Day 1 – It’s time!

Dear Friend,

The 10 Days of Awe begin TODAY! These are the holiest days on God’s calendar, ushered in by the Feast of Trumpets – Rosh Hashanah – featuring the blast of the shofar 100 times and the signaling of the Hebrew New Year!


Today also marks the official beginning of the Season of Tabernacles, the final of three feast seasons commanded by God in Deuteronomy 16, and the only one that has not yet been historically fulfilled. This season holds three of Israel’s seven annual feasts:

• The Feast of Trumpets (Rosh Hashanah) and the 10 Days of Awe
• The Day of Atonement (Yom Kippur), the single holiest day on God’s calendar – 10 days from now on September 25
• The Feast of Tabernacles (Sukkot)

I believe with all my heart one day, when the Lord Jesus returns, He will do so in this Tabernacles season of Atonement. And it could be this year!

How appropriate it is that for millennia, the Days of Awe have represented a season of repentance … of introspection where God’s people whole-heartedly turn back to Him.

For ancient Israel, the Day of Atonement had to do with access to God’s personal presence. Only on that one day, the High Priest, representing all of Israel, sacrificed a spotless lamb without blemish as an offering to the Lord on the altar.

Then, wearing special garments decreed by the Lord specifically for that one day, the High Priest would take some of the blood of that spotless lamb into the Holy of Holies – the dwelling place of God’s presence on earth – and sprinkle it seven times on the “mercy seat,” representing God’s throne.

Consider this with me for a moment. Only on this one day, only one man had to do specific things with specific clothes and a specific kind of lamb … not just on behalf of himself or his family, but on behalf of the entire nation.

• For days and maybe months, the priests would be evaluating every lamb in search of the perfect one, fit for God, their King, on His commanded holiest day. Imagine them presenting the selected lamb as a candidate to the High Priest for inspection.
  
• The garments – special and fine linens – would be meticulously sewn, cleansed, prepared, and kept in a sanctified way and place; garments which were only worn once, with a new set being made each year in anticipation of this one day.
  
• Imagine the state of repentance leading up to the day for everyone involved: The High Priest, who was about to walk into God’s personal space according to His command and stand before His presence. The other priests, as they found the lambs and prepared the garments. The entire community of Israel, as they knew their representative would stand before God on their behalf.

They prepared for their appointment in God’s presence.

That’s why I want to encourage you, every day beginning today through the Day of Atonement, to set some time apart from the everyday-ness of your life. Declare this to be a season to search your life, prepare your heart, and realign yourself and those you influence back to the Lord. This is the true meaning of repentance.

The Hebrew word we translate “repent” is shuv (pronounced “shoove”), which simply means turn.

• Turn away from selfishness and pride, toward others in humility.
• Turn away from wrongdoing, toward those in need through good deeds and acts of charity.
• Turn away from brokenness and bickering, toward healing and peacemaking.
• Turn away from sin, toward the Lord in obedience.
• Turn away from curse, toward God’s blessing!

As we approach the Day of Atonement, which begins at sundown on Sunday, September 24 through sundown Monday, September 25, join me in preparation. Prepare for your appointment with the Lord. He may come this year! But even if he does not, Joel 2 promises 7 powerful blessings for those who celebrate the Day of Atonement.

I want to pray with you for your deepest prayer needs every day of these 10 Days of Awe. Be sure to send me your requests and all that you’re believing God for today so I can believe with you for all 7 blessings of the atonement to be released into your life. Also, be sure to prepare your Atonement Offering!



Yours for the harvest,


Pastor Rod Parsley

P.S. – If this Days of Awe teaching has been a blessing to you, make sure you share it or forward it on to a loved one.