Celebrate the Fall Holidays! | Beth Immanuel Messianic Synagogue

Celebrate the Fall Holidays!

Come and join Beth Immanuel as we celebrate and observe the fall holidays!

The Torah lists a set of festivals and holy days that take place in the fall:

  • Rosh Hashanah (the Head of the Year), which the Torah calls Yom Teruah and Zichron Teruah
  • Yom Kippur (the Day of Atonement), a day of fasting, repentance, and prayer
  • Sukkot (the Festival of Tabernacles), a seven-day celebration of God's provision
  • Hoshana Rabba (the seventh day of Sukkot), on which the ancient water libation was performed
  • Shmini Atzeret (the Eighth-Day Assembly) and Simchat Torah, when we begin the Torah reading cycle anew.

These holidays are beautiful, spiritually intense times, full of joy and profound messianic meaning. 

Audio Teachings about the Fall Festivals

Recorded 10/10/2019

Why is Sukkot called the Festival of Nations? It has something to do with Gog and Magog, Leviathan, Antichrist, and the End of Days. 

Post date: Fri, 10/07/2022 - 10:11am
Recorded 10/03/2020

A new Sukkot teaching about how the mitzvah to rejoice during the festival of Sukkot opens the secret to inner joy and the spirit of the Messianic Era. 

Post date: Fri, 10/09/2020 - 3:32pm
Recorded 11/15/2019

The teaching from the first day of Rosh Hashanah on the subject of a woman's obigation to pray, efficacy of her prayers, and the power of a praying mother. 

Post date: Fri, 11/15/2019 - 2:00pm
Recorded 07/29/2012

Before the destruction of the Temple, the people of Judea experienced a series of dire omens and warnings that pointed to the coming catastrophe. Listen to a fascinating class, recorded live in the Beth Immanuel Green Room on Tisha b'Av in the year 2012, that compiles a list of the omens from the Talmud, Josephus, the Gospels, and Jewish tradition to tell the story of the lead up to the darkest day. Download the original handout in the PDF below.  

Post date: Fri, 08/09/2019 - 4:00pm
Recorded 09/22/2017

The shofar of Rosh Hashanah is supposed to be like a spiritual alarm clock that wakens us for repentance. But what if you hit the snooze button? This teaching from the second day of Rosh Hashanah 5778 derives some important life-principles and principles of discipleship from the story of the Akeidah (Genesis 22).

Post date: Tue, 10/03/2017 - 4:40pm
Recorded 09/06/2017

Are you ready for Rosh Hashanah and the High Holidays? A teaching on the basic observances of the festival of Rosh Hashanah. This practical how-to teaching covers all the essentials with a few quick explanations regarding the major themes of the holiday.

Here are links to additional teachings referenced in the audio:

Rosh Hashanah Menu includes an audio about the significance of the ritual foods and a pdf of the handout.

Are Two Heads Better than One explains why we celebrate Rosh HaShanah for two days, even in the Diaspora.

Post date: Fri, 09/08/2017 - 2:42pm
Recorded 09/29/2011

The Torah speaks of two types of thieves. One who comes by day and one who comes by night. Yeshua referred to himself as one coming like "a thief in the night." In this Rosh HaShanah teaching, we meditate on the meaning of that title as we prepare for the high holidays.

Post date: Tue, 09/05/2017 - 4:33pm
Recorded 08/15/2015
Number 47 in the series Shabbat beShabbato

Life is full of good intentions: "One of these days, I'm going to start exercising and eating healthy." "One of these days, I'm going to get my life back on track." Have you ever noticed that "one of these days" never comes? This teaching about the Sabbath and God's Holy Days demonstrates how HaShem's appointed times are designed to interrupt our routine and provide opportunities for self-improvement, increasing godliness, and drawing nearer to God. We call this the "cycle of sanctification." We learn about how, just as Israel was commanded to sacrifice only at the place God chose to put his name, likewise, God's holy days function as "sanctuaries in time," chosen by God for all his people's participation. The forty days of repentence before the high holy days are an ideal time to get life back on track with renewed focus on repentance, prayer, and charity.

This teaching was originally presented to the community of Beth Immanuel on Rosh Chodesh Elul, Shabbat Re'eh, August 15, 2015 / Av 30, 5775, at the beginning of the forty days of repentance.

Post date: Thu, 08/10/2017 - 5:48pm
Recorded 10/13/2011

How about a little seasonal teaching to enjoy while sitting in the Sukkah? A short teaching about the signifiance of Sukkot, the meaning of the Sukkah, Gog and Magog, the Talmud's view of Gentiles keeping Sukkot in the kingdom, and the festival's relationship to the all of the other festivals and the coming Kingdom of Heaven.

