ZDK ASTARIA Cultures - EMUSPATEL Introductory Literature

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KEEPING THE CALENDAR

THE HEBREW HOLIDAYS (and Jewish Festivals)...

and Their Spiritual Significance for Judeo-Christian Celebrations

One of the major joys of being Jewish is to be able to celebrate the the Traditional Holy Days. And, indeed, this is one of the main functions of the Hebrew Community or Congregation--to provide adaquate observance of the Scriptural Festivals of God. For, we DO need to celebrate and enjoy, as God directed.

Why? Well, aside from the fun and entertainment (which we all more than enjoy), there is a deep spiritual significance to keep those Feasts and Holy Days that God set forth in the Holy Scriptures. And, this is why EMUSPATEL encourages Our Members to observe them. And, why we go to great lengths to eplain them here, in Our Web Site. For, we don't want Our Members to be just mindless robots that march down the rat maze. Rather, we want you to understand why we do, what we do!

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MohaDDeyM - THE ABRAHAMIC FEASTS

Where did the Jewish Festivals come from? They have a very Ancient History, going all the way back to the beginning of Time! And Jews, and the Hebrew Peoples, have kept them up, even down to Our Days. The Scriptures record, that on the Days of Creation, God made the Sun and Moon (and the Stars) for signs of the seasons. (Genesis 1:14) Or more correctly, the signs of the Mo'ad or APPOINTED TIMES (i.e. Festivals). Consequently, their origin comes from the very days of Creation! (For more on this mystery of the signs in the sky, see MAZZAROTH, the Hebrew Constellations.)

Moreover, in the Days of the Patriarch Abraham, we find the Mo'ad or Appointed Times being celebrated. Passover seems to have have been held after the defeat of the 4 Kings, who raided Sodom and captured Lot (Genesis 15:9-11). Indeed, Passover seems to have been praticed all the way back to Abel (Genesis 4:3-7). Moreover, a Sabbath celebration seems to have occured with Melchizedek, as Abraham donated to his religious works (Genesis 14:18-20).

So, these are not some recent invention. Nor the whimns of mere men. They were established by God, from the very beginning!

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THE HOLY HEBREW CALENDAR

While most secular people are used to the regular calendar that runs from January to December, there are actually several Jewish Calendars. The common or civil calendar begins in about September or October and runs around to the next Fall (like the school or educational calendar). Many Jews rely on this.

However, there is also a Religious Calendar, listed in the Holy Scriptures. It begins in the Spring, around March or April and runs for seven months, until the Fall Harvests in September or October. Here, there are Seven basic Jewish Festivals, three in the Spring, one in the Summer, and three later on in Fall. Now, God wrote these down in the Holy Scriptures for a reason, so it is a good idea to at least familiarize yourself with what they are. (We will explain them asw we go.) The typical Jewish Calendar is:

SPRING FESTIVALS (Early Harvest--Barley):

1. Passover, the Paschal Feast
2. Feast of First Fruits
3. Feast (Fast) of Unleavened Bread

SUMMER FESTIVALS (Mid-Year Harvest--Rye, Wheat):

4. Pentecost or Feast of Weeks

FALL FESTIVALS (Year End Harvest--Fruits):

5. Feast of Trumpets
6. Day of Atonement
7. Feast of Booths or Tabernacles

(ADDED FESTIVALS):

(8.) Feast of Ingathering (Thanksgiving)
(9.) Festivals of Lights (Advent or Messiahmas)
(10.) Festival of Esther (Purim)

Now, let us take a look at these Hebrew Holidays (Judeo-Christian celebrations), individually, and see just what they mean (and their Spiritual significance--for each is prophetic type, symbolizing some special events that God has Planned).

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1. PASSOVER:

Passover is also called Pesach or PaySahKh (Exodus 12:1-14, Leviticus 23:4-8, Numbers 28:16, Deuteronomy 16:1-7, II Kings 23:21-23, Ezra 6:19-21). The prophetic event for the Passover has already been fulfilled (though for centuries it was practiced, without much understanding of what it meant). For, this is the event of the Sacrifice of the Messiah--who as Our Paschal Lamb, was sacrificed for us to pay for or cover our sins (so that the Death Angel will passover our soul, allowing us to go to Heaven in Our Afterlife). Thus, just as the Lamb's Blood atoned for the Sins of the Israelites, so too will the Blood of the Messiah (or Christ), shed on the Tree (or Cross), pay for our sins (John 1:29; Luke 22:20; Romans 5:8, 6:23, I John 4:10). Moreover, it was this important Supper which became called the Lord's Supper and which eventually became the Communion Service for the churches. (Thus, it was no small spiritual event!)

