TAPping into the Shadows

 

TAPping into the Shadows: (T - T’ruah, A - Atonement, P – Pesach) 

It seems like yesterday, when we were standing, “Nitzavim”, before the door of YHVH’s fall feasts, especially on the threshold of Yom T’ruah, the day of the sounding of the Shofar which heralds the appointments of YHVH with His people. 

Over the years we have been presented with many teachings, both from the Hebrew Roots movement and Jewish sages, in regards to YHVH’s feasts.  But now, since we are experiencing a “new normal”, we may want to re-examine the feasts, and especially what their prophetic significance may be saying to us, being reminded of the apostle’s words from Colossians that, the feasts, new moons, etc “are a shadow of what is to come” (2:17), meaning that they are prophetic. When YHVH decides to bring to light His hidden mysteries into our reality, changes begin to happen to us individually, as well as corporately. If this is true, from last year’s Yom T’ruah to this year’s we should see noticeable changes on many levels of life, none clearer than the working of His purposes for establishing His kingdom’s righteousness, His rule of justice, and the reality of His presence in our hearts and in our relationships. 

Remembering (calling to mind) is a very important part of Yom T’ruah.  Can we look back and see how His Spirit was plowing up our fallow ground, or pruning our vine after last year’s harvest?  Were we aware of that new seed (His word) that He sowed, or the new growth on the vine? Were we thankful for the rains of grace that fell upon the fields? Or did we experience those birds that came to pick up some of the seed, or perhaps those tares that were stealing water and nourishment from the same ground?  What about those thistles that, just appeared from nowhere, to try and cut off our life force before we could bear fruit? Yet, here we are again standing at the gate to bring ourselves before the Almighty, the Holy One of Israel. 

Are we really ready to blow the Shofar? Are we ready to walk through the entrance and stand before Him in reverence and awe?  Is He, in His great mercy, going to show us how guilty we are because of our past failures to live up to His standard of “righteousness”? Or, will He place before us “the blood of the Lamb”?  Over and over again in the generations of Yoseph/Israel and Judah/Israel YHVH reminded them, “to remember when I brought YOU out of the land of bondage [Egypt]”.  These words had to do with Pesach, which is a shadow of something yet to come - how about the greater Exodus?

As you know, in Jewish tradition the first of the seventh month is called “Rosh HaShanah”, the head of the year. Maybe it is no mistake, as it is a reminder to go back to the first month and walk through it again in the seventh, remembering our bondage to sin and its consequent death, AND the GRACE and MERCY, through the Life of the Lamb, in whom we have “atonement/propitiation”. While the day of Atonement/Kippurim is on the 10^th of the seventh month, looking back to Aviv we find that the lambs chosen for the Pesach offering were carried into Jerusalem also on the 10th and examined for three days, and on the 14th gave up their lives to atone for the sins of the people. Yeshua too, rode the colt of a donkey into Jerusalem on the 10th day and on the 14^th gave up His life to atone for the sin of His kinsmen.

There is no way of understanding the Day of Atonement in the seventh month unless one goes back to the first month, to Pesach.  When you read the following verses from the book of Hebrews keep in mind YHVH’s words spoken to the House of Jacob in Exodus 19:4-6 ”You have seen what I did to the Egyptians, and how I bore you on eagles' wings and brought you to Myself  (ultimate reconciliation) . 'Now therefore, if you will indeed obey My voice and keep My covenant, then you shall be a special treasure to Me above all people; for all the earth is Mine. And you shall be to Me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation” (emphases added). These words were spoken to Israel three days before they experienced the great sound of the Shofar and the awesome presence of the Almighty coming down on Mount Sinai.  This is another experience to remember on Yom T’ruah, because it is part of “when I brought YOU out of the land of bondage”.

Now here is what we hear from the book of Hebrews: “For both He [Yeshua] who sanctifies and those who are being sanctified are all of one, for which reason He is not ashamed to call them brethren,  saying: ‘I will declare Your name to My brethren; In the midst of the assembly I will sing praise to You.’ And again: ‘I will put My trust in Him.’  And again:’Here am I and the children whom Elohim has given Me.’ As a kinsman redeemer, Yeshua came to His brothers of the House of Jacob. “In as much then as the children have partaken of flesh and blood, He Himself likewise shared in the same, that through death He might destroy him who had the power of death, that is, the devil, [Pharoh/Egypt] and release [the Exodus] those who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage. For indeed He does not give aid to angels, but He does give aid to the seed of Abraham. Therefore, in all things He [Yeshua] had to be made like His brethren [the children of Israel], that He might be a merciful and faithful High Priest in things pertaining to Elohim, to make propitiation/atonement for the sins of the people.  For in that He Himself has suffered, being tempted, He is able to aid those who are tempted” (Hebrews 2:11-18 emphasis added).   

Now that you know the connection between the Day of Atonement and Pesach you should afflict you soul” (ref. Leviticus 16:29) with humility AND gratitude, rejoicing that YHVH has provided atonement through the blood of Yeshua.  Perhaps once we know who the “YOU” (in the scriptures above) is referring to, we will better understand on Yom T’ruah and Yom HaKippurim our destiny and the hope that comes to us through the sounding of the Shofar: “A shadow of things yet to come”.