Notes on the fall Feasts, 7-1, 7-10, 7-15 - 7-21
Trumpets: A call to a new beginning, to earnest and sincere preparation for the coming new dispensation (year or Kingdom). More specifically the 'ten days of awe' leading to the High Holy Day - the Day of Atonement. The blowing of trumpets is to remind us of our sin and need for repentance. It is to remind us of our obligation to remind God of his covenant and promises to us (Israel) - that they should be fulfilled.
Yom Kippur: This represents the completion of our week of 'work'. It is the High Priest's most laborious day - obtaining for the people a covering and removal of their sins. It is a day of fasting and humiliation, the most solemn and fearful day of the year, - the outcome never assured. If successful, this final atonement achieves reconciliation to the Father. Ultimately Yom Kippur typifies the work of the divine family reconciling the human family to God. The Son taking on flesh, living perfectly, offering himself as the unblemished Passover Lamb, He passes the nurturing and building work to the Holy Spirit for the long 'summer', which culminates now in the finishing work of Yom Kippur. All human lack is met and provided for in atonement - the covering of sin, appeasing of God's wrath, of forgiveness, of annulment of vows and debt, and of healing. The two sets of clothes, golden and white linen, the components of the Ark - gold and wood, the two bloods from the two sacrificial animals, indicates the blending of the divine and the human. As the body of Messiah we must clarify the mystery surrounding Yom Kippur. We are not only the recipients of atonement but as priests in the order of Melchizedek we too must 'work' (war) on Yom Kippur.
Tabernacles: Victory, harvest, rest, joy, oneness, are some of the words that characterize the Feast of Tabernacles. We enjoy the fruitfulness of the year (week, dispensation) while we also look back in thankfulness to important aspects of our journey. Specifically, we remember the booths we lived in when we were in the wilderness. It was in the wilderness (of our need, of our humanity) that we laid the foundations of resting in the land (our God-likeness). The booth we built and perfected during the week of work now can be filled with the presence and glory of God. It is from this 'Tabernacle' of God that all the nations will one day dwell secure, eating from the tree of life and drinking from us.