The Ecclesiastical year versus God’s Moedim

understanding God’s rhythm for living and its connection with Salvation History

J F M A M J J A S O N D

The solar yearThe solar year

J F M A M J J A S O N D

The solar yearThe solar year? ? the pagan year the pagan year ??

J F M A M J J A S O N D

The lunar yearThe lunar year

J F M A M J J A S O N D

The lunar yearThe lunar year

The agricultural/-farmingThe agricultural/-farming yearyear

J F M A M J J A S O N D

The lunar yearThe lunar year

The agricultural/-farmingThe agricultural/-farming yearyear

The calendar through The calendar through which God establishes which God establishes His Moedim His Moedim

What are God’s Moedim – His appointed meeting points with His People – and how do these Moedim speak of Yeshua ha Massiasch

– Jesus the Messiah?

What are the seven Moedim – appointed by God?

The following notes are from Rosemary Bamber’s helpful study “In Time With God”

What are the seven Moedim – appointed by God?

The following notes are from Rosemary Bamber’s helpful study “In Time With God”

Published by In Time with God PublicationsPublished by In Time with God Publications(2012)(2012)www.intimewithgod.com

The Biblical feasts, as given to Moses in Exodus 12, Leviticus 23, Numbers 28, 29 and

Deuteronomy 16, are called in Hebrew Moedim, which means appointed times

They were times appointed by God to give specific revelation to Mankind, and for

something to happen

God gave the Jewish people particular commandments concerning what to do on

these appointed times

Rosemary BamberRosemary Bamber

God did this so He could reveal truth about Himself and His plan to redeem and bring people into His kingdom, not only from the

Jewish nation, but to save people from ‘every tribe and tongue’

The seven main appointed times detailed in Scripture form two main clusters – the first

three ‘feasts’ occur in the Spring, the fourth in early summer, then the final three occur in the

autumn in the seventh month

Rosemary BamberRosemary Bamber

At His first coming Yeshua (Jesus) fulfilled the symbolism of the feasts that come in the

Spring, on the exact days they occurred on the lunar calendar of the Old Testament. But the symbolism of the autumn Moedim has yet to

be fulfilled in its entirety.

Rosemary BamberRosemary Bamber

There are two awkward questions that modern

Christians are beginning to ask:(1) Is it in any way right or justifiable that the

death and resurrection of Jesus is marked by the use of a pagan feast dedicated to a fertility goddess named Ēostre (from which we get our word “Easter”)?

(2)Does the traditional ecclesiastical year serve God’s purposes adequately – or does it indeed obscure God’s purposes?

There are two awkward questions that modern

Christians are beginning to ask(1) Is it in any way right or justifiable that the

death and resurrection of Jesus is marked by the use of a pagan feast dedicated to a fertility goddess named Ēostre (from which we get our word “Easter”)?

(2)Does the traditional ecclesiastical year erve God’s purposes adequately – or does it indeed obscure God’s purposes?

Eostre is the root from which weEostre is the root from which weget our modern word oestrogen get our modern word oestrogen (or estrogen) – the hormones(or estrogen) – the hormonesassociated with the menstral-associated with the menstral-reproductive cycle reproductive cycle

These two awkward questions are ones of which most

church-attending Christians remain unaware ………

Are we missing a wonderful opportunity to better appreciate God’s Salvation purposes,

as they are prefigured throughout the Scriptures?

Is the ecclesiastical rhythm – comprised of its numerous “feasts” and “holy days” – one

that God has authorised, or does it stand in such a way as to obscure God’s Salvation

purposes?

God’s Moedim

Let’s take another look at God’s rhythm for living, based on the lunar calendar …..

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The solar yearThe solar year

J F M A M J J A S O N D

The solar yearThe solar year? ? the pagan year the pagan year ??

J F M A M J J A S O N D

The lunar yearThe lunar year

God’s Moedim

What does the Jewish calendar look like?

The Jewish calendar begins in our March-April months, in the spring time ….

