, and then Jesse discovered his brother had left during the night to join the Zealots, and he was alone. What a story!

Although the Bible doesn’t give this much detail about the paralytic in John 5, we can see how desperate of a situation a person with this type of disability could be in during these times. It’s still difficult to be disabled in our day, but they didn’t have benefits like public assistance or handicapped accessibility, so being paralyzed would have been extremely difficult or even lead to your death!

Married under the chuppah

The Chosen: The Complete Set – Seasons 1-4 on DVD

A few years after the tragic death of Jesse’s mother, his father remarries. Their wedding scene shows them wed under a tall, wooden structure draped with fabric, and this structure is known as a “chuppah.”

Even today, in Jewish weddings, marriage occurs under the chuppah. A chuppah can be beautiful or simple, but the deep meaning they convey is the most intriguing.

There are many meanings attributed to the chuppah, but the most significant is the presence of God. The cover over the chuppah represents God’s covering over the marriage and the home that results from it. Sometimes, the chuppah is covered by the prayer shawl of a family member or ancestor for added meaning to the couple.

Many modern traditions surround the chuppah, but its use dates back to the Old Testament. The Hebrew word “chuppah” (חֻפָּה) is the “bridal chamber” mentioned in Joel 2:16, as well as the “chamber” in Psalm 19:5.

The Pool of Bethesda

As an adult, we find Jesse at the Pool of Bethesda. Its mention only takes up a few verses in the Bible, but the Pool of Bethesda is an interesting place. It has been excavated and is a site you can visit today in Jerusalem!

Here’s how it’s described.

Now there is in Jerusalem by the sheep gate a pool, which is called in Hebrew Bethesda, having five porticoes. In these lay a multitude of those who were sick, blind, lame, and withered, [waiting for the moving of the waters; for an angel of the Lord went down at certain seasons into the pool and stirred up the water; whoever then first, after the stirring up of the water, stepped in was made well from whatever disease with which he was afflicted.]
John 5:2-4 (NASB)

If you’re not astonished by those verses, reread them. An angel of the Lord stirred the water, and whoever stepped in first was healed?!

Notice the brackets in the verse above, though. I didn’t put those there. They’re in the NASB translation, as well as others. The reason is that those verses aren’t in the most reliable texts of the Book of John. Here’s why the brackets matter.

Some think the Pool of Bethesda was a Jewish mikveh, a ritual purification bath, similar to the Pool of Siloam in the City of David. Siloam was used by Festival pilgrims to Jerusalem for purification before the ascent to the Temple. It’s also the site of another of Jesus’s healings in John 9:1-12.

But others think Bethesda was a place of worship of the pagan god, Asclepius. Those who think it was a pagan site believe that the text in verses 5:3b-4 was added by someone unfamiliar with the pagan beliefs surrounding the stirring of the waters.

Whether the pool actually had healing power or not, many people with ailments would hang out there, waiting for the supernatural stirring of the waters. Who would be healed was a first-come, first-served type situation; everyone wasn’t healed, just the first to step in. You can see how there would be a slim chance of being the first in, especially if you’re paralyzed. It’s no wonder the paralytic (named Jesse for the show) had been waiting for his chance for thirty-eight years. How discouraging that must have been for him!

The Zealots

Meanwhile, as Jesse’s continually passed up for a chance at being first into the pool, his brother, Simon, was training as a Zealot.

Simon the Zealot is mentioned only a few times in the Bible, and we don’t learn anything about him other than his name and that he was one of Jesus’s disciples.

The Zealots were dedicated to the Torah and hated the Romans and the Roman pagan influence on the Jewish people. The creators of The Chosen portrayed Simon as belonging to the Zealot party called the Sicarii, also known as “dagger-wielders.” The Sicarii were a group of trained assassins who used curved daggers called “Sicari” to carry out assassinations.

According to historian Josephus, the Sicarii were instrumental in countering the Romans in the First Roman-Jewish War. This group led the rebellion against the Romans and eventually committed mass suicide when surrounded by the Romans at the fortress of Masada.

The Feast of Tabernacles

The disciples are building a structure in preparation for the Feast of Tabernacles. Why are they doing this?

In Leviticus 23, God tells Moses to tell His people to celebrate seven Feasts or Moedim in Hebrew.

These seven are:

Sukkot (the Feast of Tabernacles)

When God gave the Command to observe the Feast of Tabernacles (Sukkot in Hebrew), he said to build a temporary dwelling.

‘On exactly the fifteenth day of the seventh month, when you have gathered in the crops of the land, you shall celebrate the feast of the LORD for seven days, with a rest on the first day and a rest on the eighth day. Now on the first day you shall take for yourselves the foliage of beautiful trees, palm branches and boughs of leafy trees and willows of the brook, and you shall rejoice before the LORD your God for seven days. You shall thus celebrate it as a feast to the LORD for seven days in the year. It shall be a perpetual statute throughout your generations; you shall celebrate it in the seventh month. You shall live in booths for seven days; all the native-born in Israel shall live in booths, so that your generations may know that I had the sons of Israel live in booths when I brought them out from the land of Egypt. I am the LORD your God.’”
Leviticus 23:39-43 (NASB)

Living in a temporary dwelling, or sukkah (translated as “booth” here), during Sukkot reminds us that God brought His people out of Egypt into freedom and provided for them. They depended on Him for all their needs, and He gave them exactly what they needed.