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2. FIRST FRUITS:

The Feast of First Fruits is also called Bikkur or BiKhuR, and also occurs at Passover, for it is a celebration of the first of the Barley Harvest (Leviticus 23:9-14; Deuteronomy 16:3-4; Jeremiah 2:1-2). And, once again, the prophetic event for First Fruits has been fulfilled already, for this was the Resurrection Day, when the Messiah or Christ rose from the Grave, as the First Fruits of the rest of us who will be Resurrected at the End of this Age (Romans 11:16; I Corinthians 16:3-4, 20-23). (Again, this was no small spiritual event!)

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3. UNLEAVEND BREAD:

The Feast (or Fast) of Unleavened Bread is also called MahTZoR, and it begins on Passover and runs for 8 days (Exodus 12:15-20; Leviticus 23:6-8; Deuteronomy 16:8). And, yet once again, this prophetic event has been fulfilled already, for this was the Time of the Messiah's Teachings, when the True Bread or Unleavened Bread came down out of Heaven to feed the People (John 6:32-58). Thus, this event began with the Time of the Messiah's (or Christ's) Teachings on Earth and continued for a space under the hands of the Apostles (hence the writing of the B'ReyT QahDaShaH or Brit Chadashah--New Testament). Thus, this was no small spiritual event, either! And, it occured just as it was placed in the Calendar, at the time of Messiah's sacrifice or Passover.

*** And, as these above have already passed as set forth in the Calendar, clearly God intends to work HIS Plan out by how HE has things set in that Calendar! And, this you will see more of as we go along. ***

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4. PENTECOST

The Feast of Pentecost or the Feast of Weeks is also called Shavuot or ShahVuhoT, and is a celebration of the Mid-Year Rye Harvest, though Oats and Wheat are also sometimes harvested then (Leviticus 23:15-21; Deuteronomy 16:9-12; Numbers 28:26-31). Grasping its Spiritual Significance is harder to do, as we are in the midst of fulfilling it, now. For, if you count the 7 Weeks from the Passover (Crucifixion) to now, you can find the 7 Church Ages passing, until the last one, in Our Days, now (Revelations 2:1-3:22). Moroever, if you search the Holy Scriptures for what happened on Pentecost, you find 3 Sacred Events in the Past: 1) the giving of the 10 Comandments and the LAW of God, 2) the formation of the Nation of Israel after the Exodus, and 3) the giving of the Holy Ghost. And, correspondingly, in our century you find the same 3 major Spiritual Events: 1) the Holiness Movement (and the Call to Return to God's Laws), 2) the formation of the Jewish State of Israel in the Promised Land after the Disapora, and 3) the rise of the Pentecostal Movement, with the giving of GIFTS by the Holy Ghost! Quite clearly, we are now at Pentecost on God's Time Table--the Calendar (or Plan).

(Moreover, the Harvest of Rye is a prophetic type, symbolizing the RETURN of the Northern Nations of Israel [Viking Revival], as Rye is a symbol of Nordic Peoples, and it is offered at this Festival along with a white loaf of Oat or Wheat Flour symbolizing the regular Jewish People.) Clearly, NOW is the Age of Messianic Revival (and the Northmen Return)!

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5. FEAST OF TRUMPETS

The Feast of Trumpets or Day of Sounding the Shofar is also called Yom Teruah or Yom TeRu'aH, though it is more popularly called Rosh HaShannah (the Head of the Year) as the Jewish New Year of the civil calendar begins at around this time (Leviticus 23:23-25; Numbers 29:1-6). This Festival is a prophetic type, symbolizing the Second Coming of the Messiah! In the First Coming (or RiShoN), HE was our Sacrifice (as in the Passover) but in the Second Coming HE will be our King and rule ALL Nations (Matthew 24:30-31; I Corinthians 15:51-52; I Thessalonian 4:14-17, and Revelations 20:5-6). Moreover, the Trumpet Blast in the Holy Scriptures symbolizes a Call for a Spiritual Gathering (Numbers 10:1-10; Joel 2:1, 15-16), and this is prophetically symbolic of the Trumpet Blast of the Rapture, which will occur at the Messiah's Second Coming (Matthew 24:31; I Thessalonians 4:16-17).

It is coming soon!

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6. DAY OF ATONEMENT

The Day of Atonement is actually a solemn Fast, when we are to reflect over our past sins and repent of them (and to seek forgiveness for broken vows), and it is also called Yom Kippur or YoM KeyPuR (Leviticus 23:26-32; Numbers 29:7-11). This Festival is a prophetic type, and symbolizes the of the Day of Messiah's Judgement, when the Believers will stand before Christ's Bema or Throne and receive our judgements (and awards) from HIM (Matthew 25:31-46; Luke 19:12-27; Romans 14:10).

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7. FEAST OF BOOTHS

The Feast of Booths or Festival of Tabernacles is also called Succoth or SuKhoT, the Time of Temporary Shelters (Leviticus 23:33-44; Deuteronomy 16:13-17; Nehemiah 8:17-18). This Festival lasts for 8 Days, as it is prophetically symbolic of the Millenial Reign of the Messiah, when Christ shall rule over all the earth for a Thousand Years (Matthew 19:28-29; Luke 20:27-36; II Timothy 2:12; Revelations 5:9-10, 20:1-6), after HIS Second Coming.

