While Christians observe Easter, Pentecost, and Christmas throughout the year, pastor D from an East China church talked about the Jewish New Year (Rosh Hashanah) which emphasizes repentance. Though they don't observe these festivals according to tradition, they embrace the divine timing.
Two Jewish Calendars
Pastor D explained that the Jewish people have two calendars: the Creation Calendar and the Redemption Calendar.
In the Creation Calendar, God embedded time's mysteries. Rosh Hashanah is the new year of this calendar, described in Leviticus 23:24 "On the first day of the seventh month you are to have a day of rest, a sacred assembly commemorated with trumpet blasts."
Why is the New Year on the first day of the seventh month?
After mankind's fall, God's redemption plan was first revealed to Abraham's descendants. There comes the Redemption Calendar, with the month of Exodus (Nisan) marking the first month of the year. According to the Redemption Calendar, Rosh Hashanah falls on the first day of the seventh month.
Following Rosh Hashanah, the ten days leading up to Yom Kippur are known as the "Ten Days of Awe," a time for repentance and turning back to God. The tenth day is Yom Kippur, a day of atonement and restoration.
"No nation begins their new year with self-examination before God," she noted. "While others celebrate with festivities, God's people begin with reflection. Today, we too are Abraham's descendants."
Divine Time vs. Human Time
God's appointed times are full of mystery, D said. While humans experience time linearly - trapped between a problematic past and uncertain future - God's time transcends dimensions. Like seasonal cycles in agriculture, these appointed times embody both creation's mysteries and redemption's remembrance.
"Each year's appointed times offer fresh opportunities," she said. "Like tree rings adding new growth, these cycles present new beginnings." These specific days form annual cycles, leading God's people into increased blessings.
Not Observing Jewish Festivals, But Embracing Divine Timing
"We don't observe Jewish festivals, but we embrace God's invitations within these appointed times," she said. "We follow their spiritual significance to deepen our relationship with God, discerning His will and embracing divine timing for transformation and renewal."
She explained that traditional observance involves specific customs and dietary practices during these periods, such as eating particular foods according to the rules of each festival.
The God of both Old and New Testaments remains unchanged, though a New Testament perspective is needed since Christ's redemptive work. The Old Testament reveals God's nature through names like Jehovah Jireh and Jehovah Shalom, through which we come to know Him.
"Life offers repeated opportunities to encounter God and live out His new life within us more freely," she said. "While Jesus has completed His work, we respond by embracing the divine timing."
- Translated by Hermas Wang
基督徒们一年一年习惯于遵守活节、五旬节、圣诞节等节期。有这么一间教会，在刚刚过去没多久的犹太新年以及接下来要来到的住棚节中，华东一主任牧师D牧师在一次礼拜当中提到了犹太人的新年是以悔改开始的相关信息，并借此针对某些信徒的疑问——为什么要关注犹太人的节期做出了回应，并表明了他们教会的立场——不守节期，但要抓住“天机”。
犹太人的两种历法
D牧师表示，上帝在创造天地万物的时候已经把很多时间的奥秘放在了里面，这就是创造历。但由于人的堕落，上帝有一个救赎计划，而祂首先把这个救赎计划给了亚伯拉罕的族类，当以色列百姓在逾越节出埃及之后，那一天是正月的开始，也就是犹太人的新年七月初一日。
上帝吩咐以色列百姓，要把七月初一日守为圣安息日，吹角作记念。接下来是10天的赎罪期，第十日是赎罪日，是修复的日子。
“从来没任何一个民族，他们的新年是在上帝面前审查自己开始的，没见过。我们是吃喝玩乐开始的，但是就是属上帝的百姓是这样开始的。”她表示，今天我们也是亚伯拉罕的后裔。
上帝无限维度的时间VS人线性的时间
“上帝的节期里充满奥秘。”D牧师表示，我们人是根据线性的时间往前走的，过去搞砸了，现在卡住了，未来不知道。但上帝的时间是无限维度的，在祂的时间里有每个节奏和运行的方向，就像不同的季节生长不同的农作物，这是一个循环的节期，既有创造的奥秘在里面，也有救赎的纪念在里面。