Aligning With God’s Appointed Times: Discover the Prophetic and Spiritual Meaning of the Biblical Holidays By Jason Sobel

There are other themes celebrated during Sukkot. The one I find most relevant is that God was physically with His people in the Tabernacle during their time of wandering in the wilderness. God “tabernacled” with His people. Now, if the physical presence of God with mortal people He created isn’t enough, He then sent His Son, a representative of Himself, to “tabernacle” with us on earth.

Biblically, Sukkot is a time of rededication. God says that we’re to observe Sukkot to remember a time when the Hebrew people were free of their Egyptian captors and could worship their God in the way He desires.

In Ezra 3:4 and Nehemiah 8:14-18, the people celebrated Sukkot when they decided, as a nation, to turn back to God. They reinstituted reading the Torah and rebuilt the Temple.

When King Solomon completed the Temple in 1 Kings 8:1-12, he had the Ark brought in during Sukkot. When the Ark entered the Temple, the glory of God filled it.

Remember that kind of strange response Simon Peter had to Jesus’s transfiguration in Matt. 17:1-13? Jesus’s face shined like the sun, and his garments became white as light. So, what did Simon do? He suggested he build tabernacles.

Peter said to Jesus, “Lord, it is good for us to be here; if You wish, I will make three tabernacles here, one for You, and one for Moses, and one for Elijah.”
Matthew 17:4 (NASB)

While his response may seem strange, it’s not for a Jewish audience familiar with practicing Sukkot. They would recognize, like the disciples, that the Messiah’s arrival calls for a rededication, a Sukkot-like celebration.

Do you know who else recognized that Jesus could be the Messiah with a Sukkot-like response? The crowd who witnessed him ride into Jerusalem on a donkey. But instead of building Sukkot, they waved palm branches.

These palm branches (or lulavot, lulav is the singular term) were one of the four species to be used in the celebration of Sukkot, as specified in Leviticus 23. So, by waving palm branches as opposed to their hands or something, they acknowledged that Jesus could be the Messiah and that this would be a type of Sukkot, a time of rededication, even though it was just before Passover!

But would you like to hear the most amazing thing about Sukkot? We’re to celebrate it someday with our Messiah. Yep. That’s right. Believers like you and I will be celebrating Sukkot along with Jewish Believers!

After these things I looked, and behold, a great multitude [this term includes Gentiles!] which no one could count, from every nation and all tribes and peoples and tongues, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, and palm branches [lulavot] were in their hands; and they cry out with a loud voice, saying, “Salvation to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb.”
Revelation 7:9-10 (NASB)

And later in this episode, during the meal in the sukkah, Big James asks Jesus about the verse in Zechariah, which says that the enemies of Jerusalem will celebrate Sukkot with the Jewish people someday. It also said that they will be expected to observe Sukkot and will experience famine if they don’t!

Then it will come about that any who are left of all the nations that went against Jerusalem will go up from year to year to worship the King, the LORD of hosts, and to celebrate the Feast of Booths. And it will be that whichever of the families of the earth does not go up to Jerusalem to worship the King, the LORD of hosts, there will be no rain on them. If the family of Egypt does not go up or enter, then no rain will fall on them; it will be the plague with which the LORD smites the nations who do not go up to celebrate the Feast of Booths. This will be the punishment of Egypt, and the punishment of all the nations who do not go up to celebrate the Feast of Booths.
Zechariah 14:16-19 (NASB)

During this same conversation at the table, John brings up a great point. He says, “But the booths won’t mean anything to them.” He’s correct concerning most Gentiles; however, some of us have begun celebrating Sukkot yearly, which has significant meaning to those of us who do! If you haven’t celebrated Sukkot, I encourage you to take a look at some of the resources on holybranches.com and try it this year. You won’t regret it!

El Shaddai

When Simon the Zealot is given his assignment, his answer to the question “To whom do you serve?” Is “El Shaddai, God of power and might.”

Although it’s often translated as “God Almighty” in English, we find the name “El Shaddai” in Scripture when God calls Himself this name in Genesis 17:1 and again in Numbers 24:4. Would you like to learn more about the names of God in the Bible? Check out my series of articles on The Names of God.

Scroll of Moses: Shemot

The names of the books of the Bible you may be used to (Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy, etc.) aren’t what they were called in the days of the original texts. They were named the following names originally.

