As I am writing this month’s newsletter for October, I am happy to announce that we just completed our Daniel Fast for the community and I would like to thank everyone who participated. We can all truly say that we not only denied ourselves but love Yeshua more than food and drink. The original intent of the Daniel Fast was done by Daniel, the great prophet, who was taken captive from Israel to Babylon to serve King Nebuchadnezzar. Daniel purposely fasted and prayed for twenty-one days for the people of Israel and the Holy City of Jerusalem (Daniel 9:16, 10:3). Daniel was given the seventy weeks vision from the Angel Gabriel regarding Israel and the last days. The Angel Gabriel said to Daniel, “Now I am come to make thee understand what shall befall thy people in the latter days: for yet the vision is for many days.” (Daniel 10:14).

Since we are grafted in and now a part of the commonwealth of Israel, thanks to Yeshua, we have a vested interest in Israel (Romans 11:17; Ephesians 2:12). The season of Teshuvah began on August 27th Eve (Elul 1) and will end on October 5th Eve (Tishrei 10). We are still in self-examination mode and moving towards the Fall Feasts. The Feast of Yom Teruah (Trumpets) will be on September 25th Eve (Tishrei 1) and this is considered a civil new year of 5783. There is a memorial of the blowing of trumpets and no work is to be done on this day (Leviticus 23:24-25). The memorial is when God blew the trumpet over the Children of Israel and entered into a marriage covenant (Torah) with them (Exodus 19:16). Between the Feasts of Yom Teruah and Yom Kippur are The Ten Days of Awe. The Jewish sages teach that there are three classes of people found during The Ten Days of Awe (righteous, wicked, and intermediates). The righteous are inscribed in The Book of Life, the wicked are inscribed in The Book of Death and the intermediates have to make up their own mind before The Feast Day of Yom Kippur (Atonement). The Feast Day of Yom Kippur is the only feast day that you fast corporately (Leviticus 23:27-32) and no work is to be done. The Feast of Yom Kippur is all about corporate forgiveness through the sacrifice of the two goats. The one goat is sacrificed to purge the sanctuary of sin and the other goat is named the scapegoat (Azazel). Through the drawing of lots, the scapegoat has the high priest’s hands laid upon its head to transfer all the sins of the people to it, and then it is taken into the wilderness where it is cast off a cliff to its death. This is all done in the seventh month on the tenth day (Tishrei 10). We have to remember that Yeshua is our High Priest as we reflect on The Day of Yom Kippur (Hebrews 3:1, 4:14-15).

After Yom Teruah and Yom Kippur, we can look forward to celebrating The Feast of Sukkot (Tabernacles) for seven days (Tishrei 15-21). We build Sukkahs to remember how The Children of Israel stayed in temporary dwelling places while traveling in the wilderness for forty years (Leviticus 23:41-43). Our Feast of Sukkot at Beit Tehila is going to be a great celebration of joy as we come together to worship and praise our King, so don’t miss out.

The Cabrera family, along with Miss Libby Davis, are with Hayovel and enjoying the grape harvest on top of Mt. Gerizim in Israel. Ryan has had the great opportunity of meeting a lot of Orthodox Jews and making contacts. We will probably be having some new guests from the Land of Israel this next year, so keep that in your prayers.

Danielle and I are excited to celebrate The Fall Feasts with you!