P.O. Box 564 Pearland, TX 77588
Phone: 713-624-0943
October, 2016
Romans 15: 26-27
What the LORD is doing...
Special High Holidays Edition
by Dov Schwarz Co-Founder, Blessing Israeli Believers
The Fall Feasts Are Here!
What a special month is upon us! The Fall Feasts are here! Often times the Feasts are divided up during the months of September and October but this year they are all in October-Yom Teruah (traditionally called Rosh HaShanah), Yom Kippur (Day of Atonement), and Succot (Booths or Tabernacles). Also, these Feasts collectively are called the "Feast of Tabernacles".
These Holy Days fulfill the prophetic cycle of the Feasts or Festivals as they are a picture, type, and shadow of Messiah Yeshua (Jesus) and His prophetic work of redemption!
Colossians 2:16 So let no one judge you in food or in drink, or regarding a festival or a new moon or sabbaths, 17 which are a shadow of things to come, but the substance is of Christ.
Passover shadowed the Passover Lamb of God, Messiah Jesus. Unleavened Bread shadowed His sinlessness and righteousness. First fruits-His resurrection, and Pentecost the baptism and filling of the Holy Spirit-the birth of the one new man in Messiah Jesus! These have been fulfilled, but the Fall Feasts point to that which we watch for--the unfolding fulfillment of the prophetic scenarios that are upon us at any moment!
Yom Teruah is the Day of Blowing Trumpets! Paul told us in 1 Thessalonians 4 and 1 Corinthians 15 of the trump of the Lord which points to the ''catching away' or 'rapture' of the New Covenant saints. Yom Kippur or Day of Atonement points to the glorious day when according to Zechariah 12:10 all of Israel that survives the tribulation will be saved upon the return of Messiah Jesus to sit on the throne of David-this is when all of Israel will be saved-Romans 11:25. Israel will be cleansed of their sin when they see Messiah Yeshua-Hallelujah!
Succot-literally "Booths" and also referred to as "Tabernacles" reminds us today of the faithfulness of the LORD to keep Israel in temporary dwellings through the wilderness on their way to the Promised Land. Yet today for His New Covenant people we also see this same faithfulness as we are living in temporary dwellings---these frail and corrupted by sin bodies causing this wilderness creation to travail in sin. When our Lord Jesus returns to sit on the throne of David our New Covenant bodies will no longer have sin! Then our King Messiah Jesus will tabernacle or dwell with us forever and ever! These Feasts are mentioned in Leviticus 23.
An interesting quote from Rabbi Michael Zeitler's book "Why Is Israel Supernatural?" should especially interest our American friends: "The famous Thanksgiving dinner that the pilgrims shared with the natives was actually a Feast of Tabernacles, or Succoth, that was held on October 6, 1621-not in the month of November. The Pilgrims celebrated all the Feasts of Israel!"
Blessing Israeli Believers Feast of Tabernacles Tour
Our first BIB Israel Tour is during this special season and during Succot, which is the most crowded time of the year in Israel. Religious Jews from all over the world come according to the Old Testament and Rabbinical Judaism for this season in Israel. Many thousands of Zionist Born Again Christians also come from all over the world for what I like to call "The biggest Jesus party on earth!" It is such a good time!!! BIB's Co-Founders John McTernan and myself Dov Schwarz will be leading this tour and there will be twenty-eight of us celebrating King Jesus in Zion!
Schwarz Aliyah Update
This is our second year to celebrate the Fall Feasts as "New Olim"-Immigrants to our homeland. Amongst many trials, that are too many to name in this letter, there have been many more blessings, too many to count, and more than abundant grace that holds and keeps us here. A special thank you to our many friends, brothers and sisters in Messiah Yeshua, and supporters for whom we are extremely grateful to Messiah Jesus!
May our Savior richly bless you during this special time of the year and may we remember to lift up our heads knowing that our redemption draws near!
Romans 15:26-27 For it hath pleased them of Macedonia and Achaia to make a certain contribution for the poor saints which are at Jerusalem. It hath pleased them verily; and their debtors they are. For if the Gentiles have been made partakers of their spiritual things, their duty is also to minister unto them in carnal (material) things.