Weekly Bible Reading

Torah (Sukkot Week) | Lev. 22:26-23:44

26Adonai spoke to Moses saying:

27“When a bull, a sheep or a goat is born, then it is to remain seven days with its mother, and from the eighth day onward it will be accepted as the gift of an offering made by fire to Adonai.

28If it is a cow or ewe, you are not to slaughter it along with its young, both in one day.

29When you offer a sacrifice of thanksgiving to Adonai, you are to present it so that you may be accepted.

30It is to be eaten on the same day. You are to leave none of it until the morning. I am Adonai.

31“So you are to keep My mitzvot and do them. I am Adonai.

32You must not profane My holy Name, for I will be made holy among Bnei-Yisrael. I am Adonai who makes you holy,

33who brought you out of the land of Egypt, to be your God. I am Adonai.”

Chapter 23

Biblical Feasts

1Then Adonai spoke to Moses saying:

2“Speak to Bnei-Yisrael, and tell them: These are the appointed moadim of Adonai, which you are to proclaim to be holy convocations—My moadim.

3“Work may be done for six days, but the seventh day is a Shabbat of solemn rest, a holy convocation. You are to do no work—it is a Shabbat to Adonai in all your dwellings.

Pesach and Feast of Matzot

4“These are the appointed feasts of Adonai, holy convocations which you are to proclaim in their appointed season.

5During the first month, on the fourteenth day of the month in the evening, is Adonai’s Passover.

6On the fifteenth day of the same month is the Feast of Matzot to Adonai. For seven days you are to eat matzah .

7On the first day you are to have a holy convocation and you shall do no regular work.

8Instead you are to present an offering made by fire to Adonai for seven days. On the seventh day is a holy convocation, when you are to do no regular work.”

Bikkurim and Shavuot

9Adonai spoke to Moses saying:

10“Speak to Bnei-Yisrael and tell them: When you have come into the land which I give to you, and reap its harvest, then you are to bring the omer of the firstfruits of your harvest to the kohen.

11He is to wave the omer before Adonai, to be accepted for you. On the morrow after the Shabbat, the kohen is to wave it.

12On the day when you wave the omer you are to offer a male lamb without blemish, one year old, as a burnt offering to Adonai.

13The grain offering with it shall be two tenths of an ephah of fine flour mixed with oil—an offering made by fire to Adonai for a soothing aroma. Its drink offering with it shall be a quarter of a gallon of wine.

14You are not to eat bread, roasted grain, or fresh grain until this same day—until you have brought the offering of your God. It is a statute forever throughout your generations in all your dwellings.

15“Then you are to count from the morrow after the Shabbat, from the day that you brought the omer of the wave offering, seven complete Shabbatot.

16Until the morrow after the seventh Shabbat you are to count fifty days, and then present a new grain offering to Adonai.

17You are to bring out of your houses two loaves of bread for a wave offering, made of two tenths of an ephah of fine flour. They are to be baked with hametz as firstfruits to Adonai.

18You are to present, along with the bread, seven one-year-old lambs without blemish, one young bull, and two rams. They will become a burnt offering to Adonai, with their meal offering, and their drink offerings, an offering made by fire, a sweet aroma to Adonai.

19Also you are to offer one male goat for a sin offering and a pair of year-old male lambs for a sacrifice of fellowship offerings.

20The kohen is to wave them with the bread of the firstfruits as a wave offering before Adonai, with the two lambs. They should be holy to Adonai for the kohen.

21You are to make a proclamation on the same day that there is to be a holy convocation, and you shall do no regular work. This is a statute forever in all your dwellings throughout your generations.

22“Now when you reap the harvest of your land, you are not to reap to the furthest corners of your field or gather the gleanings of your harvest. Rather you are to leave them for the poor and for the outsider. I am Adonai your God.”