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PassoverPassover

J F M A M J J A S O N D

PassoverPassover

Un-leavened breadUn-leavened bread

J F M A M J J A S O N D

(1) Passover(1) Passover

(2) Un-leavened bread(2) Un-leavened bread

(3)First Fruits(3)First Fruits

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(1) Passover(1) Passover

(2) Un-leavened bread(2) Un-leavened bread

(3) First Fruits(3) First Fruits

These first threeThese first threeMoedim are clustered Moedim are clustered just days apartjust days apart

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(1) Passover(1) Passover

(2) Un-leavened bread(2) Un-leavened bread

(3) First Fruits(3) First Fruits

(4) Shavuot(4) Shavuot

J F M A M J J A S O N D

(1) Passover(1) Passover

(2) Un-leavened bread(2) Un-leavened bread

(3) First Fruits(3) First Fruits

(4) Shavuot(4) Shavuot

Shavuot is set at Shavuot is set at Passover PLUS 50 Passover PLUS 50 days, and coversdays, and coversthat entirethat entireperiodperiod

J F M A M J J A S O N D

(1) Passover(1) Passover

(2) Un-leavened bread(2) Un-leavened bread

(3) First Fruits(3) First Fruits

(4) Shavuot(4) Shavuot

The latter The latter First fruitsFirst fruits

J F M A M J J A S O N D

(1) Passover(1) Passover

(2) Un-leavened bread(2) Un-leavened bread

(3) First Fruits(3) First Fruits

(4) Shavuot(4) Shavuot

(5) Trumpets(5) Trumpets

J F M A M J J A S O N D

(1) Passover(1) Passover

(2) Un-leavened bread(2) Un-leavened bread

(3) First Fruits(3) First Fruits

(4) Shavuot(4) Shavuot

(5) Trumpets(5) Trumpets

(6) Atonement(6) Atonement

J F M A M J J A S O N D

(1) Passover(1) Passover

(2) Un-leavened bread(2) Un-leavened bread

(3) First Fruits(3) First Fruits

(4) Shavuot(4) Shavuot

(5) Trumpets(5) Trumpets

(6) Atonement(6) Atonement

(7) Tabernacles(7) Tabernacles

God’s MoedimSo that’s it! That’s God’s “rhythm” for the

worshipful year

These are the times that God has Scripturally set aside to reveal to us His Salvation

purposes

Let’s take another look:

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(1) Passover(1) Passover

(2) Un-leavened bread(2) Un-leavened bread

(3) First Fruits(3) First Fruits

(4) Shavuot(4) Shavuot

(5) Trumpets(5) Trumpets

(6) Atonement(6) Atonement

(7) Tabernacles(7) Tabernacles

God’s Moedim

But what’s all this got to do with Jesus?!

Actually, it got everything to do with Jesus ……..

God’s MoedimAs commented by Rosemary Bamber, these

Moedim, these appointed meeting points during the year, each speak of Jesus the Messiah – and they speak of the entire

purpose of God’s Salvation plan. We will not un-pack this fully here, but we can

summarise as follows:

J F M A M J J A S O N D

(1) Passover(1) Passover

(2) Un-leavened bread(2) Un-leavened bread

(3) First Fruits(3) First Fruits

(4) Shavuot(4) Shavuot

(5) Trumpets(5) Trumpets

(6) Atonement(6) Atonement

(7) Tabernacles(7) Tabernacles

(1)(1) DeliveranceDeliverance(2)(2) RedemptionRedemption(3)(3) MessiahMessiah(4)(4) Redeemed harvestRedeemed harvest(5)(5) Re-gathering / repentanceRe-gathering / repentance(6)(6) AtonementAtonement(7)(7) Thanksgiving for latter harvestThanksgiving for latter harvest

J F M A M J J A S O N D

(1) Passover(1) Passover

(2) Un-leavened bread(2) Un-leavened bread

(3) First Fruits(3) First Fruits

(4) Shavuot(4) Shavuot

(5) Trumpets(5) Trumpets

(6) Atonement(6) Atonement

(7) Tabernacles(7) Tabernacles

(1)(1) DeliveranceDeliverance(2)(2) RedemptionRedemption(3)(3) MessiahMessiah(4)(4) Redeemed harvestRedeemed harvest(5)(5) Re-gathering / repentanceRe-gathering / repentance(6)(6) AtonementAtonement(7)(7) Thanksgiving for latter harvestThanksgiving for latter harvest

It’s all It’s all about Jesus!about Jesus!

God’s MoedimBut what about the institutional church’s

ecclesiastical year?

