Vineyard

Vineyards in scripture can be an enormous study. We will look at just a small corner of the topic here. The LORD equates His people to a vineyard. Let's learn about it from some verses in Isaiah:
"Now let me sing to my Well-beloved; A song of my Beloved regarding His vineyard: My Well-beloved has a vineyard (kerem: a field set with plants of nobler quality; a garden of wine) on a very fruitful hill. He dug it up and cleared out its stones (see detail below), and planted it with the choicest vine (sorek: purple grapes, the richest variety; redness of these grapes; noble wine).
He built a tower (migdal: pulpit, rostrum; Root meaning-be magnified, become great, praise, do great things, nourish) in its midst, and also made a winepress (yehkev: two chambers-the upper in which the grapes are crushed, and the lower into which juice drains; it is dug in the earth, or cut out in rock) in it;
So He expected it to bring forth good grapes (anav: bear fruit; cluster of grapes), but it brought forth wild grapes (be'ushiym: stinking, worthless things; stinkberries; stench, foul odor, sour, unripe)."  Isa. 5:1-2
The song is being sung to "my Well-beloved", and the vineyard belongs to this same "my Beloved". The phrase has for its root, the word, dov, which is the root of the name "David". So the vineyard belongs to David, making the vineyard spoken of here in these verses from Isaiah, to be Israel, specifically Judah and Jerusalem (Isa. 5:3), but "David" is also a Messianic name, referring to Jesus, the Son of David. Scripture also refers to Jesus as "My beloved Son" (Mt. 3:17). So these verses from Isaiah pertain directly to us as well. Also in scripture, and as a part of Jesus, we believers are  called "beloved" (Rom. 1:7). Here is our acceptance into the Beloved:
"...just as He (the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ) chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love, having predestined us to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will, to the praise of the glory of His grace, by which He made us accepted in the Beloved."   Eph. 1:4-6
 Jesus also tells us that there is a vineyard directly related to Him:
"Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me. I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me, you can do nothing." Jn. 15:4-5
So the varietal, or cultivar in this vineyard of God is the "Jesus Varietal". Jesus goes on to say that if anyone becomes separated from Him, they become a withered branch, and be thrown into the fire. In a vineyard, withered branches are burned, in order to protect the rest of the vines against the spread of the disease that caused this branch to wither. Burning is a form of disease and pest control.
Are we growing and producing the noble fruit expected of us? Are we careful to abide in the Vine of Christ?
The fact that the LORD is singing to the Beloved, above, also makes sense when connected to the vineyard (see also Isa. 27:2-3). At harvest time, the people would sing and shout as they gathered in the grapes (also Feast of Tabernacles), because it was to be a joyful time. In this case, however, the LORD's song is a lament, because of what He found in the vineyard (refer. Isa. 16:10, Amos 5:16-17). Would the Father's song over me be a rejoicing, or a lament?
Jesus is also greatly identified with wine, the product of a grape vineyard. His first public miracle in Cana, was turning water into wine at a wedding on the third day-not just any wine, but the finest, or most noble variety (Jn. 2:1-11), as Isaiah referred to in the verses above. His atoning blood is the wine of the new covenant. In Isaiah's verses, the LORD spoke of clearing out the "stones" that had been in the vineyard. This is not the usual Hebrew word for stone, which is eben, but instead the word sakal is used, meaning "to stone to death, pelt with stones", which was the method of execution for those who broke the Law of Moses. The Beloved's vineyard has been freed from the sentence of death through the breaking of the Law, as we have been set free by Christ Jesus from the Law of sin and death (Rom. 8:2). Viewed in Christ, the winepress, from its word description is a place of crushing or death, dug in the earth, or as in the case of Jesus' burial, cut into a rock.  However, from this place of pressing, or death, emerges something more precious than even the noble grapes of the vineyard- the deep, red, rich wine they produce in the same manner as the spiritual winepress of Christ produced the blood of atonement, the resurrection life. Do we run from the idea of anything that "crushes" us? However, it is the crushing that brings forth the fine wine, which is the whole point. To me, the vineyard is Christ, the Gospel, and all of us, who are His fruit, and it represents our fruit as well. An important purpose of a vineyard, according to my research, is also to establish the best environment for the noble cultivars to produce seed, and reproduce, or multiply themselves. Not only are these qualities of the vineyard related directly to Jesus, but to our lives in Christ as well.
Vineyards were so valuable that kings coveted them (1 Sam. 8:11-18). Jezebel, the wife of King Ahab, had the owner of a vineyard killed, because he refused to sell his vineyard to the king.The vineyard owner's name was Naboth ("fruits") the Jezreelite ("Sown of God").  Naboth said that the vineyard was "the inheritance of my fathers", and God forbid that he should give it to the king. The prophetic promise of Messiah is also an inherited promise from God to the patriarchs, that was to be carried to all future generations. Even sadder in this case, Ahab wanted to tear up Naboth's vineyard and plant herbs and vegetables there instead, because it was conveniently near the king's home. Perhaps this king found the odor of the grapes in the vineyard spiritually objectionable, and preferred the fragrance of herbs. That would have been very ignorant of him, as we will see later. Jezebel had Naboth set up and falsely accused of blasphemy, and taken out and stoned to death (1 Ki. 21:1-13). Because of the terrible thing that Jezebel and Ahab did, the great prophet Elijah was given the word of the LORD's judgment regarding their soon humiliating death.
Isaiah's verses above, also give us an interesting revelation regarding the fragrance associated with the vineyard. There was a revealing foul odor, when the grapes produced in the vineyard that were supposed to be "noble", turned out to be "stinkberries" instead. So if there is a bad odor associated with "wild grapes", is there also an odor associated with the noble grapes in the vineyard? The answer is yes!.
As I researched I found that grapes have a chemical that emits different fragrances during the grape's  growth stages. The fragrances are so specific, the different cultivars can be identified by its fragrance. A fragrance is present while the grape vines blossom. A different fragrance is released when the grapes develop, but are still unripened, or sour. A separate, stronger fragrance is present as the grapes come into maturity, and yet a fourth perfume is released as the ripened grapes are crushed. The fragrances of the grapes are caused by chemicals called terpenes. There is a direct connection between terpene concentrations in the grapes and later wine quality. The different terpene fragrances serve to attract pollinators, and also help to defend the plant against pests. The small size of the terpene fragrance compounds in the grapes enables them to more easily volatize and give off odors. The grower can tell how close his vineyard is to harvesting based in part upon the fragrances being emitted by his grapes. Terpenes, the fragrance powerhouses in grapes, are also used in pharmaceuticals, aromatherapy, and even as an anticancer agent for breast cancer treatment. So regarding the LORD's spiritual vineyard, its fragrance identifies what kind of grapes are ripening, and how mature they are, but it also has healing qualities.
King Ahab was wrong to destroy the spiritual inheritance of the promise of Messiah represented by that vineyard. Naboth the Jezreelite's name should have given him his first clue. Ahab was also undiscerning to say the least, to prefer the fragrance of herbs instead of that of the noble grapes contained in Naboth's vineyard.
Christ said regarding identifying false prophets: "You shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes from thornbushes or figs from thistles?" (Mt. 7:16). Not only the type of fruit, but I think also the fragrance of our fruits will identify whether we are of the nobler grapes in His vineyard, or foul "stinkberries". The vineyard of my Beloved is supposed to carry a certain specifically identifiable fragrance. I want my life to emit this special fragrance of the vineyard of the Beloved before God. I want the LORD to be able to sing and shout with joy as He visits, and prepares to harvest, His vineyard.