Fall Festivals

23Adonai spoke to Moses saying:

24“Speak to Bnei-Yisrael, saying: In the seventh month, on the first day of the month, you are to have a Shabbat rest, a memorial of blowing (shofarot), a holy convocation.

25You are to do no regular work, and you are to present an offering made by fire to Adonai.”

26Adonai spoke to Moses, saying:

27“However, the tenth day of this seventh month is Yom Kippur, a holy convocation to you, so you are to afflict yourselves. You are to bring an offering made by fire to Adonai.

28You are not to do any kind of work on that set day, for it is Yom Kippur, to make atonement for you before Adonai your God.

29For anyone who does not deny himself on that day must be cut off from his people.

30Anyone who does any kind of work on that day, that person I will destroy from among his people.

31You shall do no kind of work. It is a statute forever throughout your generations in all your dwellings.

32It is to be a Shabbat of solemn rest for you, and you are to humble your souls. On the ninth day of the month in the evening—from evening until evening—you are to keep your Shabbat.”

33Adonai spoke to Moses saying:

34“Speak to Bnei-Yisrael, and say, On the fifteenth day of this seventh month is the Feast of Sukkot, for seven days to Adonai.

35On the first day there is to be a holy convocation—you are to do no laborious work.

36For seven days you are to bring an offering by fire to Adonai. The eighth day will be a holy convocation to you, and you are to bring an offering by fire to Adonai. It is a solemn assembly—you shall do no laborious work.

37“These are the moadim of Adonai, which you are to proclaim to be holy convocations, to present an offering by fire to Adonai—a burnt offering, a grain offering, a sacrifice and drink offerings, each on its own day,

38besides those of the Shabbatot of Adonai and besides your gifts, all your vows and all your freewill offerings which you give to Adonai.

39“So on the fifteenth day of the seventh month, when you have gathered in the fruits of the land, you are to keep the Feast of Adonai for seven days. The first day is to be a Shabbat rest, and the eighth day will also be a Shabbat rest.

40On the first day you are to take choice fruit of trees, branches of palm trees, boughs of leafy trees, and willows of the brook, and rejoice before Adonai your God for seven days.

41You are to celebrate it as a festival to Adonai for seven days in the year. It is a statute forever throughout your generations—you are to celebrate it in the seventh month.

42You are to live in sukkot for seven days. All the native-born in Israel are to live in sukkot,

43so that your generations may know that I had Bnei-Yisrael to dwell in sukkot when I brought them out of the land of Egypt. I am Adonai your God.”

44So Moses declared to Bnei-Yisrael the moadim of Adonai.

Torah (Sukkot Shabbat) | Exod. 33:12-34:26

12So Moses said to Adonai “You say to me, ‘Bring up this people,’ but You have not let me know whom You will send with me. Yet You have said, ‘I know you by name, and you have also found grace in My eyes.’

13Now then, I pray, if I have found grace in Your eyes, show me Your ways, so that I may know You, so that I might find favor in Your sight. Consider also that this nation is Your people.”

14“My presence will go with you, and I will give you rest,” He answered.

15But then he said to Him, “If Your presence does not go with me, don’t let us go up from here!

16For how would it be known that I or your people have found favor in Your sight? Isn’t it because You go with us, that distinguishes us from all the people on the face of the earth?”

17Adonai answered Moses, “I will also do what you have said, for you have found favor in My sight, and I know you by name.”

18Then he said, “Please, show me Your glory!”

19So He said, “I will cause all My goodness to pass before you, and call out the Name of Adonai before you. I will be gracious toward whom I will be gracious, and I will show mercy on whom I will be merciful.”

20But He also said, “You cannot see My face, for no man can see Me and live.”

21Then Adonai said, “See, a place near Me—you will stand on the rock.

22While My glory passes by, I will put you in a cleft of the rock, and cover you with My hand, until I have passed by.

23Then I will take away My hand, and you will see My back, but My face will not be seen.”

