Those of us who have been following this ministry know that the Biblical feast days (moedim) are being taught. In the earlier part of the Biblical year, we have the spring feast days, all of which can be linked to the gospel accounts of Jesus – meaning His death and resurrection as well as the outpouring of the Holy Spirit can be identified. God, in speaking to Moses, said that they are the Lord’s ordinances and holy convocations (Leviticus 23:2, 4), some of which were not just for the appointed time but for future generations, evidenced by the use of the words “throughout your generations” and “forever in your generations”.
We can see examples in the following scriptures: Leviticus 23:14, 21 (First Fruits), Leviticus 23:31 (Day of Atonement), and Leviticus 23:41 (Feast of Tabernacles). Our current celebration of the feast days is therefore scriptural and should be commemorated, as opposed to some other celebrations that are only aligned with the Gregorian calendar.
The first moed (feast day) we celebrated earlier this year was Passover/Pesach and is closely linked with the Feast of Unleavened Bread. This marks the sudden flight of the children of Israel from Egyptian bondage, where they had to leave so quickly that the bread for the journey had to be made without any leavening agent. This also served as a time of introspection (origin: Exodus 12:15-20). The actual occurrence of Passover/Pesach, the shedding/sprinkling of blood, is found in Exodus 12:21-22. The death of Jesus took place on this feast day, as we recall the Last Supper and Jesus’s subsequent arrest and crucifixion. 1 Corinthians 5:7 sums up the two feasts this way: “Purge out therefore the old leaven, that ye may be a new lump, as ye are unleavened. For even Christ our Passover is sacrificed for us.”
Closely on the heels of this was the Feast of the First Fruits, which was first commemorated when the children of Israel had entered the Promised Land, as it served as a reminder to them of God’s provision (Deuteronomy 26:1-11). Linked with this in the gospel of Jesus is His resurrection. In 1 Corinthians 15:20, Paul refers to Christ and His resurrection as “the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep.” The harvest and presentation of first fruits in the Old Testament was really the first harvest of the barley crop.
Lastly came Shavuot, a feast day which signified the giving of the Torah to Moses on Mount Sinai, and is commemorated after 7 weeks of the counting the omer (which Biblically was a sheaf of grain but now is the counting of our blessings): this would have started from Passover. Later, in the New Testament, the outpouring of the Holy Spirit came upon those who were in the Upper Room, which was located in the region of Mount Sinai. This occurred 50 days after the resurrection of Christ from the dead and is known as the Day of Pentecost.
ROSH HASHANAH
Now, in the fall (autumn) we have the other moedim. We just came out of Rosh Hashanah (the head of the Year), or the New Year, a celebration of the beginning of the Jewish Civil Year, unlike the spring moedim, which occur at the beginning of the Biblical Year. Rosh Hashanah marked the day G-d created Adam and Eve and was celebrated as the “birthday of the world”.
The festival of Rosh Hashanah 5786 began at sundown on the eve of Tishrei 1 (Sept. 22, 2025) and ended after nightfall on Tishrei 2 (Sept. 24, 2025). This season, also known as Yom Teruah or Feast of Trumpets, was marked by the blowing of the shofar on the days of celebration and eating apples with honey, which signified the sweetness of the coming year.
We are now in preparation mode for Yom Kippur, or the Day of Atonement. This day of fasting and soul-searching is the holiest day of the year, one when we are closest to G-d and to the essence of our own souls. Leviticus 16:30 reminds us, “For on this day He will forgive you, to purify you, that you be cleansed from all your sins before God.”
There are 10 days, which would have started on the first day of Rosh Hashanah, leading up to Yom Kippur, and these are known as the 10 Days of Awe or 10 Days of Repentance (Yamim Noraim). This period is observed as a time of prayer, self-examination, and repentance which, for this year, started on Monday, September 22nd (the start of Rosh Hashanah) and runs to Wednesday, October 1st, the start of Kol Nidrei, or “all vows”, which is an ancient formula, said on Yom Kippur eve, declaring all unintentional vows we may make over the (coming) year null and void. It has also come to refer to the entire Yom Kippur evening service which precedes Yom Kippur.
YOM KIPPUR
The Yom Kippur observance each year actually starts before sundown. This year, Yom Kippur is observed from several minutes before sunset on 9 Tishrei 5786 (Oct. 1, 2025) to after nightfall on 10 Tishrei 5786 (Oct. 2, 2025).
For nearly twenty-six hours, we will “afflict our souls”: we will be called upon to abstain from food and drink. We will not wash (bathe/shower) or anoint/lotion/perfume our bodies, nor will we wear leather footwear, and married couples will abstain from marital relations. Those hours will be spent in a synagogue, or, for our purposes, in a church setting praying for forgiveness.
Just months after the people of Israel left Egypt in the year 2448 from creation (1313 BCE), they sinned by worshipping a golden calf. Moses ascended Mount Sinai and prayed to God to forgive them. After two 40-day stints on the mountain, full Divine favour was obtained. The day Moses came down the mountain (the 10th of Tishrei) was to be known forevermore as the Day of Atonement—Yom Kippur.
While the spring-based moedim are linked to the last days of Christ on earth, the autumn feast days speak to the coming of Christ in all His glory (the rapture) and the final judgement.
You may tune in to “Conversations”, TBC radio’s morning programme, for additional teaching on this very special day. Or you may join via any of the station’s media platforms. And when the Feast of Tabernacles, or Feast of Booths, comes around, you can look out for more on that great harvest feast and prepare to spend time in your Sukkah.
G’mar chatima tovah (pronounced gih-MAR chah-tee-MAH toe-VAH), which literally means “a good final sealing.”