Our Father is looking for mature, perfumed, noble grape fruits in the vineyard of His Beloved Son.

Tabernacles

 

 

Tomorrow begins the Feast of Tabernacles. It is a commanded feast of the LORD. He wanted His people to celebrate, come rejoicing every year, in every generation (Lev. 23:34-43). As solemn as the recently observed Yom Kippur feast is, this feast is for rejoicing. Many things can and have been said about the Feast of Tabernacles, and every detail involved in the Tabernacle of the LORD, as shown to Moses, is very important. To me, the beauty of Tabernacles is the picture of the love of God that it embodies. The prophetic image of the Tabernacle promises us that it is, and always was, the Father's intention to dwell (tabernacle) among men, whom He so dearly loves. To Moses, God said:

"And let them make Me a sanctuary, that I may dwell (let oneself down, to settle down, to lie down, to dwell, abide, be inhabited) among them. According to all that I show you, that is the pattern of the tabernacle and the pattern of all its furnishings, just so you shall make it."  

                                                                                                               Ex. 25:8-9

In His design of the Tabernacle, God required that the twelve tribes of Israel be encamped on every side of the Tabernacle, so the presence of God could dwell literally in their midst. Everything about the Tabernacle, its outward design and its interior furnishings, were pointing prophetically to the way which our Father had provided for man to come into His presence- through His Son, Jesus. According to rabbinical tradition, the three entrances of the Tabernacle, into the Outer Court, into the Holy Place, and finally into the Holy of Holies, were named "THE WAY", "THE TRUTH", and "THE LIFE". Jesus identified Himself in this same manner (Jn. 14:6), as the only living path to His Father. None of the world's "religions" present as their awesome privileged goal the manner of approach into the personal presence of the Almighty Creator, the Highest, Himself. Yet, God wants this more than anything else. He deeply desires this company and fellowship with man as His greatest will and plan. 

The sukkah (booth, tabernacle, tent) that is built by a Jewish family as they observe the Feast of Tabernacles is to remind them of when Israel dwelt in the midst of the presence of God after He miraculously delivered them out of the bondage of Egypt. It represents His provision and protection, His loving care for them. The Tabernacle and Presence in the midst of man as protection and provision are expressed in scripture:

"Oh, how great is Your goodness, which You have laid up for those who fear You, which You have prepared for those who trust in You in the presence of the sons of men! You shall hide them in the secret place of Your presence from the plots of man; You shall keep them secretly in a pavilion ("sukkah") from the strife of tongues."   Ps. 31:19-20

And:

"...then the LORD will create above every dwelling place of Mount Zion, and above her assemblies, a cloud and smoke by day and the shining of a flaming (gleaming, polished point of a weapon or spear) fire (supernatural fire, altar fire) by night. For over all the glory there will be a covering. And there will be a tabernacle ("sukkah")  for shade (shadow, a defense) in the daytime from the heat (desolation, drying heat, dagger, cutting weapon), for a place of refuge, and for a shelter from storm (inundate, overwhelm) and rain."  Isa. 4:5-6

When Jesus came to us in the flesh, He came as a Tabernacle, to dwell among men, who could then be in the presence of His glory:

"And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth."  Jn. 1:14

Through His coming in the living flesh, His sacrifice, and  His resurrection, Jesus fulfilled the purpose of the Tabernacle. This allowed the subsequent infilling of the Holy Spirit to "dwell" in each believer on His name. We also then became living, spiritual tabernacles (1 Cor. 3:16, 2 Cor. 6:16) of the presence of the glory of God in the midst of men for their provision and protection, and for the purpose of being a living "signpost" (Zion) to all men of "THE WAY" to the Father through His Son (Christianity began as a Jewish sect called "The Way".) 
The Most High does not dwell in temples made with hands (Acts 7:48), but in living Tabernacles: the sukkah must be constructed of living branches and leaves. In the beginning, God planted (fastened) a living Sukkah to the earth in the form of the Garden of Eden, and then placed man within it (Gen. 2:8-9). The LORD walked in the midst of that living sukkah, and fellowshipped personally with the man.

