Beit Yeshua
2010
September - The High
Holy Days
YOM TERUAH
Day of the
Awakening Blast
also called the
Feast of Trumpets
YOM KIPPUR
Day of Atonement
SUKKOT
Feast of Booths
Performance
Dances
"Peace of
Jerusalem"
"We Speak to
Nations"
Family
Sukkot
Isaiah 62
6I have set watchmen upon thy walls, O Jerusalem, which shall never hold their peace day nor night:
ye that make mention of the LORD, keep not silence,
7And give him no rest, till he establish, and till he make Jerusalem a praise in the earth.Psalm 122:6 Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: may they prosper who love you.
Beit Yeshua gathered on Friday, September 10th, to celebrate the Biblical Festival of Yom Teruah (the Day of the Awakening Blast), which is also called Rosh Hashanah. The decision was made to move the 2010 Feast of Trumpets celebration back to Doug & Lynda's home. There was around 35 in attendance.
Guests begin to arrive
Many chose to dress in white for the festival celebration
symbolically showing holiness and wedding garments of white
Since Yom Teruah is the Feast of Trumpets, sounding shofarot is a big part of the celebration
and the only specific Biblical command for the festival
Susan lit the festival candles
and Paul says blessings over the bread and wine
Communion is always a part of our Yom Teruah celebration.
Yeshua shared a cup of wine with his disciples at the final Passover and said He would
not drink from the cup again until He did it with them in his Father's house.
Yom Teruah paints a beautiful picture of the "catching away" of Believers
and the marriage of Yeshua and His Bride.
As the sun sets, the festival was celebrated with praise, worship, singing and dancing
as well as additional shofar sounding
Worshiping to the song "Show Me Your Face" by Paul Wilbur
YouTube Video: PAUL WILBUR "Show Me Your Face"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F0nV5xbu014As the evening progressed,
everyone moved inside for a midrash and deeper look at the festival of Yom Teruah
As always, Doug did a wonderful job leading the discussion
How blessed we are to have such wonderful "gifts" in the "body"
The evening ends as Chuck sounds the shofar
Beit Yeshua gathered together on Friday, September 17, 2010, to observe the Biblical Festival
of Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement.
Janice lights the festival candles
Yom Kippur is the most solemn of all the holidays and is observed with fasting and prayer. As we met together, we took the opportunity for individual repentance, followed by a season of prayer where we prayed for the church, the US, Israel and the Nations.
Doug talks about Yom Kippur and leads us in through he different areas of prayer
Beit Yeshua gathered on Friday, September 24, 2010, to celebrate the Biblical festival of Sukkot - or the Feast of Tabernacles. This was only our second year to move our festival celebration from the small home-group setting to the larger Family Life Center at Covenant Bible Church. As with all the festivals that Beit Yeshua continues to present, the crowd continues to grow, and blessings to increase. The Lord's presence was awesome. It was wonderful to reconnect with old friends and to make some new ones, too, as we worshipped the Lord together and anticipated the 2nd coming of Messiah Yeshua.
Ten from Beit Yeshua's core group met on Thursday evening to set-up and decorate for the Sukkot celebration. Another name for Sukkot is the Feast of the Nations
During the Millennial Reign of Messiah Yeshua all nations will go to Jerusalem to worship Him
and to keep the feast of Sukkot
Several of the ladies add decorations to the succah
Decorations are prepared for the food tables
The sukkah construction and decorating is completed
Sukkot is considered to be the most joyful of all the Biblical festivals. We're commanded in scripture to "rejoice". Beit Yeshua's Sukkot Celebration consisted of shofar sounding, lots of dancing, teaching, food and great fellowship - as we rejoiced before the Lord.
Guests begin to arrive on Friday evening
Shofarot are sounded to start the meeting
Everyone was invited to sing and dance "Hine Ma Tov" ("Behold How Good")
Susan says the blessing over the festival candles
Paul says blessings over the bread and wine
The festival table with candles, bread, wine, lulav & etrog
Doug lead the group in a prayer for Israel
as well as a prayer for those who were going to Israel soon
and friends who were already there for Sukkot
Beit Yeshua only takes an offering twice a year -
at our Evening Honoring Israel and at our Sukkot Celebration
Both of these offering go to those in need in Israel
Dressed in costumes from "the Nations"
the lady Machol Dancers dance to the song "Peace of Jerusalem"
"Lord we pray for the peace of Jerusalem,
Lord we pray for the peace of her people,
Lord we pray for the peace of Jerusalem,
Shalom Israel"
"As watchmen on your walls, O Jerusalem,
We cry out night and day;
Till your streets overflow with rejoicing,
And your temples are filled with praise"
The Machol Dancers prepared a special performance piece for Beit Yeshua's Sukkot Celebration
dancing to the song "We Speak to Nations""Hear the sound, the sound of the nations worshipping"
"Hear the sound, of sons and daughters singing"
"Who will go for us, Who will shout to the corners of the earth?"