Chapter 34

1Adonai said to Moses, “Carve for yourself two tablets of stone like the first ones, and I will write upon them the words that were on the first tablets, which you broke.

2Be ready by the morning, come up to Mount Sinai, and present yourself to Me there on the top of the mountain.

3No one is to come up with you, and do not let anyone be seen throughout the entire mountain. Even the flocks and herds must not graze in front of that mountain.”

4So he carved two tablets of stone like the first. Then Moses rose up early in the morning, went up onto Mount Sinai as Adonai had commanded him, and took in his hand the two tablets of stone.

5Then Adonai descended in the cloud, stood with him there, as he called on the Name of Adonai.

Thirteen Attributes of God

6Then Adonai passed before him, and proclaimed, “Adonai, Adonai, the compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, and abundant in lovingkindness and truth,

7showing mercy to a thousand generations, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, yet by no means leaving the guilty unpunished, but bringing the iniquity of the fathers upon the children, and upon the children’s children, to the third and fourth generation.”

8Then Moses quickly bowed his head down to the earth and worshipped.

9 He said, “If now I have found grace in Your eyes, my Lord, let my Lord please go within our midst, even though this is a stiff-necked people. Pardon our iniquity and our sin, and take us for Your own inheritance.”

Exclusive Covenant

10Then He said, “I am cutting a covenant. Before all your people I will do wonders, such as have not been done in all the earth, or in any nation. All the people you are among will see the work of Adonai—for what I am going to do with you will be awesome!

11Obey what I am commanding you today. Behold, I am going to drive out the Amorites, Canaanites, Hittites, Perizzites, Hivites and Jebusites before you.

12Watch yourself, and make no covenant with the inhabitants of the land where you are going, or they will become a snare among you.

13Instead you must break down their altars, smash their pillars and cut down their Asherah poles.

14For you are to bow down to no other god, because Adonai is jealous for His Name—He is a jealous God.

15“See that you do not make a covenant with the inhabitants of the land. Otherwise when they prostitute themselves with their gods and sacrifice to their gods, someone will invite you, and you will eat from their sacrifice.

16Do not take their daughters for your sons, for their daughters will prostitute themselves with their own gods, and cause your sons to prostitute themselves with their gods.

17“You are not to make for yourselves metal gods.

18“You are to keep the Feast of Matzot. For seven days you are eat matzot , as I commanded you, at the time appointed in the month Aviv, for in the month Aviv you came out from Egypt.

19“Every firstborn of the womb is Mine, and from all your cattle you are to sanctify the males, the firstborn of the ox and sheep.

20A firstborn donkey you are to redeem with a lamb, but if you do not redeem it, then you are to break its neck. You must redeem all your firstborn sons. No one should appear before Me empty-handed.

21“For six days you will work, but on the seventh day you will rest. During plowing time and harvest you must rest.

22“You are to observe the Feast of Shavuot, which is the firstfruits of the wheat harvest, as well as the Feast of Ingathering at the turn of the year.

23Three times during the year all your males are to appear before Adonai Elohim, God of Israel.

24For I am going to cast out nations before you, then enlarge your territory. So no one will covet your land when you go up to appear before Adonai your God three times in the year.

25“You are not to offer the blood of My sacrifice with hametz, nor should the sacrifice of the Passover Festival remain until morning.

26“You are to bring the choicest firstfruits of your land to the House of Adonai your God. “You must not boil a kid in its mother’s milk.”

HafTorah (Sukkot Week) | Zech. 14:1-21

Coming to the Mount of Olives

1Behold, a day of Adonai is coming when your plunder will be divided in your midst.

2I will gather all the nations against Jerusalem to wage war. The city shall be captured, the houses ransacked and the women ravished. Half of the city will be exiled but the remainder of the people will not be cut off from the city.

3Then Adonai will go forth and fight against those nations as He fights in a day of battle.

4In that day His feet will stand on the Mount of Olives which lies to the east of Jerusalem, and the Mount of Olives will be split in two from east to west, forming a huge valley. Half of the mountain will move toward the north and half of it toward the south.