We see the eternal will of God for tabernacle among men at the close of the Book of Revelation:

"And I heard a loud voice from heaven saying, "Behold the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them, and they shall be His people. God Himself will be with them and be their God. And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away."  Rev. 21:3-4

Can you imagine Almighty God gently wiping the tears from each of our eyes? This is the love He wants to express in His Tabernacle, and the intimate, personal fellowship He has always desired with each of us.

This is the picture of God's profound love that I find in the Feast of Tabernacles. Can there be any greater reason for remembering it with rejoicing?

 

Our Father desires to tabernacle with men.



Mercy (Pt 3 of 3)

This is Pt. 3 in a series covering these three fall feasts of the LORD commanded in scripture: the Feast of Trumpets (see the previous post, "NewMoon"), the Days of Awe/Repentance (see the previous post, "AWE"), and today's post, "Mercy" which is about Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement. These posts cannot cover all that can be said about these feasts, and their importance not only to the Jewish people, but also to all who know Jesus as Messiah and Lord. I wanted to look into them to discover how these feasts that have been ordained by God to all generations must also contain a great impact on my spiritual walk. God has a purpose for us in these feasts, as well as the revelation of Jesus within them. 
Let's do a brief review of the previous two posts, and then begin our look into Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement.
We found that as well as the significance of the shofar or trumpet, the Feast of Trumpets, Rosh Hashanah, is directly tied to the new moon (root word "chadash") of the month of Tishrei (meaning "beginning"). This feast marks the beginning of a process. The chadash meaning of the Feast of Trumpets involves renewal, restoration, rebuilding, as well as the polishing and cutting of a sword. The rapture of the church is the most dramatic "renewal" of all, and it is associated with the sounding of the trumpets on this feast day.
We begin that personal renewal, and the even wider process of renewal of creation, during the self-examination and repentance associated with the Days of Awe, the days between the Feast of Trumpets and Yom Kippur. Repentance is the means, but the end result the Lord is looking for in us is change. Jesus addressed His churches and sought this serious change in them in the Book of Revelation. Failure of the church to address and change our serious shortcomings would result in great loss, according to these scriptures (see chapters 2 and 3). Heeding the Holy Spirit, and seeking the changes that the Lord required of His churches would result in rewards.
According to the rabbis, on  the Feast of Trumpets, our names are written or inscribed into books based upon the Lord's examination and determination regarding us. On Yom Kippur, the names in those books are sealed, or finalized. We have the days in between to search ourselves and determine to change those things that would have us inscribed and sealed into judgment books, "to avert the severe decree", as it is taught by the rabbis. As we saw in the previous post, "AWE", for those not found inscribed in the (Lamb's) Book of Life, the ramifications can be very serious. even deadly. This judgment of Yom Kippur is not the judgment of the dead, but the judgment of the living.
While on Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement, our names are sealed in those books, Lev. 16 also shows us the pattern for the provision of the atonement and mercy of God, which are also imbedded in this feast day. As we saw in the previous entry, scripture says that mercy and judgment always dwell together in God. The Day of Atonement is a solemn feast day (Lev. 23:26-32). The LORD commands that we fast, pray, and afflict ourselves. We are not to be busy with "life as usual" on this day. The pattern of heavenly intercession for the sins of the people is revealed in this feast day as given to Moses from God (see Lev. 16). The High Priest entered the Holy of Holies with the blood of sacrifice, and sprinkled the blood on the Mercy Seat. This atoning blood was for himself and his family, the tabernacle, and all of the people.
In the prophetic fulfillment of this most holy purpose of the Day of Atonement, God has not relied upon man, but has appointed His only Son to be not only the blood of sacrifice (Heb. 9:13-14), but also the High Priest who applies the sacrificial blood (Heb. 6:20, Heb. 7:24-26), and the Mercy Seat (meaning of "propitiation" used in Rom. 3:25, 1 Jn. 2:2) itself upon which that holy blood is sprinkled. That Mercy Seat is the throne of the presence of the glory of the LORD. Jesus is the Person, the Place, and the Means, the All in All, of the mercy provision of God. Leviticus 16:17 tells us that while the High Priest is fulfilling his duty on this day, no man may be present in any part of the earthly tabernacle. Now, instead of men, who have weaknesses, to intercede as High Priest, using the blood of animals, God has appointed His Son, who has been perfected forever, to be our High Priest as on the Day of Atonement (Heb. 7:28). The purpose of the approach to the Mercy Seat is to seek mercy in the face of the judgment of the living sealed in the books, and to bring reconciliation of man with God.
The Book of Hebrews tells us that we too can now approach that Mercy Seat, having been cleansed ourselves through Christ (Heb. 10:19-23). We are not to forsake the assembling of ourselves together for this purpose, especially as we see this Day approaching, as some forsake it (Heb. 10:24-25). Here again, scripture tells us that the significance of these feast days are for the church, as well as for the Jewish people. Although it is the current custom of the church to ignore the true observance of these feast days, and the repentance and change that is required within them, we are warned in scripture not to overlook the significance in our walk:
"For if we sin willfully after we have received the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, but a certain fearful expectation of judgment, and fiery indignation which will devour the adversaries. Anyone who has rejected Moses' law dies without mercy on the testimony of two or three witnesses. Of how much worse punishment, do you suppose, will he be thought worthy who has trampled the Son of God underfoot, counted the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified a common thing, and insulted the Spirit of grace?..."The LORD will judge His people"...It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God."   Heb. 10:26-31 (see also Deut. 32:35-36)
The verses above were all written in the context of the fulfillment of the Day of Atonement by our High Priest, Jesus Christ. The whole Book of Hebrews teaches the church about this feast, and how it applies to the believers in Christ. The provision of this mercy, and its sanctification is forever. However, that doesn't mean we can take it for granted that the judgment of the living does not also apply to us as believers in Christ. Our Good Shepherd, Jesus, Who examines us, expects us to understand and observe the provision of mercy (and completed renewal) that pushes back the judgment deserved, and has been so lovingly and powerfully provided for us in this feast day. Are we diligent at the Mercy Seat of God on behalf of ourselves and all people? The mercy of Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement, is precious to our walk with Christ. That mercy cost our Father, and His dear Son everything.