"That Christ is King"
"We speak to nations, be open"
"We speak to nations, fall on your knees"
"We speak to nations, the kingdom is coming near to you"
"We speak to nations, be broken, powers of darkness, you have to flee"
"We speak to nations, the kingdom is coming near to you"
"We speak to you - Be free - Be free"
"Hear the sound, the sound of the nations calling"
"Hear the sound, the sound of the fatherless crying"
"We will go for you, We will shout to the corners of the earth"
"That Christ is King"
"We speak to nations, be open"
"We speak to nations, fall on your knees"
"We speak to nations, the kingdom is coming near to you"
"We speak to strongholds, be broken"
"Powers of darkness, you have to flee"
"We speak to nation, the kingdom is coming near to you"
"We speak to you - Be free - Be free"
"Be free - Be free - Be free - Be free"
"Be Free"
Kara Jane watches intently
Curtis shared scriptures from the Old Testament (Original Covenant) about the feast of Sukkot
To hear what Curtis shared at the Beit Yeshua Sukkot Celebration - Part 1
CLICK HERE
Leviticus 23:2, 33 - 36, 39 - 42
(God’s Instructions concerning Sukkot)Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them, concerning the feasts of the LORD, which ye shall proclaim to be holy convocations, even these are my feasts ["feasts" - Hebrew: "moed" – appointments]. The Lord said to Moses, “Say to the Israelites: ‘On the fifteenth day of the seventh month (the month of Tishri) the Lord’s Feast of Tabernacles (Sukkot – Booths) begins, and it lasts for seven days. The first day is a sacred assembly; do no regular work. For seven days present offerings made to the Lord by fire, and on the eighth day hold a sacred assembly and present an offering made to the Lord by fire.
“‘So beginning with the fifteenth day of the seventh month, after you have gathered the crops of the land, celebrate the festival ["festival" - Hebrew: "chag" from "chagag" – to celebrate, dancing] to the Lord for seven days; the first day is a day of rest, and the eighth day also is a day of rest.
On the first day you are to take choice fruit from the trees, and palm fronds, leafy branches and poplars, and rejoice before the Lord your God for seven days. Celebrate this as a festival to the Lord for seven days each year. This is to be a lasting ordinance for the generations to come; celebrate it in the seventh month. Live in booths for seven days: All native-born Israelites are to live in booths so your descendants will know that I had the Israelites live in booths when I brought them out of Egypt. I am the Lord your God.’”
Deuteronomy 16:13-14
Thou shalt observe the Feast of Tabernacles seven days, after thou hast gathered in thy corn and thy wine. And thou shalt rejoice in thy feast, thou, and thy son, and thy daughter, and thy manservant, and thy maidservant, and the Levite, the stranger, and the fatherless, and the widow, that are within thy gates.
Other Names for Sukkot
The Feast of Tabernacles (Booths)
The Feast of Ingathering
The Feast of Full Glory
The Feast of the Watergate
The Feast of the Final Harvest
The Feast of the Nations
The Great Feast
The FeastTo hear what Curtis shared at the Beit Yeshua Sukkot Celebration - Part 2
CLICK HERENehemiah 8:13-18
(After the Jews return from Babylonian exile)On the second day of the month, the heads of all the families, along with the priests and the Levites, gathered around Ezra the scribe to give attention to the words of the Law. They found written in the Law, which the Lord had commanded through Moses, that the Israelites were to live in booths during the feast of the seventh month and that they should proclaim this word and spread it throughout their towns and in Jerusalem: “Go out into the hill country and bring back branches from olive and wild olive trees, and from myrtles, palms and shade trees, to make booths”—as it is written.
So the people went out and brought back branches and built themselves booths on their own roofs, in their courtyards, in the courts of the house of God and in the square by the Water Gate and the one by the Gate of Ephraim. The whole company that had returned from exile built booths and lived in them. From the days of Joshua son of Nun until that day, the Israelites had not celebrated it like this. And their joy was very great.
