This season, City of Life Ministries is continuing to provide food and practical assistance to families in need across southern Israel.
Join us in Bringing God’s Provision to Families across southern Israel! You can be part of bringing encouragement, dignity, and tangible help to families who need it. Join us in blessing families in southern Israel through our food distributions.
As autumn approaches in Israel, the biblical calendar enters one of its most significant seasons. The seventh month, Tishrei, brings three appointed times described in Leviticus 23: the Feast of Trumpets, the Day of Atonement, and the Feast of Tabernacles.
These feasts were given by God to Israel as appointed times to remember His holiness, His mercy, His faithfulness, and His provision.
Yom Teru’ah – The Feast of Trumpets
“In the seventh month, on the first day of the month, you shall have a Sabbath rest, a memorial proclaimed with the blast of trumpets.” Leviticus 23:24
The first of the fall feasts begins with the sound of the trumpet. The Hebrew name given in Scripture is Yom Teru’ah, meaning a day of sounding or shouting.
The trumpet was a call to attention. It marked a sacred time and summoned God’s people to stop, listen, and remember that they belonged to Him.
The biblical emphasis is not simply on the beginning of a new year, but on awakening and remembering God’s presence. The sound of the trumpet calls God’s people to turn their hearts toward Him.
Yom Kippur – The Day of Atonement
Just days later came the most solemn day of the biblical calendar.
“For on this day shall atonement be made for you to cleanse you. You shall be clean before the LORD from all your sins.” Leviticus 16:30
Yom Kippur centered on atonement. Israel was called to humble themselves before God while the high priest entered the Most Holy Place on behalf of the people.
The message is profound: sin separates humanity from a holy God, yet God Himself provides a way for reconciliation.
For Christians, the Day of Atonement also points us toward the greater work of redemption accomplished through Jesus. Hebrews teaches that Christ entered the heavenly sanctuary once for all, offering Himself and securing eternal redemption for His people (Hebrews 9:11–12).
The day therefore reminds us not only of the seriousness of sin, but also of the mercy of a God who provides a way back to Himself.
Sukkot -The Feast of Tabernacles
The final major feast of this season was Sukkot, the Feast of Tabernacles.
“You shall dwell in booths for seven days… that your generations may know that I made the people of Israel dwell in booths when I brought them out of the land of Egypt.” — Leviticus 23:42–43
During Sukkot, the people lived in temporary shelters to remember their journey through the wilderness and God’s faithfulness to them.
But Sukkot was also a celebration of the harvest. After gathering the produce of the land, Israel was commanded to rejoice before the Lord.
This gives the feast a beautiful biblical picture: God provides, God sustains, and God’s people are called to rejoice and give thanks.
The temporary shelters reminded Israel that their security ultimately did not come from houses, possessions, or circumstances. Their dependence was upon God.
A Season of Remembering
Together, these three feasts form a powerful biblical progression.
The trumpet calls us to awaken.
The Day of Atonement calls us to humility and reconciliation.
The Feast of Tabernacles calls us to remember God’s faithfulness and rejoice in His provision.
For us today, these themes remain deeply meaningful. They remind us to listen for God’s voice, to live in the reality of His grace, and to recognize His provision, not only for ourselves, but as something we can share with others.