Our Father has sent His mercy, His Son, to provide the atonement for us.

AWE (Pt. 2 of 3)

This entry is Part 2 of the discussion begun in the previous post, "NewMoon". You will find it helpful if you read that post first. There will be a Part 3 dealing with Yom Kippur , the Day of Atonement, following this entry.
In part 1, "Newmoon", we discussed how important this time of year and its ordained feasts are, not only to the Jewish people and Israel, but to all believers in Christ as well. It is a time, over the course of these next ten days called the Days of Awe, or the Days of Repentance (Teshuvah), following the Feast of Trumpets, to take the opportunity that the Lord has given to examine ourselves, repent, and change before the judgment of Yom Kippur is finalized or "sealed". The Feast of Trumpets is directly associated with the new moon that begins the month of Tishrei ("beginning"). That new moon means renewal, restoration, repair, rebuilding, even the cutting/polishing (of a sword) according to the meaning of its Hebrew root word, chadash. Our repentance and determination to change what we need to change within us individually, also institutes the same renewal, restoration and repair on a far wider scale (see scriptures from "NewMoon").
For the Feast of Trumpets, there is a poem ("piyyut") or writing that is included in the liturgy of the synagogue/temple. It has been called "one of the most stirring compositions in the entire liturgy of the Days of Awe." This poem is called "Unetanah Tokef". Although I will be referring to excerpts from it, it is too lengthy to include it in its entirety on this post, so I am providing a link to it (here). When I read it, it seems to me to parallel the Book of Revelation in an awesome way.
The Days of Awe for reflection and repentance, concluded by Yom Kippur when the inscriptions of judgment (in the Book of Life, or the Book of Death) are sealed, is not about the judgment of the dead, with which we are familiar. It is the weighing and judging of the living by God. 
In Chapter 2 and Chapter 3 of the Book of Revelation, Christ addresses the seven churches, and calls them to repent and change the troubling issues He has found in them, and also commends them for what He has found pleasing in them. Judgment means "justice", receiving what we deserve, good or bad. According to these chapters in Revelation, Jesus told the churches that if they did not repent and change in the problem areas He had seen in them, He would remove something vital from them. They will suffer a loss. If they do repent and change, they will gain something precious from Him.
The Book of Revelation tells us, therefore, that the believers are also called to difficult days of repentance and change, in the face of Christ's examination and pending judgment. This is not something we can ignore, incorrectly thinking that the requirements of these fall feast days do not pertain to us. Jesus also describes Himself as having "the sharp, two-edged sword" (Rev. 2:12), which brings us back to remembering the meaning of the New Moon root, chadash.
The Piyyut of the Feast of Trumpets/Rosh Hashanah referred to above, says in part regarding this examination and judgment:
And all creatures shall parade before You as a troop.
As a shepherd herds his flock,
Causing his sheep to pass beneath his staff,
So do You cause to pass, count, and record,
Visiting the souls of all living,
Decreeing the length of their days,
Inscribing their judgment.
On Rosh Hashanah it is inscribed,
And on Yom Kippur it is sealed.
Our Good Shepherd inspects us, and all living, not the dead at this time, and inscribes the judgment. He is also described as follows in the Piyyut:
In truth...
The exhorter, the all-knowing, the witness,
He who inscribes and seals...
You open the book of remembrance...
And the seal of each person is there.
We are inscribed on the Feast of Trumpets, and the judgment is sealed on Yom Kippur.
Christ opens the seals of the scroll that no one else can open (Rev. 5:1-3).  Rev. 7:3, and 9:4 describe a seal that has been placed upon people. He also identifies Himself as the faithful and true witness (Rev. 3:14).
The Piyyut also says that it is at this time that it is decided who shall live and who shall die. The various manners of death, and suffering for the living are described in the Piyyut as being by water and thirst (Rev. 8:10-11), fire (Rev. 9:17-18), sword (Rev. 6:8), wild beast (also Rev. 6:8), famine (Rev. 6:5-6, 8), earthquake (Rev. 6:12), plague (Rev. 16:1-2, 21).
Some, as a result of judgment, will not attain peace and rest but will be pursued (Rev. 6:3-4), and tormented (Rev. 9:5-6).
As the Piyyut comes to a close, it brings forth a truth that is completely revealed only in the Book of Revelation:
Your name is fitting unto You...and our name has been called by Your name.
Revelation 3:12, 14:1, and 22:3-4 all refer to those who have had the name of the Lord written upon them, or given to them.
The Piyyut also points out the mercy of God that gives us all the opportunity to repent, and change ourselves and the judgments written against us saying of God:
You are difficult to anger and easy to appease. For You do not desire the death of the condemned, but that he turn from his path and live.
The Apostle Peter gave us this same insight when he wrote:
"The Lord...is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance."   2 Pet. 3:9
Peter then goes on to write that at the time of judgment, the heavens and earth melt, and pass away. Because of this, we look then for the new heavens and the new earth to come. The Book of Revelation also concludes with this renewal of the heavens and earth (Rev. 21:1). This is also in accord with the renewal found in chadash, the New Moon of Tishrei ("Beginning"), the Feast of Trumpets, or Rosh Hashanah. This feast marks the beginning of creation to the Jews, and as such, it must include Jesus, who called Himself "the Beginning of the creation of God" (Rev. 3:14).
I think we can see that throughout the Book of Revelation, Jesus continually uses words and phrases which would immediately bring to the remembrance of His Jewish-based Church the following: the call to the Days of Awe, beginning with the Feast of Trumpets with its New Moon, and the chadash renewal attached to it, the sealing of judgment on Yom Kippur, but also the sprinkling of the blood of atonement upon the mercy seat (the propitiation) of God by our eternal High Priest for all of those who will heed the call of the feasts, and receive that mercy. 
As priests before God, we also, through our own obedience and faith, take part in the approach to the mercy seat, which the Jews call the throne of God, and the application of that blood of mercy of the sacrificed Lamb of God represented by Yom Kippur. Yom Kippur reflects the truth that mercy and judgment reside side by side in God:
"In mercy the throne will be established; And One will sit on it in truth, in the tabernacle of David, judging and seeking justice and hastening righteousness."  Isa. 16:5 (see also Ps. 89:14, Ps. 101:1, Hos. 12:6)
The Apostle James tells us that mercy rejoices against judgment (Jam. 2:13).
Please see the next installment in this series entitled "Mercy", which studies Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement, the next feast of the LORD.

