Welcome to the new Hebrew month of Tishrei! And welcome to the new Hebrew year of 5783! The month of Tishrei is full of God’s appointed times, so let’s dig in and uncover deeper understanding of these treasured events!
Tishrei is the first month of the civil calendar and the seventh month of God’s spiritual calendar. It is a time where things are completing and things are beginning. The name Tishrei actually means “beginning”. Tishrei, more than any other month of the year, is a month of God’s appointed times. It is the month of the Fall Feasts: Rosh Hashanah (Feast of Trumpets), Ten Days of Awe, Yom Kippur (Day of Atonement), and Sukkot (Feast of Tabernacles or Tents).
This month is associated with the Hebrew letter “Lamed”, which has the numerical value of 30. It is the tallest of all the letters, representing royalty and kingship. The pictograph for Lamed looks like a shepherd’s staff so it speaks of authority, guidance, wisdom, and deliverance. Doesn’t that sound just like our Savior, Jesus?!!
The tribe linked to Tishrei is Ephraim. Ephraim was the second son of Joseph and the grandson of Jacob. Even though he was the second son, he received the blessing of the firstborn. The name Ephraim means “double fruitfulness”. Joshua was from this tribe. He was one of the two spies who came back with a good report, believing that God would help the Israelites obtain the Promised land. Due to the example of Joshua’s trust in God, the tribe of Ephraim rose to be the second most influential of all the tribes because of the favor of God.
Libra, the scales, is the constellation connected to Tishrei. It symbolizes measurement, balance, justice, and a plumb line. The calibration of these heavenly scales are true and right. Christ, our justification, satisfied the perfect justice of God by being judged for the sins of the world. Messiah paid the terrible price required for our redemption!
Now let’s talk about the appointed times of God for this month. They are times that are set by God where He wants to meet with us to accomplish specific things in our lives. God’s appointed times are eternal. They were not given just as temporary holidays…but the feasts of God are for all time. Leviticus 23 says “these are lasting ordinances for all generations” and they belong to the Lord. Born again believers are not required to keep the feasts, however, understanding them enhances our faith…. they are, after all, revelations of Jesus. Each feast has so many wonderful details and significance, making it difficult to summarize each one, but I am going to do my best!
The Feast of Trumpets is also called Rosh Hashanah, the “Head of the Year.” It will begin 9/25/22 at sunset and ends 9/27/22 at nightfall. The trumpet blast is the alarm to WAKE UP out of complacency and return to The Lord, aligning with His Word and will. It provides us with a clean slate, a fresh start, a do-over from anything in our lives that we feel is wasted or unworthy. Leviticus 23:23-24 “The Lord said to Moses, Say to the Israelites: On the first day of the seventh month you are to have a day of sabbath rest, a sacred assembly commemorated with trumpet blasts.”
The Ten Days of Awe begin on Rosh Hashanah and end on Yom Kippur. It is a time in which God is surveying your life as you step into a New Year. He is giving you the first 10 Days of the New Year to deal with the sin in your life through consecration and repentance. This is a time of judging ourselves in the light of His Word. The 10 days are for taking an inventory of yourself. What area of your life are you falling short? What are the besetting sins in your life? Are you willing to identify them and ask God to forgive you? Are you willing to allow God to expose those hidden sins? Do you love and fear Him enough to take these 10 days to fast, pray, and ask for forgiveness? Are you willing to forgive others who have hurt you? If you want to draw closer to Him, the answer must be YES!
Yom Kippur or Day of Atonement begins 10/4/22 at sunset and ends 10/5/22 at sunset. See Leviticus 23:26-32. It is the holiest and most important day of the year. Did you know that Moses came down from Mount Sinai with the second set of the Ten Commandments on Yom Kippur? This holiday not only atones for the sins of the individual but also the NATION! The 16th chapter of Leviticus offers a detailed description of the annual and most solemn ceremony performed by the High Priest on Yom Kippur, the one day of the year he was permitted to enter the Holy of Holies. The priest would sprinkle the blood of sacrificial animals on the ark of the covenant for personal sin and symbolically cast off the nation’s sins by releasing a goat into the desert. The nation of Israel fasted and prayed that God would accept the sacrifice and grant atonement. But praise God, Jesus became our High Priest and the singular, blood sacrifice of our Messiah accomplished atonement for all humankind! Therefore, on this Yom Kippur let us remember His sacrifice. Let us repent and renew our intimacy with God. Let us offer Him our genuine and joyful sacrifice of praise. Let us fast and intercede for the salvation of Israel and all those who are lost in sin. And lastly, let us celebrate the promise and hope of Yeshua’s soon return!
Sukkot, known as Feast of Tabernacles or tents begins 10/9/22 at sunset and ends 10/16/22 at nightfall. It is an 8 day celebration that recalls Israel’s hastily-built housing in the wilderness known as sukkah, and how the divine presence of God sustained and protected them in the desert for 40 years. For those of us who follow Christ, it reminds us of John 1:14 “And the Word became flesh and tabernacled among us.” Sukkot is also a time of gathering fruit from the fields. For today’s believers it is the hope of a future day when God gathers His people unto Himself. The Lord will not only gather His people, but He will tabernacle in their midst. (Ezekiel 37:27-28 & Revelation 21:3)
Beloved, my hope is to see this word stir up a desire in you to honor the times and seasons and celebrations of God! When we honor what is important to Him, He honors what is important to us. Zechariah 14:16-17 tells us that one day everyone in the world will celebrate the Feast of Tabernacles! Might as well start now! But seriously, take the time to fully engage in the appointed times this month. When we make the time to discover the prophetic and spiritual meaning of God’s calendar…. insight, understanding, and intimacy will wash over us like a waterfall of revelation straight from the throne room of God! -Shalom blessings, Stacey Cain Woodley