​For humanity to be reconciled with God, sin must be atoned for.
 
God, in his wisdom, provided a ritual in the Day of Atonement ceremony for this exact purpose - to restore the covenantal relationship with his people in service of His plan of redemption.
 
In addition to a ransom - the goat whose blood is sprinkled on the Mercy Seat - there is also a Scapegoat ceremony.
 
The scapegoat ceremony offers a concrete ritual to the nation that the past year's sins have been "taken away" on the head of the goat.
 
Jesus fulfills both the ransom offering and the scapegoat who "takes away the sin of the world" (John 1:29).
 
Join us as we explore this holiday and the amazing significance of Jesus' atoning death (Romans 3:25).

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​In today's lesson, we explore how the Feast of Trumpets - the first day of the seventh month - became a New Year's celebration - Rosh Hashanah.
 
In the cultures surrounding ancient Israel, the purging of sins from the king, the city, and the people marked their New Year's celebrations.
 
In Babylon, their New Year's festival - called Akitu - even included a scapegoat ceremony to remove the sins from the king. 
 
A New Year's ritual is one of rebirth and the renewal of time so humanity can enter the new period of time free of their sins.
 
Join us today as we explore this ancient ritual and see how closely it resembles our modern New Year's practice.

Class Handout:

References:

"Seasonal Renewal in Ancient Mesopotamia" in Britannica

Lupercalia Festival:  ​en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lupercalia

Februus - god of the underworld - 

Antagonyms: ​www-personal.umich.edu/~cellis/antagonym.html 

In the New Testament, a keen eye will notice two distinct Greek words for 'tree.' The word 'dendron' describes living, fruit-bearing trees, while 'xsulon' usually refers to dead wood or an implement of execution—like the tree on which Jesus was crucified.

Intriguingly, John employs both terms in the book of Revelation yet adds an unexpected nuance when discussing the "Tree of Life."

What might surprise you is that John chooses the word 'xsulon' for the Tree of Life. This is no arbitrary choice of words; it's a theological stroke of genius.

The Tree of Life, described as having leaves that never wither and ever-bearing fruit, is dubbed a 'xsulon'—the same term used for the wood of Christ's Cross.

The implication is profound: The Cross itself, often seen as an emblem of suffering and death, becomes a wellspring of life and healing in the spiritual realm.

So, where do we find the essence of life and the path to healing? Look no further than the Cross.
It stands as a paradoxical symbol—conjoining the realms of life and death, tragedy and triumph, in a manner beyond our complete understanding.

​Through the lens of John's carefully chosen language, we discern that the Cross isn't just a historical artifact or a mere symbol; it's a living, life-giving reality.

12th Century Mosaic of the Cross as the Tree of Life in the San Clemente Basilica, Rome. 

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​Continuing through this series on God's Appointed Feasts, we make a jump over to the Fall festivals.
 
Jesus has fulfilled the first four holidays - the Spring Feasts - and next up on his agenda is the trumpet blast that will announce the return of the king.
 
This trumpet blast is associated with the Feast of Trumpets, known as Rosh Hashanah (we'll cover this in more detail next week).
 
In today's lesson, we explore a few of the details of the holiday that help us understand the words of Jesus concerning his return and Paul as he writes about the "Last" trumpet blast or the "Trumpet Blast" of God.

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​The Bible never mentions the phrase "the garden of Gethsemane."  

We tend to treat the word Gethsemane as if it is the name of a city or village that happens to have a garden.  But this is not the case! 

​A Gethsemane is not a place - it is a thing!  

So what is a Gethsemane? Join us for this short lesson to find out.

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