Our Father has revealed His call to repentance, His seal of judgment, and His provision of mercy in the Days of Awe, and Yom Kippur.

NewMoon (Pt. 1 of 3)

I would like to tell you some wonderful things about the fall feast, Yom Teruah, the Feast of Trumpets (Lev. 23:23-26), which we are about to observe. It is also known as Rosh Hashanah. There is so much to tell you about this feast and the ten days that follow leading up to the next feast, Yom Kippur, that it will require two blog entries. So please also read the next entry, "AWE", which will be posted a few days after this one.
The LORD commanded all the generations of Israel to keep the feast days as holy appointments with Him. However, these feasts, both spring and fall feasts, are not just for the Jewish people. All of the feasts are a type and shadow of the Messiah for whom Israel was to wait and watch for in faith. Jesus, of whom the feasts prophetically pertained, faithfully observed them, and the apostles wrote and taught about the feasts. For those of us who have experiential knowledge of the Messiah, Jesus, how much more important is it for us to know and observe the significance of these feast days, and to incorporate that knowledge of Christ into them? 
The Feast of Trumpets is the first day of the month of Tishrei ("beginning" ), so it is the beginning of beginnings. As we will see, this feast marks the beginning, not only of the secular Jewish year, but of a vital spiritual process.
Elul is the month before Tishrei, and it is the month we are in now as of this post. It is the last month of the Jewish secular year. From the 14th century, Jews have understood the letters of Elul to be an acronym, (Hebrew letters aleph, lamed, vav, lamed) for the phrase Ani l'dodi v'dodi li which translates, "I am my beloved's, and my beloved is mine." (Song of Songs 6:3). To us, this verse, as well as the entire Song of Songs, refers prophetically to our Messiah and His Bride. The Aramaic meaning of Elul is "to search". In the Song of Songs, the Shulamite (to be perfect, to be peaceful, to be in a covenant of peace, to be complete, be finished, to make whole, restore, to be performed) woman must search for her Beloved, her Bridegroom.
The Feast of Trumpets is not only associated with the blowing of the shofar, which also signals the rapture of the Church in scripture (1 Cor. 15:51-55), but its timing is directly tied into the first appearance of the new moon which marks the beginning of the month of Tishrei. It is a feast that is directly associated with the new moon. For this feast to begin, the new moon must be  watched for diligently and then the shofars, or trumpets, are sounded when it is first spotted in the sky. Therefore, we may not know the exact day and hour (Mt. 24:36, 25:13) when this feast will begin. We only know as a result of looking up, and watching or searching the skies when we see these things begin (Lk. 21:28).
Psalm 81:3 also refers to this feast, and rather than the English translation we have, the Aramic/Targum phrase with which Israel would be familiar is, "in the month in which the day of our festival is concealed". This commanded feast of the LORD, left so vaguely described in Leviticus, requires us to search it out for its meaning and importance. So let the search begin!
The Hebrew root word used for "new moon", with which this feast is so closely associated, is chadash. This means, "renew, make anew, repair, renew oneself, to rebuild, restore, cutting or polishing (a sword)". The pictographic meanings attached to the Hebrew letters of the word khadash: cheth, daleth, shin, might be expressed by the idea of a separation, a wall, between a protected inner chamber, and a sharp devouring, consuming, destruction as with teeth. In this wall there is a door, by which movement into or out of is provided. Either you can enter in, with the door closed against the destruction, or you can be outside the door, separated from the protection of the inner chamber. To enter through the door involves a path or way of life. 
This feast and its connection with the new moon includes in its meaning that it is a time to make a changing choice. On one side there is renewal, repair rebuilding and restoration. On the other side, there waits destruction.
This new moon root word, chadash, appears in other verses:
"Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me."  David, Ps. 51:10
"Who satisfieth thy mouth with good things; so that thy youth is renewed like the eagle's."
                                                                                                            David, Ps. 103:5
However, chadash also carries far beyond the individual:
"...and they shall repair the waste cities, the desolations of many generations." Isa. 61:4