Day after day, from the first day to the last, Ezra read from the Book of the Law of God. They celebrated the feast for seven days, and on the eighth day, in accordance with the regulation, there was an assembly.
Zechariah 14:4, 9, 16 - 19
(During Messiah’s Millennial Reign)On that day his (Yeshua's) feet will stand on the Mount of Olives, east of Jerusalem, and the Mount of Olives will be split in two from east to west, forming a great valley, with half of the mountain moving north and half moving south. The Lord will be king over the whole earth. On that day there will be one Lord, and his name the only name. Then the survivors from all the nations that have attacked Jerusalem will go up year after year to worship the King, the Lord Almighty, and to celebrate the Feast of Tabernacles. If any of the peoples of the earth do not go up to Jerusalem to worship the King, the Lord Almighty, they will have no rain. If the Egyptian people do not go up and take part, they will have no rain. The Lord will bring on them the plague he inflicts on the nations that do not go up to celebrate the Feast of Tabernacles. This will be the punishment of Egypt and the punishment of all the nations that do not go up to celebrate the Feast of Tabernacles.
There was a time of praise, worship and dance for all
Anna spends some time in prayer for the "nations"
Curtis shares the four species listed in scripture -
the palm, the myrtle, the willow and the citron
or "The Lulav & Etrog"
The fragrant citron (Etrog) was passed around for all to see and smell
Doug shared New Testament scriptures concerning Sukkot, including ...
John 7:2 - 4, 10 - 11, 14 - 15, 37 - 38
(Yeshua observes Sukkot)But when the Jewish Feast of Tabernacles was near, Jesus’ brothers said to him, “You ought to leave here and go to Judea, so that your disciples may see the miracles you do. No one who wants to become a public figure acts in secret. Since you are doing these things, show yourself to the world.” However, after his brothers had left for the Feast, he went also, not publicly, but in secret. Now at the Feast the Jews were watching for him and asking, “Where is that man?” Not until halfway through the Feast did Jesus go up to the temple courts and begin to teach. The Jews were amazed and asked, “How did this man get such learning without having studied?” On the last and greatest day of the Feast, Jesus stood and said in a loud voice, “If anyone is thirsty, let him come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, streams of living water will flow from within him.”
John 8:12
(Jesus speaks regarding the large temple menorahs during Sukkot)When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”
Doug asked Chuck to demonstrate the distinct sounds of the shofar
Chuck shares about the Water Libation Ceremony at Sukkot
and prays for rain in Israel and the US
The evening ends with a time of Oneg - food and fellowship
... and a little extra dance - "Ashreinu"
Several families associated with Beit Yeshua shared the photos of the sukkot they built to celebrate the festival in 2010. Celebrating Sukkot is a wonderful experience - but it's equally wonderful to construct your own sukka and celebrate with you family and neighbors at home. Sukkot is described as the most joyous of all the Biblical Festivals.
Jim & Linda's Sukka
Jim & Linda on top of Mt. Carmel in Israel, 2009
In Israel many apartment dwellers build their sukkot on their balconies. Jim & Linda did the
same, using a side of the house as one of the three walls.
... and a look through the top
Curtis & Carolyn's Sukka
Curtis & Carolyn put up the frame to our sukka about a week before we finally started decorating it
Their first meal together on the first night of Sukkot
A closer look at the top of our sukka
The first day of Sukkot is Tishri 15 - indicating the presence of a full moon
Leave openings in the roof of your sukka so you can see the moon and stars
Jim & Linda drove down from Grandfather Mountain for Beit Yeshua's Sukkot Celebration
and spent the night with Carolyn & Curtis. The next morning gave us the opportunity
to enjoy breakfast together in the family sukkah.
Scrambled eggs, turkey sausage, sunflower-seed bread, rice, orange juice and lemonade
Jim and Linda with lulav and etrog
Wane & Carolee joined Curtis, Carolyn, Jim & Linda for a
Sukkot meal on the 4th night of Sukkot
It's considered a special blessing when you have guests for Sukkot
and I would definitely agree
Our family sukka takes on a different look from year to year
and frequently is in a different location from year to year1995 - Curtis & Carolyn's son Philip
2006 - Curtis
2007
2008
2010 - Curtis