Whilst its development was no doubt well-meaning, and perhaps was designed to

meet certain exigencies of the past, where is any of it commanded by God? What “rhythm” does it establish? And does it

actually obscure the true “rhythm” that God has appointed for ALL Mankind?

God’s MoedimLet’s have a quick look at how the

ecclesiastical year “over-writes” God’s Moedim.

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J F M A M J J A S O N D

LentLent

EpiphanyEpiphany

EpiphanyEpiphany

J F M A M J J A S O N D

LentLent

EpiphanyEpiphany

Ash WednesdayAsh Wednesday

EpiphanyEpiphany

J F M A M J J A S O N D

LentLent

Palm SundayPalm Sunday

Ash WednesdayAsh Wednesday

EpiphanyEpiphany

J F M A M J J A S O N D

LentLent

Palm SundayPalm Sunday

Ash WednesdayAsh Wednesday

EpiphanyEpiphany

Holy WeekHoly Week

Easter DayEaster Day

AscensionAscension

J F M A M J J A S O N D

LentLent

Palm SundayPalm Sunday

Ash WednesdayAsh Wednesday

EpiphanyEpiphany

Holy WeekHoly Week

Easter DayEaster Day

AscensionAscension

Pentecost (WhitSun)Pentecost (WhitSun)

Trinity SundayTrinity Sunday TransfigurationTransfiguration

Harvest FestivalHarvest FestivalAdventAdvent

ChristmasChristmas

God’s Moedim Whilst the development of the institutional

church’s ecclesiastical year was no doubt well-meaning, it does obscure the “rhythm” of the Moedim that God has appointed –and which speaks so directly of Jesus and of Salvation History – first for the Jew and then for the Gentile.

And all this is before you add in the literally hundreds of “saints days” ………….

God’s Moedim By comparison with this complexity, God’s

commanded rhythm, which points toward Jesus the Messiah and His completed ministry, looks disarmingly simple!

We summarise this rhythm in the next slide, but will un-pack it fully in a subsequent lesson:

J F M A M J J A S O N D

Eternal homeEternal home

Forgiveness and new lifeForgiveness and new life

Second comingSecond coming

Eternal HarvestEternal Harvest

ResurrectionResurrection

BurialBurial

CrucifixionCrucifixion

God’s Moedim It would undoubtedly be a blessing to

individual believers to have a greater sense of God’s Moedim

Does the church today need to move away from some of its “festivals” that have pagan antecedents – especially “Easter” and “Christmas”?

God’s Moedim

We come back to our two awkward questions ……………..

There are two awkward questions that modern

Christians are beginning to ask:(1) Is it in any way right or justifiable that the

death and resurrection of Jesus is marked by the use of a pagan feast dedicated to a fertility goddess named Ēostre (from which we get our word “Easter”)?

(2)Does the traditional ecclesiastical year serve God’s purposes adequately – or does it indeed obscure God’s purposes?

There are two awkward questions that modern

Christians are beginning to ask:(1) Is it in any way right or justifiable that the

death and resurrection of Jesus is marked by the use of a pagan feast dedicated to a fertility goddess named Ēostre (from which we get our word “Easter”)?

(2)Does the traditional ecclesiastical year serve God’s purposes adequately – or does it indeed obscure God’s purposes?

Surely the answer to this is Surely the answer to this is ““No”. We No”. We shouldshould mark markPassover – when the sins of Passover – when the sins of mankind pass-over mankind pass-over those who place their trust those who place their trust and faith in Messiah Jesusand faith in Messiah Jesus

There are two awkward questions that modern

Christians are beginning to ask:(1) Is it in any way right or justifiable that the

death and resurrection of Jesus is marked by the use of a pagan feast dedicated to a fertility goddess named Ēostre (from which we get our word “Easter”)?

(2)Does the traditional ecclesiastical year serve God’s purposes adequately – or does it indeed obscure God’s purposes?

The answer to this isThe answer to this iscertainly debatable – is certainly debatable – is your church debating it?your church debating it?

Interim Conclusion:

God’s Moedim speak of every aspect of the ministry of the Lord Jesus – from pre-history to His return in glory

We will pursue this through seven further slide-sets, looking at each of the biblical Moedim in turn

God’s Moedim – study materials

www.phileoyeshua.co.uk