"...let us go to Gilgal (a wheel, rolling), and renew the kingdom there."  1 Sam. 11:14
"...Asa...put away the abominable idols..., and renewed (NKJV-restored) the altar of   the LORD..."   2 Chron.15:8
"...Joash was minded to repair the house of the LORD."  2 Chron. 24:4, 12
"Thou sendest forth thy spirit, they are created: and thou renewest the face of the earth."
                                                                                                               Ps. 104:30
Individuals, cities, the kingdom, the altars and the house of the LORD, and even the whole earth are affected: renewed, restored, repaired by the chadash, new moon renewal.
Believers are familiar with the idea of renewal and restoration. We see many references in the New Testament to the "new" things promised through Christ, who is the Messiah prophesied in this feast: new wine, new tongues, new wine in new bottles, a new lump, a new creature, a new man, a new testament, a new living way, a new name, new heavens and a new earth, New Jerusalem, and "make all things new".
How far reaching the renewal is! It starts within ourselves, but it is not limited to ourselves. We, who have been given all of these promises of renewal in Christ, must understand the importance of this renewal feast, not only to us, but to all creation. However this renewal is a process. It is a process with a beginning. This process, this "path or way of life", begins with repentance. This may not sound like fun, but the result and reward is miraculous renewal.
The chadash renewal of Tishrei begins on the feast day of Trumpets, but there are ten days that follow this day. These are the Days of Awe/Repentance, or Aseret Yemei Teshuvah. The ten days end at the next feast of Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement. The rabbis say that these ten days are given to us for an opportunity to change, and an opportunity given to be written and then sealed in the Book of Life, rather than the Book of Death. Believers know this book as the Lamb's Book of Life (Phil. 4:3, Rev. 3:5, 13:8, and more). Though believers may not be familiar specifically with the Book of Death taught by the rabbis, we know that there is more than one book consulted in judgment:
"And I saw the dead, small and great, standing before God, and books were opened. And another book was opened, which is the Book of Life. And the dead were judged according to their works, by the things which were written in the books."   Rev. 20:12
As the rabbis teach that on the Feast of Trumpets, we are written into one of these books. We are given the ten days between the two feasts for repentance (change of mind, feeling regret, a determination to change, an effort to repair the affects of one's misdeeds), prayer, and charity for change and renewal, before we are sealed into the book on Yom Kippur. Our repentance determines on which side of the "door" we choose to be. 
We may say, "I am Christ's, so I am saved from all", but scripture doesn't say we are guaranteed to be saved from this destruction. Our "works" define how we are building on the foundation of that protective khadash wall. Are we building with gold, silver, and precious stones, or wood, hay, and stubble-things which can burn? Our useless works will be burned, and we will be saved as through fire. The Day (yom) will declare it (1 Cor. 3:9-15). Christ said that we must pray that we are worthy to escape these things and to stand before Him (Lk. 21:36). At that last trump, when Christ returns, we who are in Christ, whether dead or still alive, will meet Him in the air for sure (1 Cor. 15:51-52, 1 Thess. 4:16-17), but we don't want to meet Him singed and smoky! At least, that's the way I'm looking at this opportunity found in these feast days.
The Prophet Jeremiah wrote:
"Turn us back ("shuv" , part of teshuvah or repentance: to turn, return, restore, refresh, repair) to You, O LORD, and we will be restored; renew our days as of old, unless You have utterly rejected us, and are very angry with us!"  Lam. 5:21-22
We can also see this call to "shuv" , or repentance, again in the Song of Songs. The Beloved (Bridegroom) and His friends tell the Shulamite woman, His beloved:
"Return, return ("shuv, shuv") O Shulamite;  Return, return ("shuv, shuv") that we may look upon you!"  Song of Songs 6:13
The Beloved even repeated the call twice for emphasis in the above verse.
The "search" in the month of Elul, the "beginning" found in the month of Tishrei, the new moon chadash renewal of the Feast of Trumpets, and the following ten Days of Awe/Repentance, are not just for the Jews and Israel, but for the Church, the Bride, all believers. These days given for our repentance and change impact all creation.
We are being examined by the LORD and His Spirit over these ten days (see next post, "AWE"), and according to the verses cited earlier, the resulting process of repentance and renewal has far reaching affects. The Jews carry out this period with only a prophetic knowledge of Messiah. We come to these same feasts and ten days with the sure and living knowledge of Christ. How much more effective can a believer be in this spiritual renewal of self, cities, years, kingdom, heaven and earth as we obey the command of the feasts through Christ?
In Part 2 of this topic titled "AWE", which will be posted a few days after this entry, we will see how this feast of Trumpets, its following ten days, and Yom Kippur are represented in Jewish traditional liturgy, and revealed in a powerful, parallel manner by Jesus in the Book of Revelation.

Our Father has called us to the Feast of Trumpets' new moon chadash restoration, renewal and repentance.