她说：“每一年的节期，上帝给人新的机会，好像树木的年轮一样，它不是线性的，你可以再长新的一圈，有一个新的机会。”
而许多特定的这样的日子串在一起，就成为了年度性的循环的周期，为了让上帝的百姓进入到加增的祝福里面。
我们不守节期，但要抓住“天机”
“我们明确，我们不守旧约的节期，但我们会进入上帝藏在时间节期当中的邀请。”她再次强调：“但我们跟随这些日子中特定的属灵的含义，来提醒自己与上帝的关系，在每个节期中更认识祂的心意，来抓住‘天机’，来一次次地改变、突破、更新自己的方方面面。”
同时，她也解释了什么是“守节期”，就是在那些节期里，按照各种规矩作这个时期该做的事情，比如吃特定的食物等。
最后，她表示，旧约与新约的上帝是同一位上帝，而我们需要的是新约的思维，因为耶稣基督已经赎回了一切，并且我们也是通过旧约来认识上帝，比如我们都是通过旧约耶和华以勒和耶和华沙龙来认识到。
她说：“在一生里面都有机会，一次又一次地抓住这一个与上帝相遇的机会，更自由地活出祂已经放在我们里面的新生命。这是人如何来回应祂的人的部分，而耶稣已经做成了祂的部分。”
华东一牧者：我们不守节期，但我们要抓住“天机”
While Christians observe Easter, Pentecost, and Christmas throughout the year, pastor D from an East China church talked about the Jewish New Year (Rosh Hashanah) which emphasizes repentance. Though they don't observe these festivals according to tradition, they embrace the divine timing.
Two Jewish Calendars
Pastor D explained that the Jewish people have two calendars: the Creation Calendar and the Redemption Calendar.
In the Creation Calendar, God embedded time's mysteries. Rosh Hashanah is the new year of this calendar, described in Leviticus 23:24 "On the first day of the seventh month you are to have a day of rest, a sacred assembly commemorated with trumpet blasts."
Why is the New Year on the first day of the seventh month?
After mankind's fall, God's redemption plan was first revealed to Abraham's descendants. There comes the Redemption Calendar, with the month of Exodus (Nisan) marking the first month of the year. According to the Redemption Calendar, Rosh Hashanah falls on the first day of the seventh month.
Following Rosh Hashanah, the ten days leading up to Yom Kippur are known as the "Ten Days of Awe," a time for repentance and turning back to God. The tenth day is Yom Kippur, a day of atonement and restoration.
"No nation begins their new year with self-examination before God," she noted. "While others celebrate with festivities, God's people begin with reflection. Today, we too are Abraham's descendants."
Divine Time vs. Human Time
God's appointed times are full of mystery, D said. While humans experience time linearly - trapped between a problematic past and uncertain future - God's time transcends dimensions. Like seasonal cycles in agriculture, these appointed times embody both creation's mysteries and redemption's remembrance.
"Each year's appointed times offer fresh opportunities," she said. "Like tree rings adding new growth, these cycles present new beginnings." These specific days form annual cycles, leading God's people into increased blessings.
Not Observing Jewish Festivals, But Embracing Divine Timing
"We don't observe Jewish festivals, but we embrace God's invitations within these appointed times," she said. "We follow their spiritual significance to deepen our relationship with God, discerning His will and embracing divine timing for transformation and renewal."
She explained that traditional observance involves specific customs and dietary practices during these periods, such as eating particular foods according to the rules of each festival.
The God of both Old and New Testaments remains unchanged, though a New Testament perspective is needed since Christ's redemptive work. The Old Testament reveals God's nature through names like Jehovah Jireh and Jehovah Shalom, through which we come to know Him.
"Life offers repeated opportunities to encounter God and live out His new life within us more freely," she said. "While Jesus has completed His work, we respond by embracing the divine timing."
- Translated by Hermas Wang
Pastor: We Don't Observe Jewish Festivals, But Embrace Divine Timing
