Tishrei is the month of the Fall Feasts; it’s the most wonderful time of year! It begins with the sounding of the shofar at Yom Teruah (Trumpets) and Rosh Hashana (The Head of the Year). It leads into the Day of Atonement, the Feast of Tabernacles, and the beginning again of the yearly Torah reading cycle.
One of my favorite New Testament stories illustrates this month’s power. A Nobleman came to Yeshua asking Him to heal his son, and He consented to go with him, but things got interrupted as they were on the way. “He went with him; and a large crowd followed, pressing all around him. 25 Among them was a woman who had had a hemorrhage for twelve years 26 and had suffered a great deal under many physicians. She had spent her life savings; yet instead of improving, she had grown worse. 27 She had heard about Yeshua, so she came up behind him in the crowd and touched his robe; 28 for she said, “If I touch even his clothes, I will be healed.” 29 Instantly the hemorrhaging stopped, and she felt in her body that she had been healed from the disease. 30 At the same time, Yeshua, aware that power had gone out from him, turned around in the crowd and asked, “Who touched my clothes?” 31 His talmidim responded, “You see the people pressing in on you; and still you ask, ‘Who touched me?'” 32 But he kept looking around to see who had done it. 33 The woman, frightened and trembling, because she knew what had happened to her, came and fell down in front of him and told him the whole truth. 34 “Daughter,” he said to her, “your trust has healed you. Go in peace, and be healed of your disease.” (Mark 5:24-34 CJB).
The woman had tried everything; the Son of God was the only thing left. He is the one with healing in His wings (Malachi 4:2), so she touched the wing of His garment in faith, and healing came. Matthew’s account says this, “A woman who had had a hemorrhage for twelve years approached him from behind and touched the tzitzit on his robe. 21 For she said to herself, “If I can only touch his robe, I will be healed.” 22 Yeshua turned, saw her and said, “Courage, daughter! Your trust has healed you.” And she was instantly healed.” (Matthew 9:20-22).
I love that it says, “she said to herself,” sometimes we are the only ones who can encourage ourselves to stay in faith. When David was going to be stoned by the people, he encouraged himself in the Lord, and the Lord said go in pursuit of the enemies who have done this, and you will recover all (1 Samuel 30:1-8). Things can look bad in life, and we can experience devastation, but God always has a restoration in mind! That’s what the Fall Feasts are all about: receiving restoration through repentance.
These Feasts are about returning to the Lord and receiving from Him. The only thing that can keep us from receiving is unrepentant sin and an unwillingness to let go of what God asks us to lay down. As we near the Day of Atonement and the Feast of Tabernacles, let us search our hearts and draw near to the Lord. And yes, Yeshua is our atonement. We have been forgiven, but have you missed the mark lately? If you have, then use this time, not only personally, but as the body of Messiah as a whole; let us turn to God in repentance and purify ourselves; let us be a holy dwelling place for His Spirit.
May this month of Tishrei be a time of cleansing and nearness to the Father. If you have followed along over these last seven months, you may have noticed how the months build on one another and how they are connected. God’s plan for each year and every month of the year is for us to draw closer to Him, walk in His ways, and be in fellowship. Let each month’s emphasis bring you closer to Him, deeper into the Scriptures, and more committed to walking in His ways.
For more information on the Hebrew Calendar, visit chabad.org and consult A Time to Advance: Understanding the Significance of the Hebrew Tribes and Months by Chuck D. Pierce with Robert and Linda Heidler.
Casey D. Bell 
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