Post date: Wed, 10/19/2016 - 4:11pm
Recorded 10/23/2011

Toby Janicki demonstrates how the Festival of Sukkot (Feast of Tabernacles) ultimately points toward the kingdom when all nations will participate in the festival.

Then everyone who survives of all the nations that have come against Jerusalem shall go up year after year to worship the King, the LORD of hosts, and to keep the Feast of Booths. (Zec 14:16)

 

Post date: Wed, 10/19/2016 - 3:58pm
Recorded 09/13/2015

In the first chapter of the book of Revelation, the risen Yeshua appears and declares that he holds in his hand "the keys to death and Hades." What are these keys and from where did he acquire them? What do they unlock?

This teaching, presented on Erev Rosh HaShanah 5776, discusses the resurrection of the dead in relationship to the shofar of Rosh Hashanah.

Rabbi Yochanah said: The Holy One blessed be He has retained three keys in his own hands and not entrusted them into the hand of any messenger: the Key of Rain, the Key of the Womb, and the Key of the Resurrection of the Dead.” (b.Taanit 2a–b)

 

Post date: Thu, 09/24/2015 - 2:22pm
Recorded 09/10/2015

The last blood moon in a series of four lunar eclipses, each falling on significant holy days, occurs on the first day of Sukkot 5776. Is it a sign from heaven? In this teaching from Beth Immanuel Plugged In, Pastor Lancaster sketches out an overview of the blood moon phenomenon and offers his own interpretation of the astronomical event.

 

Post date: Thu, 09/10/2015 - 7:14pm
Recorded 12/28/2013
Number 36 in the series Holy Epistle to the Hebrews

Anyone can pray, and God knows the thoughts of every creature. The difference between this world and the world of the divine is artificial, and God pervades all things, and all things are in him, so why would anyone need a mediator?
In the New Covenant, Yeshua acts as priest, sacrifice, and mediator.
Installment 36 in the Beth Immanuel Hebrews series finishes Hebrews chapter 9 with a discussion on Hebrews 9:15-28 and the Messiah's role as a mediator between Israel and God.

Post date: Mon, 09/07/2015 - 12:39am
Recorded 08/10/2013
Number 26 in the series Holy Epistle to the Hebrews

After the resurrection of the dead comes the final judgment. According to Hebrews 6, the eternal judgment is one of the elementary principles of the Messiah, yet it is poorly understood among believers today. This teaching provides a quick synopsis of the subject.

The Final Judgment is a re-recording of a talk originally delivered on Shabbat Shoftim, Elul 4, 5773 corresponding to August 10 in the year of our Master 2013. This is the 26th installment in our studies in the book of Hebrews and the final installment in our special study of elementary teachings of the Messiah in Hebrews 6.

Post date: Mon, 09/07/2015 - 12:39am
Recorded 09/24/2014

On the eve of Rosh HaShanah, all creation trembles in anticipation of the sound of the trumpet of Messiah. Get in the holiday spirit with a teaching from Erev Rosh HaShanah 5775 (2014) based on the words, “When the Lamb opened the seventh seal, there was silence in heaven for about half an hour” (Revelation 8:1).

Post date: Sun, 09/06/2015 - 3:33pm
Recorded 09/27/2008

"Rosh Hashanah Menu" is a lighthearted discussion of the tradition of eating symbolic foods on Erev Rosh Hashanah, recorded in 2008.

Post date: Fri, 08/21/2015 - 10:16am

Articles about the Fall Holidays

When you look at some calendars you might notice the day labeled “Rosh Hashanah” either in September or early October. This is an important Jewish holiday which comes right from the Bible. It has important and deep spiritual meaning that is relevant to both Jews and Christians

A man goes to the doctor to get some test results. As he sits in the doctors office he sees that there are three folders on the doctor’s desk. One is labeled Good News. Another is labeled Bad News. And yet another is labeled Bad News and Good News.

The Torah commands that we observe a certain holiday on the first day of the seventh month. Scripturally, it is given two similar names: yom teru'ah (Day of Blasting/Shouting) in Numbers 29:1 and zichron teru'ah (Remembrance of Blasting/Shouting) in Leviticus 23:24. Jewish tradition refers to this day as Rosh HaShanah, which means "Beginning (lit., 'head') of the Year." But how can the beginning of the year occur in the seventh month? Didn't God command that the new year is to begin in the springtime?

The holiday of Sukkot is not only lots of fun, but it is also deeply meaningful and spiritually enriching. It is a perfect time to get kids involved in keeping the commandments and to teach them important things about the Kingdom of God. On the holiday of Sukkot, the Bible gives us tangible and visual ways to worship God and learn about Him.

If you compare a modern-day Jewish calendar with passages in the Torah that refer to the holidays (such as Leviticus 23), you will find a notable discrepancy. Many holidays that the Bible seems to say last for one day are observed for two days on the Jewish calendar. Learn why this practice exists and if it is truly biblical.

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