Messianic Jewish Holidays and Celebrations

September 21, 2018

Sukkot (Soo-KOTE) is a seven-day feast commanded by God in Leviticus chapter 23. The Hebrew word sukkot and the word “tabernacles” both mean “booths.” So the holiday is also known as the Feast of Booths and the Feast of Tabernacles. Because Sukkot is also a harvest festival, it is sometimes called the Feast of Ingathering. Sukkot is the only moad (MO-ehd), or “appointed time,” in which God commands His people to rejoice and celebrate. Therefore, the week-long feast is also called The Season of O...

September 20, 2018

Sukkot Joy, Day 1 Rejoicing over God’s Past Provision Sukkot (Soo-KOTE) is the only moad (MO-ed), or “appointed time,” during which God commands His people to rejoice. It may seem like an unusual instruction. Can you command joy? Isn’t it, instead, a spontaneous, involuntary response? By reading God’s instructions about Sukkot, we can understand that joy can be a choice as well as a response. Intentional rejoicing begins with choosing to contemplate things worth celebrating. Sukkot refl...

September 18, 2018

Yom Kippur (YOHM Kip-POUR) is the holiest day of the Jewish Year. It is the Day of Atonement and one of the biblically commanded Feasts of the Lord. Yom Kippur is a solemn occasion focusing on our deep need for forgiveness and covering for our sin. During the days of the tabernacle and Temples, it was the one day of the year when the high priest entered into the Holy of Holies. He came bringing the blood of sacrifices, first for his own sins and those of his family, then for all Israel. Th...

September 12, 2018

Yom Kippur is a solemn day when Jewish people reflect on their sin from the past year. They come humbly before God seeking forgiveness and His favorable “sealing” for the coming year. Messianic Jews understand that Yeshua (Jesus) is our perfect high priest who sacrificed His own blood and took it into the heavenly Holy of Holies on our behalf. With His blood, He made complete atonement for us. Here are some Scriptures to help as you worship God on Yom Kippur. May your day be filled with humil...

August 30, 2018

One aspect of any kind of new year is an opportunity to reflect on the previous 12 months and the hopes for the year ahead. But when it comes to Rosh Hashanah (Roshe Hah-SHAH-nah), the Jewish New Year, this is the very meaning and purpose of the holiday. In Hebrew, Rosh Hashanah means “head of the year.” Jewish tradition teaches that God made the earth on the same date as the biblical Feast of Trumpets, or Yom Teruah (YOM teh-ROO-ah). For this reason, Rosh Hashanah and the Feast of Trumpets a...

August 28, 2018

The rhythm of a year is established through changing seasons and the marking of special days. The biblical feasts that God commanded Israel to observe create the framework of a Jewish year. In Leviticus chapter 23, God called these holy days moadim (mo-eh-DEEM), or “appointed times.” They are appointments initiated by Him to meet with His people on special occasions throughout the year. These moadim form the life cycle of a year in Messianic Judaism, and are known to contain foreshadowing of eve...

August 07, 2018

The Fall Feasts are only one month away. Are you prepared? Announcing the latest release from Jewish Voice Ministries International!

July 17, 2018

Over these things, I weep. My eyes overflow with water. ―Lamentations 1:16a National days of mourning are not unusual. Countries often mark the passing of a prominent leader with an official day of sorrow, and many establish holidays to commemorate significant tragedies in their nation’s history. But none compares to Israel’s day of grief. The ninth day of the Hebrew month of Av –Tisha B’Av (TISH-ah B’AV) in Hebrew – is the anniversary of multiple catastrophes that struck the Jewish peo...

May 19, 2018

God gave us the Torah, His Word and instruction, on Shavuot in the wilderness. God put His law in our hearts when He gave us the Holy Spirit on Shavuot after Yeshua’s death. May you be filled with the wonder of His Word and the power of His presence this Shavuot. Chag Sameach! • Joyous Holiday! Click here to learn the history and importance of Shavuot. Think you know Shavuot? Take our fun quiz.

May 17, 2018

It truly was a miracle! During our recent Medical Clinic in Woliso, Ethiopia, a man brought his teenage daughter for care. She had suffered from seizures throughout her young life. Unfortunately, the medicine that might have helped her is not something we have on hand at our Clinics. So she and her father turned to our prayer tent, where we prayed for them and shared Yeshua (Jesus). Both responded by giving their lives to the Lord! Afterward, they started the long, 28-mile walk bac...