Psalms

If it is even possible to measure and weigh such a thing, to me the Book of Psalms is one of the greatest books of scripture. It has everything: prayer, song, worship, praise, prophecy, even Messianic prophesy, and deep spiritual revelations. Every time I open the Book of Psalms, I find something new and amazing.
King David did not write all of the psalms, but he organized the use of psalms in worship. As the Israelites carried the ark of the covenant up to the tabernacle in the City of David, David, after consulting God regarding the proper order, assigned the singers and musicians:
"Then David spoke to the leaders of the Levites to appoint their brethren to be the singers accompanied by instruments of music, stringed instruments, harps, and cymbals, by raising the voice with resounding joy."  1 Chron. 15:16
The instruments appointed by God to David to be played with the psalms were just as important as the voices that would sing them:
"Moreover David and the captains of the army separated for the service some of the sons of Asaph ("gatherer", gather/harvest, to gather in, take away, assemble, to be brought in, together), of Heman ("faithful", believe, assurance, trust, steadfast, established, verified, made firm/sure/lasting, pillars, be carried by a nurse, confirmed, stand firm, to be certain) , and of Jeduthun ("praising", celebrating, make confession, give thanks, cast out, to revere or worship with extended hands, to throw a stone, shoot an arrow), who should prophesy with harps, stringed instruments, and cymbols..."  1 Chron. 25:1
These specifically chosen men and their sons following, were to prophesy on their instruments. Several psalms, according to traditional knowledge, had instrumental breaks ("higgayon/higgayon sela") amid the singing so the instruments alone could prophesy (examples: Ps. 9:17, Ps. 92:3-4).
Regarding the presence and importance of stringed instruments used for the Psalms, it is interesting that in Rev. 14, those who follow the Lamb, Jesus, wherever He goes have the voices of harps (v. 1-5). The harp is the voice of the redeemed! Since the instruments of the Psalms were given to David by God, and are called "the musical instruments of God" (1 Chron. 16:42) we can rejoice that we, the redeemed of Christ, known to God before the foundation of the world, were included in the Psalms, and are voicing our prophetic praise within them.
Even the musical instructions at the beginning of some of the Psalms carried great significance: 
Psalm 9: To the tune of "Death of the Son" or "To Die for the Son"/Muth Labben
Psalm 22: "The Deer (or great ram) of the Dawn (dayspring, rise, early, seek early, to look for diligently with painstaking care)"/ Aijeleth Hashahar
Psalm 45, 69, 80: Set to "The Lilies" (for whiteness and trumpet shape, to rejoice, exult, to be bright, be glad, to leap, to spring / Shoshannim, A Song of Love
Psalm 56: Set to "The Silent Dove in Distant Lands (or strangers)/ Jonath Elem Rechokim
Psalms 57, 58, 59, 75: Set to "Do Not Destroy" or Thou Must Not Destroy, Corrupt/ Al Tascheth
Psalm 60: Set to "Lily of the Testimony (evidence, testimony, witness)"/ Shushan Eduth
Often, Jesus has been called "The Lily of the Valley" among Christians, and there was also a hymn written with that title. He is mentioned as a "lily" prophetically in Song of Songs 2:1-2.
The apostles encouraged the believers in Christ to sing psalms (Eph. 5:19, Col. 3:16, James 5:13). It is believed that the "hymns" that Jesus sang with His disciples after the Passover Meal, or Last Supper (Mt. 26:30), and the songs sung by Paul and Silas while they were in prison (Acts 16:25) were the Psalms 113-118, 136, which are the Pascal Psalms, also called "The Great Hallel", sung after the fourth cup of blessing in the Passover Seder.
The Apostles quoted from the Psalms in their teachings to the Church. One such quote shows us the riches and depth of the Psalms:
"...to each one of us, grace was given according to the measure of Christ's gift. Therefore He says, "When He ascended on high, He led captivity captive, and gave gifts to men." (Now this, "He ascended" - what does it mean but that He also first descended into the lower parts of the earth?...)  Eph. 4:7-9 
Paul quotes Psalm 68:18 above, and revealed that this verse refers to the Messiah. From this verse in Psalms, Paul reveals to us that Jesus descended into Hell, and then took those held in Sheol out with Him when He conquered death, Hell, and the grave, before He ascended to His Father. The Apostle Peter also tells us that Jesus preached to the captives in Hell (1 Pet. 3:18-19).
When we go back to that verse in Psalms, and look at it in the original Hebrew, we discover something amazing. The root word for the phrase "led captivity" (shebeh/shebun) means "a precious stone on the breastplate of the high priest". It was a stone with divisions of "flashes and flame". The Book of Hebrews makes clear that Jesus is our High Priest, not a mortal high priest like the Levites, but an eternal High Priest, after the order of Melchizedek, who had no beginning and no ending (Heb. 5:9-10, 6:19-20, 7:1-3). This verse in the Psalms not only tells us that the earthly Levitical high priest wore a stone on his breastplate that represented the captives of Hell, but also that this stone prophesied Messiah's deliverance of those captives. This verse reveals the truth that our eternal, heavenly High Priest must also have worn this priestly breastplate and captivity stone from eternity, since the earthly things were patterned after the heavenly (Heb. 8:4-6). Jesus entered Hell and ascended with the captives as part of His role as High Priest forever. This is only one example of the depths found in just one verse from the Psalms.
The reading of the Psalms is considered so important, that groups called, "Hevrot t'hillim",  societies of Psalm readers, divide the Psalms among themselves and read them daily at the Western Wall in Jerusalem. Every day, the rich prophetic prayers and worship contained in the Psalms are spoken on earth, as they exist in heaven.
I encourage you to read and meditate upon the Psalms and all the scriptures.

Our Father has placed eternal depths of truth in the Psalms.
 

