Leviticus 21:1-24:23
“Adonai said to Moshe, ‘Speak to the cohanim, the sons of Aharon; tell them …’” Leviticus 21:1).
Excerpt:
The Feasts of Adonai
“Adonai said to Moshe, ‘Tell the people of Isra’el: The designated times of Adonai which you are to proclaim as holy convocations are my designated times’” (Leviticus 23:1).
The Hebrew word for ‘feasts’ is mo’edim and means ‘seasons’ or ‘appointed times.’ Moed’im is used in Genesis 1:14 for ‘seasons’ as the lights in the sky were to be used for determining the days (sunset to sunset), weeks (seven days), months (by the lunar cycle) and for the ‘appointed times.’ The Feasts are the ‘appointed times’ of Ehyeh Asher Ehyeh, not Jewish festivals as rendered in the new testament. They appear to be Jewish as Adonai gave them to His people to ‘proclaim,’ and for millennia that is what they did through their traditions. As the ‘appointed times’ of Adonai, there are many prophetic ‘shadows’ that Yeshua brings to ‘reality’ with his life, death, resurrection, and coming Messianic Era. Celebrating the ‘appointed times’ throughout their generations wherever Isra’el lived, they fulfilled the calling of being a light to the nations while revealing the ‘shadows’ of Yeshua. As the nations celebrate the ‘reality’ of Messiah within these ‘appointed times,’ they more effectively fulfill the calling to make Isra’el envious.
Selah
“So don’t let anyone pass judgment on you in connection with eating and drinking, or in regard to a Jewish festival or Rosh-Hodesh or Shabbat. These are a shadow of things that are coming, but the body is of the Messiah” (Colossians 2:16-17).
When I was being discipled many years ago, I was taught a different perspective of ‘shadow’ or tzel. We know that a substance, a reality, casts a shadow. We see it and say, “Hey, there the shadow of ….” In Jewish thought, however, a shadow is the evidence of a reality that needs to be sought out. This is the purpose for the Feasts of Adonai. They are ‘shadows’ with the ‘reality’ to be searched out in Messiah Yeshua.
For most gentile believers, once they have the ‘reality’ of Messiah, they feel they don’t need the ‘shadows.’ In fact, many say that no one is to judge them for not taking part in the ‘shadows.’ However, it is the ‘shadow’ that proves the ‘reality.’ If someone claims to have the ‘reality’ of Messiah, then as evidence they should be casting his ‘shadow.’ When a foreigner or gentile follower of Messiah keeps the Shabbat or any of the ‘appointed times’ focused on Yeshua, a ‘shadow’ is cast and a Jewish person will seek out the ‘reality’ (the substance). The veil will be removed from their eyes and they will see the ‘reality’ of their own Messiah.
‘Holy convocation’ is mikrah in Hebrew and also means ‘rehearsal.’ This is why no one should be judged for celebrating Adonai’s holy days. They are a ‘rehearsal’ of events that are coming as there still remain ‘appointed times’ that need to be fulfilled.
Those who are part of a wedding party go to the rehearsal followed by a rehearsal dinner. They are the inner circle friends of the bride and groom. Those who don’t attend the rehearsal are the guests invited to the wedding. There are always some guests who excuse themselves and don’t attend the wedding celebration.
This is how it is with the mo’edim. Those who are in the inner circle of the groom attend the rehearsal dinners, the Feasts of Yeshua’s Father. There are many, too numerous to count, who make excuses and do not take part in the rehearsal dinners and will find themselves as guests at the wedding feast of the Lamb.
“For many are invited, but few are chosen” (Matthew 22:14, Luke 14:15-24).
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