The Jewish Fall Feasts have begun, and we are a few days into the new Jewish New Year with hopes of a good year ahead. Whether you are a Jewish or non-Jewish Believer in Yeshua (Jesus), the themes of these Jewish holidays offer valuable opportunities to engage with the Lord and connect to the Jewish roots of your faith in Jesus.
To help make this season even more meaningful for you, we’ve put together a brief review of each holiday, along with links to additional resources to enrich your time with the Lord. We’ve also included prompts to encourage prayer for yourself, your family, the State of Israel, and Jewish people everywhere. May God bless you as you draw close to Him over these holy appointed days and other Jewish holidays.
High Holy Days
Today, we are between the Jewish High Holy Days of Rosh Hashanah (the Jewish New Year) and Yom Kippur (the Day of Atonement). The Hebrew calendar counts years from what Jewish sages have determined to be the date of Creation, and the evening of October 2, 2024, ushered in the new Jewish year of 5785. Jewish tradition teaches that on Rosh Hashanah, God declares our fates for the coming year and on Yom Kippur, He seals them.
Rosh Hashanah
Began at nightfall on October 2, 2024, and ended at nightfall on October 4
Rosh Hashanah greetings include wishing someone a “sweet and good year. The last 12 months have been rough, haven’t they? One year ago, Hamas invaded Israel and committed the worst massacre of Jewish lives since the Holocaust. The year has been filled with heartbreak, suffering, turmoil, war, and an explosion of worldwide antisemitism. This year especially, we could use the hope that the next 12 months will be better and sweeter than the last. To help you uncover some extra sweetness in your new year, check out our blog post “Searching for Sweetness.”
Praying for You and Your Family: Pray for the Lord to lead you into the fullness of His purposes for you in the coming year and that your life will grow sweeter and sweeter with the aroma of Messiah in you.
Praying for Israel: Pray that the past year’s tragedies and heartbreaks, along with the ongoing dangers from war and terrorism, will turn hearts to seek God and open up to the Good News of Messiah Jesus. Pray for Jewish Voice Partner Ministries in Israel who are meeting needs, building relationships and sharing the love of Jesus to hurting Israelis every day.
Praying for Jewish People Everywhere: Pray for protection against antisemitism and that God would use the heightened antisemitic climate to turn Jewish hearts to Him.
The Days of Awe
Began at nightfall on October 2, 2024, and ends at nightfall on October 12
Jewish tradition teaches that the Days of Awe between the two High Holy Days (Rosh Hashanah & Yom Kippur) provide our last opportunity to implore God to grant us a favorable sealing for the year ahead. During this time, Jewish hearts and minds focus intently on self-examination, repentance, making amends with others and pursuing a right standing with God. You can participate in a spiritual inventory exercise by joining us on Facebook or Instagram for daily reflection questions to deepen your walk with the Lord during the Days of Awe.
Praying for You and Your Family: Pray for an open and willing heart to hear the Lord during this time of letting Him speak into your life.
Praying for Israel: Pray that Israelis will press in toward the Lord, seeking His voice and His will for their lives. Pray that He speaks to them, drawing their hearts toward faith in Yeshua.
Praying for Jewish People Everywhere: Pray for Jewish people throughout the world to hear the Lord calling them to repentance and rest, quietness and trust in Him (Isaiah 30:15).
Yom Kippur
Begins at nightfall on October 12, 2024, and ends at nightfall on October 13
Yom Kippur is the holiest day of the Jewish year. It is the Day of Atonement when, in ancient times, the High Priest would take the blood of a sacrifice into the Temple’s Holy of Holies to make atonement for the sins of himself and Israel. Apart from this, today's emphasis is the same: repentance and seeking God’s forgiveness as we move forward into the following year. It is a day of solemn rest and “afflicting our souls” with fasting to focus on God, His holiness and lordship. To learn more about Yom Kippur, watch this episode of the “Jewish Voice with Jonathan Bernis” TV show. And for some powerful Yom Kippur Bible reading, head over to Hebrews chapters 7–10, which describes Yeshua as our High Priest.
Praying for You and Your Family: Pray for a fresh understanding of God’s holiness and the astounding gift of complete, once-and-for-all atonement of our sins through the sacrificed blood of Jesus the Messiah.
Praying for Israel: Pray that the longing in Israeli hearts for a good sealing for the coming year, especially after such a devastating year, will send them seeking the Lord with fresh hunger and perseverance.
Praying for Jewish People Everywhere: As Jewish people worldwide fast and pray this day, uncertain of how the Lord receives them, pray that they will come to know the surest hope of all – the hope of eternal life in the Messiah.
Sukkot
Begins at nightfall on October 16, 2024, and ends at nightfall on October 23
Sukkot means “booths” or “tents,” and the seven-day festival in which God instructs that we build temporary structures and live in them during the week. Observance includes dining and entertaining in our sukkah (the singular of sukkot) and remembering God’s provision for and presence with our ancestors in the wilderness for 40 years, between leaving Egypt and finally entering the Promise Land. It is a pleasant time of enjoying the company of family, friends and, most of all, the Lord’s presence. To help you focus on Sukkot’s themes, download our daily Sukkot devotionals.
Praying for You and Your Family: Pray for the Lord to make you keenly aware of His presence and help you delight in His love for you. Thank Him for His indwelling Holy Spirit, who is with you always.
Praying for Israel: Pray that the significance of the sukkah will deeply touch Israelis with God’s presence and that they will press in nearer and nearer to meet with Him there as each day of the festival passes. Pray, as always, that those who do not know the Messiah will come to believe in Him.
Praying for Jewish People Everywhere: Pray for Jewish people throughout the world to have the same powerful experience of God’s presence as they spend time in their sukkot. Pray that He would impress it on their hearts to take a bold new look at Yeshua regarding the Messianic prophecies in the Hebrew Scriptures.
Shemini Atzeret and Simchat Torah
Shemini Atzeret begins at nightfall on October 23, 2024, and ends at nightfall on October 24
Simchat Torah begins at nightfall on October 24, 2024, and ends at nightfall on October 25
Shemini Atzeret means “eighth gathering” and refers to the holy assembly the Lord commanded for the eighth day, immediately following Sukkot’s seven-day holiday. It is seen as an invitation to linger one more day in the Lord's presence after a joyous week. Psalm 16:11 tells us that in His presence is fullness of joy.
Simchat Torah is not one of the appointed times outlined in the Scriptures, but even so, it is a vivid and important Jewish holiday. Simchat Torah means “joy of the Torah.” It marks the end of the annual weekly Torah-reading cycle and is a day of utmost rejoicing in the gift of the Scriptures. For a deeper look at the gift of God’s Word, see Read, Reflect, Repeat.
Last year, this day of great joy fell on a Shabbat – the Sabbath. As Jewish people anticipated a day of both rejuvenating rest and celebratory joy, Hamas carried out an unprecedented attack that turned it into a day of grief like none other since the Holocaust.
Praying for Israel: Pray that God will speak to Israelis, drawing them to Himself and their Messiah as they walk the line that now imprints Simchat Torah as a day of both greatest joy and greatest sorrow.
Praying for You and Your Family: Pray for the Lord to increase your awareness of His presence with you always and grow your hunger for His Word. May He give you increasing joy as you linger in His presence and press on to know Him more every day.
Praying for Jewish People Everywhere: Pray for Jewish people the world over, in your country and your hometown. Pray that they will long for the fellowship of God like never before and will be drawn into His Word, particularly to Isaiah chapter 53, which foretells the Messiah in such a way that many Jewish people recognize sounds like Jesus.
May the year ahead be sweet for you and your family.