Test

There is a command in the word of God that is trickier than it seems on its surface, yet it is vital to our spiritual lives. This is the command:
"Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test (test, examine, prove, scrutinize (as metals), to recognize as genuine after examination) the spirits, whether they are of God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world."  1 Jn. 4:1
Deceiving spirits are very subtle and cunning (Gen. 3:1). Since the warning and commandment above is given to believers, we can conclude that it is possible for believers to be deceived. Individuals and whole nations can be deceived, as we see around us daily. In the Book of Acts, the Bereans ("well-watered"; to pierce through/beyond the other side) searched the scriptures daily in order to discover if what they were being told, in this case by apostles Paul and Silas, was true (Acts 17:10-12). The Bereans were eager to hear from them, but didn't automatically accept nor reject what they heard, but tested it, authenticated it by searching scripture. As a result, they became strong believers. Neither the apostles, nor scripture considered the Bereans as being disrespectful to the Holy Spirit because of this careful confirmation and authentication process of theirs, but referred to them as "noble".
We are told, "do not quench the Spirit. Do not despise prophecies. Test all things; hold fast what is good." (1 Thess. 5:19-21).
The LORD says of false prophets that come in His name, and I want to include false prophesying spirits here as well, "I have not sent them, commanded them, nor spoken to them; they prophesy to you a false vision, divination, a worthless thing, and the deceit of their heart." (Jer. 14:14).
Proverbs tells us, "The simple believes every word, but the prudent considers well his steps ." (14:15).
Challengingly, the scripture also says that God can send false prophets, and I again want to include false prophetic spirits, in order to test His prophets, and to test His people in general, "to know whether you love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul." (Deut. 13:3, 1 Ki. 13:11-26). One old prophet paid with his life for not correctly testing what he was told was the word of the LORD by another verified prophet. Doesn't sound fair, does it? But the LORD has to test us to know if we can discern the truth from the lie, especially in those whom He has specially called.
However, the testing of spirits does not apply only to our discerning of others. It also involves testing those spirits speaking within ourselves as well. Are we testing the spirits of what we spiritually hear and see? Are we testing those spiritual words and prophecies that seem to be spoken or shown to us by what we believe to be the Holy Spirit? We are to test the spirits, and not just quickly accept and believe all that we perceive is being spiritually revealed to us. We live in perilous times, when people are deceiving and being deceived (2 Tim. 3:13). Like the Bereans, we need to search the scriptures to authenticate the spiritual word coming forth.
There is one giant roadblock to our effectively testing the spirits of others, and ourselves. This roadblock is spiritual pride. The greatest experts in the world tested Jesus to discern if He was indeed the Messiah, the Christ. Their own spiritual pride, religious agenda and self-righteousness prevented them from accepting what their tests clearly revealed: the authenticity of the Man who stood before them, the One who was sent by His Father to save them.
Because of this same spiritual pride, we often do not test what the Holy Spirit is seemingly speaking to us. Is what we are hearing really the Holy Spirit, or is it a lying spirit sent to test us, or to make us turn onto the wrong path? It is not blasphemous or evil to test every spirit. It is commanded. Stop, think, measure, weigh. God will not be angry with you.
Satan knows all about this trap of spiritual pride. He fell into it himself. He is the master of it. He is defined by it (Ezek. 28:12-15, Isa. 14:12-15). His workers, those deceitful spirits, are attracted to the spiritual pride that they see in us, knowing that we are open to deception because of it. Even Jesus was brought into the wilderness by the Holy Spirit to be tested by the lying spirit, Satan (Lk. 4:1-13). Not only did Jesus pass the test of the moment, but He successfully tested and challenged the spirit that was speaking to Him by a true comparison with the Word of God. Jesus was not only tested in His true and complete knowledge of the Word (He IS the Word) however. He was also tested in the area of spiritual pride (v. 6-7 and 9-11). There was no spiritual pride found in Jesus by which He could be hooked and fooled. These verses of the tempting of Christ found in Luke are an important study for us, deeper than would appear on a quick reading, dealing with common flaws not only in the human character, but in the religious character as well.
We are told in 1 John that the Spirit of God will always confess that Jesus Christ came in the flesh, while the lying spirits will not so confess and testify (1 Jn. 4:2-3). Therefore the lying spirits should be very easy for a believer to discern, right? I don't think so, because the lying spirits are subtle. The effect on our lives of these untested spirits takes the form of separating us from our faith, from fellow believers, from the completion of our assignment and place in the Body of Christ. This is a form of denying Jesus having come in the flesh, as His having come is manifested in us. These spirits will increasingly take us out of the Holy Spirit, and into the flesh, out of the Word of God, and into our own imaginations, as they are given the opportunity by our refusal to test them.
Perhaps we think that because we have been walking in faith for so long, having had the experience of hearing from the Holy Spirit so often in our lives, that we no longer need to test the spirits, because "we know the real thing when we hear it, when we feel it." Scripture does not allow this kind of exception to its command to "test the spirits". Remember the example of the old, experienced prophet in 1 Kings 13, mentioned above. These spirits don't come wearing signs that say, "I'm a liar; don't believe me." They come with convincing lies.
Recently it was reported that two gifted leaders, one a worship psalmist and the other a church leader, left the ministry saying that they were no longer of the Christian faith! What spirit have they been listening to that would cause them to completely abandon their faith? Evidently, these two men had been listening to these lying spirits for quite some time until the point came when they ended up denying Christ, which is the identifying test for these spirits, according to 1 John. We might say of ourselves, "That could never happen to me!" That is exactly the kind of spiritual pride that opens the door to just this kind of deceiving spirit. Scripture warns of a falling away that must occur before the day of the Lord, before His return (2 Thess. 2:3). Many believers, even strong, gifted believers will abandon their belief. Even the elect will be vulnerable to these deceiving spirits (Mt. 24:24). We are seeing this already.
Accepting what we are told by spirits without testing them can be very harmful to others as well. Because of this, Jesus remarked to His disciples on one occasion, "Ye know not what manner of spirit ye are of." (Lk. 9:55). Our untested words can have a harmful effect on the hearers, as well as on ourselves.
Seven times in the Book of Revelation Jesus makes this statement, "He that hath an ear let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches."  Jesus wanted us to hear from the Holy Spirit, and only the Holy Spirit.
All will be tested. All that can be shaken, will be shaken. None of us are exempt. We will be tested to see if we will test. These times in which we are living makes this of vital importance to us.

Our Father has commanded us to test the spirits to see if they are of Him.