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(8.) FEAST OF INGATHERING

The Feast of Ingathering is also called Hag Ha'asif or QahK Hah-ahSeyF, though we in America tend to call it Thanksgiving (Exodus 23:14-17, 34:22-24). Orginally, it followed closely on the heals of the Feast of Booths, but in America (because of the Indians hunting in the Fall) if was set off until November. Moreover, this Feast is prophetically symbolic of the Second Resurrection or Final Harvest, when all the wicked will be brought back to life and judged by God ( John 5:28-29; Revelations 14:14-20, 20:11-15), with the wicked being cast into the Lake of Fire for eternal damnation.

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(9.) FESTIVAL OF LIGHTS

The Festival of Lights or the Feast of Dedication, which is also called Hannukkah or QaNNuKhaH, follows Ingathering in December (John 10:22). It is no coincidence that this occurs at the Time of Advent (or Messiahmas), for it is also sometimes refered to as Rishone or RiShoN, as it reflects the FIRST Comming of the Messiah, and HIS birth through a virgin. Moreover, as the Feast of Dedication memorializes the 7 miraculous days that the oil burned to sancitify the Temple, it also prophetically symbolizes the Past 7 Days of Creation as well as the Coming Re-Creation of the New Heaven and New Earth (Matthew 13:40-43; Revelations 21:1-8) and the New Jerusalem (Revelations 21:10-27). In additon, being in Winter, it symbolizes the Final Harvest of All Souls.

(10.) FEAST OF ESTHER

Later on in the Winter (usually in February), comes the Festival of Esther, which is also called Purim or PuRReyM in memory of the lots that were cast for the lives of the Jews (Esther 9:20-29). Thus, it is a good time to remember and recall the various Pogroms and Persecutions that have been leveled at God's People. And, while the secular calendar has a day set aside for Holocaust or Shoah Memorial, this is also a good day to comemorate that, so that it may not be forgotten! Prophetically, this is symbolic of the Destruction of the Devil, who will be burned forever and ever in the Lake of Fire--as an image of Haman (or other evil oppressors) is usually burned in effigy at this time (Acts 19:19; Revelations 20:10).

CONCLUSIONS???

Well, it ought to be obvious! The Jewish Festivals and its Scriptural Hebrew Holidays (and Abrahamic Feasts) are a map of God's Time Table and what HE Plans to do, when. So, these Judeo-Christian Celebrations ought to be taught. And they should be kept and observed by ALL of God's People (both church and synagogue)! For they are prophetic types that proclaim God's Plan and fortell the events, even before they come to pass!

Consequently, We, of EMUSPATEL, teach this Jewish Calendar. And encourage our members to observe it.

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TRADITIONAL CELEBRATIONS

While the Scriptural Festivals should be held up, taught, and firmly observed--over the centuries, a variety of holidays have been developed by the churches, as part of the Judeo-Christian Tradition. And We, at Emuspatel, encourage this, too.

1. ALL SAINTS DAY:
For centuries, the Catholic Church in Europe celebrated November 1st as All Saints Day--a time to honor all the Biblical and other heroes of the Faith (often with costumes that represented them). However, when people came to America, they began to celebrate the Hallowed Eve, or the Day before All Saints (October 31st), as a mischief night! This eventually emerged into the modern Halloween, with its celebration of ghosts, witches, and goblins! Now, while most public schools shun the celebration of any and all Scriptural Holidays, Halloween is rapidly becoming America's favorite holiday, especially among the younger generation--and in public schools, where it is wildly celebrated as a Pagan Religious Festival (even though they aren't suppose to have anything religious in public schools)! Consequently, We, at Emuspatel encourage the celebration of ALL SAINTS as a counter to Halloween (and so that our kids will have a fun party, too--without having to indulge in the Pagan Revel)!

2. VALENTINES DAY:
Again, for centuries, the Catholic Church in Europe celebrated February 14th as Saint Valentines Day. And over the generations, this has grown into exchanging love notes and cards with hearts, to express your care and concern for your sweetheart. Thus, as a means of encouraging love and romance between husband and wife (and keeping the family unity strong, and happily together), We, at Emuspatel, also support the celebration of this Day. (And perhaps a Sweetheart's Ball or Banquet to go with it, so that spouses can express and re-affirm their love for one another.)

LOOKING FOR MORE???

Well, we have more! The next Article in this series deals with the the Signs and Symbols in the Starry-Heavens, which maps out and explains more of God's Pland and Time Table! And it presents the Grand Design of God in forming the whole Universe in a certain way, for HIS Purposes, at Creation. So, why don't you just turn over to there, and read that Article, too? It is easy to get:

To get MAZZAROTH (Hebrew Constellations) Article (click here):

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Filed: 07-09-99 . . . Up-dated 06-06-01