ECCE

                                                                           Jewish   Ketubah Marriage Contract                 This season of the fall feasts of the LORD also brings to mind the coming Marriage Supper of the Lamb. The marriage between the Bride of Christ and the Bridegroom, Jesus, reflects the traditional practices of the Jewish wedding. The Marriage Supper of the Lamb, Jesus, is shown in Revelation 19:7-10: "Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honour to him: for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife hath made herself ready. And to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white: for the fine linen is the righteousness of saints. And he saith unto me, Write, Blessed are they which are called unto the marri...

      The Feast of Tabernacles, also called Sukkot meaning "Booth, tabernacle," is the third fall feast of the LORD. It follows the Feast of Trumpets and Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement. The Feast of Tabernacles is described in Leviticus 23: "And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, Speak unto the children of Israel, saying, The fifteenth day of this seventh month shall be the feast of tabernacles for seven days unto the LORD. On the first day shall be a holy convocation: ye shall do no servile work therein. Seven days ye shall offer an offering made by fire unto the LORD: on the eighth day shall be a holy convocation unto you; and ye shall offer an offering made by fire unto the LORD: it is a solemn assembly; and ye shall do no servile work therein. These are the feasts of the LORD which ye shall proclaim to be holy convocations...Also in the fifteenth day of the seventh month when ye have gathered in the fruit of the land, ye shall keep a feast unto the LORD seven days...

     The Jewish people consider Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement, which is an upcoming fall Feast of the LORD, to be the holiest day on the Jewish calendar. It was the one day of the year when the High Priest would enter the Holy of Holies of the Tabernacle or Temple with the blood of sacrifice to make atonement for the sins of the people, and prepare the way of regeneration. Today, it is considered that what was begun on Rosh Hashanah, the Feast of Trumpets, is completed ten days later on Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement.      The Day of Atonement is described in Leviticus 23: "And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, Also on the tenth day of this seventh month there shall be a day of atonement: it shall be a holy convocation unto you; and ye shall afflict your souls, and offer an offering made by fire unto the LORD. And ye shall do no work in that same day: for it is a day of atonement, to make an atonement for you before the LORD your God. For whatsoever s...

                                                                                      On the Feast of Trumpets, the shofar, a ram's horn trumpet, is blown one hundred times a day over two days. In the weeks leading up to the feast, the shofar is blown daily. The beginning of the Feast of Trumpets, also known as Rosh Hashanah meaning "The Head of the Year," is announced when the trumpet is blown at the first sighting of the new moon of the month. No one knows the hour when the new moon will be sighted, so a watch is kept in order to spot it. The days leading up to this feast and the Day of Atonement ten days later, are dedicated to examining oneself and repentance. The Feast of Trumpets is the first of the fall feasts, followed by the Day of Atonement and the Feast of T...

                Jesus told a parable of ten virgins, five wise and five foolish, who were expecting the bridegroom to arrive. In the meantime, they all fell asleep. At midnight, they heard the cry "Behold, the bridegroom cometh," and they arose and prepared their lamps to go to meet him. The five foolish virgins found that they did not have enough oil for their lamps, and they asked the five wise virgins to give them oil. The five wise virgins said that the foolish ones must go and purchase oil for themselves. While the foolish virgins went to purchase oil, the bridegroom came, the five wise virgins had gone out to meet him, they had entered into the marriage, and the door was shut. When the five foolish came to that shut door they said, "Lord, Lord, open to us.' But he answered and said, Verily I say unto you, I know you not.' Jesus then said: "Watch therefore, for ye know neither the day nor the hour wherein the Son of man cometh." (Mt. 25:...

                                                                                       Blowing the Shofar Trumpet         Many churches, including ours, were started at the time of the fall Feasts of the LORD even though we may not have been aware of it at the time. The Feasts are not the feasts of men, or even of Israel, but they are Feasts of the LORD. These Feasts hold a prophetic counsel for appointed and set times , which is the meaning of the Hebrew word mo'ed . Jesus fulfilled the spring Feasts with His first appearing, and we believe that He will fulfill the Fall Feasts with His second appearing and reign on the earth.      The prophet Amos wrote this Word from the LORD: "Surely the LORD God will do nothing, but he revealeth his...