Genesis – Berisheet, meaning “In the beginning”

Exodus – Shemot, meaning “Names”

Leviticus – Vayikra, meaning “and He called”

Numbers – Bemidbar, meaning “in the wilderness”

Deuteronomy – Devarim, meaning “words”

The books above, the first five books of the Bible, are often called the “Books of Moses.” They were called the “Scrolls of Moses” when they were scrolls. You can read more about Torah scrolls in my article, Explaining The Chosen: Season 2, Episode 1: Thunder.

Simon recalls a verse from the book of Shemot (Exodus) as the reason for his mission.

Whoever sacrifices to any god, other than the LORD alone, shall be devoted to destruction.
Exodus 22:20 (ESV)

As Simon is on his way out to carry out his orders, he passes the Zealots-in-training, reciting Scripture. They’re reciting Zephaniah 3:15-18. The rest of this chapter will be read later in this episode by the Levite in the colonnade.

Blessings for situations

As Yanni and Shmuel prepare for Yanni to teach in Jerusalem, they say the Birkat HaGomel – the blessing for life-threatening situations. When Shmuel expresses concern, Yanni leaves him with a more positive blessing, the HaTov Ve’ahamitiv.

If you’re around a practicing Jew, it won’t take long to notice that they invite God into every aspect of life. There are blessings said for nearly every action throughout the day, keeping them in constant connection and conversation with God.

The Birkat HaGomel is said when someone survives a dangerous situation.

In Hebrew, it’s:

בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה אֲדֹנָי אֱלֹהֵינוּ מֶלֶךְ הָעוֹלָם הַגּוֹמֵל לְחַיָּבִים טוֹבוֹת שֶׁגְּמָלַנִי כָּל טוֹב

Pronounced:

Baruch atah Adonai, Eloheinu melech ha-olam, ha-gomel l’chayavim tovot sheg malani kol tov

In English:

Blessed are you, Lord our God, King of the universe, who rewards the undeserving with goodness, and who has rewarded me with goodness.

The HaTov Ve’ahamitiv is a joyful, thankful prayer said when something happens that benefits the community. Here it is:

בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה אֲדֹנָי אֱלֹהֵינוּ מֶלֶךְ הָעוֹלָם הַטּוֹב וְהַמֵיטִיב

It’s pronounced:

Baruch atah Adonai, Eloheinu melech ha-olam, ha-tov v’hametiv

The English translation is:

Blessed are you, Lord our God, King of the universe, who is good and bestows good.

Motzi-Shabbat

When Simon is in the underground tunnels, he speaks with two other Zealots. The first one, Honi, says they’ve been tracking Rufus’s every move. The other, Ithran, then says they even know that after Shabbat, at the start of Motzi Shabbat, Rufus goes to his favorite restaurant.

Shabbat is the Sabbath, and Motzi Shabbat is the time in the evening just after the Sabbath is over. Motzi Shabbat is literally “going out of the Sabbath.”

When the Sabbath is over after sundown on Saturday, some Jewish families and Hebraic Believers observe what’s called the Havdalah. Havdalah, meaning “separation,” is a time to separate the Sabbath from the other days. It’s a time to remember the sweetness of the Sabbath and acknowledge what a blessing it was and what a blessing it will be next week, also.

After the Havdalah, on Saturday evening, is when the new week starts. This evening is called Motzi Shabbat. Ithran says that Motzi Shabbat is when Rufus goes to his favorite restaurant. Since Jewish people typically wouldn’t go to a restaurant on Shabbat, Motzi Shabbat would be a logical time to patronize a restaurant.

As they continue to discuss, Simon says, “This Yom Rishon tradition is a problem.” Yom Rishon is Sunday in Hebrew. Yom means “day,” and Rishon means “first” or “foremost.” So, Yom Rishon is the first day of the week, Sunday, since Saturday is the last day of the week. And days on the Biblical/Hebrew calendar start in the evening, so Saturday evening is the beginning of Sunday.

The Chosen: You Are Mine Mug – 11 Oz. – Teal

Woman of Valor

When the disciples finish building the sukkah, the women put bread on the table, and Jesus says, “Woman of valor, who can find?”.

“Woman of valor” in Hebrew is “eschet chayil,” and Jesus’s phrase is the first part of the blessing with this name. The Eschet Chayil is the blessing men say over their wives (and other women) on the evening of Shabbat. This blessing came from Proverbs 31:10-31 and was also in two episodes of Season 1 – Episodes 2 and 8.

Carrying a mat on Shabbat

The Pharisees accused Jesse of disobeying the law by carrying his mat on Shabbat. Matthew asks, “The Torah forbids carrying a mat on Shabbat?”. And Big James answers him, “Not Torah, the oral tradition.”

Just like when Jesus and his disciples were accused of breaking the Law in Matthew 12, rabbinical tradition is violated here, not God’s Law. I covered this in my article on the previous episode when the disciples discussed Torah Law vs. Jewish law.

And that’s the end of another fantastic episode! Have you read the others in my Explaining The Chosen series? Click the link to read them if you haven’t, and keep an eye out for my articles on future episodes!