5Then you will flee through My mountain valley because the mountain valley will reach to Azel. Yes, you will flee like you fled from the earthquake in the days of King Uzziah of Judah. Then Adonai my God will come and all the kedoshim with Him.

6In that day there will be no light, cold or frost.

7It will be a day known only to Adonai, neither day nor night—even in the evening time there will be light.

8Moreover, in that day living waters will flow from Jerusalem, half toward the eastern sea and half toward the western sea, both in the summer and in the winter.

9Adonai will then be King over all the earth. In that day Adonai will be Echad and His Name Echad.

10The whole land, from Geba to Rimmon south of Jerusalem, will become like the Arabah. Jerusalem will be raised up and occupy her place, from the Benjamin Gate to the place of the First Gate, to the Corner Gate, and from the Tower of Hananel to the king’s winepresses.

11People will dwell in her, and no longer will there be a ban of destruction—Jerusalem will live in security.

12Now this is the plague with which Adonai will strike all the peoples that wage war against Jerusalem: their flesh will rot while they are standing on their feet; their eyes will rot in their sockets; and their tongues will rot in their mouths.

13It will happen in that day that a great panic from Adonai will be among them. Each person will seize the hand of his neighbor and they will attack each other.

14Even Judah will fight at Jerusalem. The wealth of all the surrounding peoples will be gathered together—an abundance of gold, silver and apparel.

15A similar plague will strike the horse, the mule, the camel, the donkey and all the animals in that camp.

16Then all the survivors from all the nations that attacked Jerusalem will go up from year to year to worship the King, Adonai-Tzva’ot, and to celebrate Sukkot.

17Furthermore, if any of the nations on earth do not go up to Jerusalem to worship the King, Adonai-Tzva’ot, they will have no rain.

18If the Egyptians do not go up and celebrate, they will have no rain. Instead, there will be the plague that Adonai will inflict on the nations that do not go up to celebrate Sukkot.

19This will be the punishment of Egypt and the punishment of all the nations that do not go up to celebrate Sukkot.

20In that day “Holy to Adonai” will be inscribed on the bells of the horses and the pots in House of Adonai will be like the sacred bowls in front of the altar.

21In fact every pot in Jerusalem and in Judah will be Holy to Adonai-Tzva’ot, so that everyone who comes to sacrifice will take them, and cook in them. In that day there will no longer be a Canaanite in the House of Adonai-Tzva’ot.

HafTorah (Sukkot Shabbat) | Ezek. 38:18-39:16

18In that day, when Gog comes against the land of Israel”—it is a declaration of Adonai—“My fury will rise up in My nostrils.

19In My jealousy and the fire of My wrath I have spoken! Surely in that day there will be a great earthquake in the land of Israel.

20The fish of the sea, the birds of the heavens, the beasts of the field, all creeping things that creep upon the ground and all humans upon the face of the earth will shake at My presence. The mountains will be thrown down. The steep places will fall. Every wall will fall to the ground.

21I will call for a sword against him throughout all my mountains”—it is a declaration of Adonai—“every man’s sword will be against his brother.

22I will punish him with pestilence and blood. I will pour out rain on him, on his troops and on the many peoples with him, a torrential rain, with hailstones, fire and brimstone.

23So I will magnify and sanctify Myself. I will make Myself known in the eyes of many nations, and they will know that I am Adonai.”

Chapter 39

Destruction of Gog

1“You, son of man, prophesy against Gog and say, thus says Adonai Elohim: ‘Behold, I am against you, Gog, chief prince of Meshech and Tubal.

2I will turn you around, drive you along, and lead you up from the extreme north. I will bring you upon the mountains of Israel.

3Then I will strike your bow from your left hand and make your arrows drop from your right hand.

4You will fall on the mountains of Israel—you, all your troops and the people that are with you. I will give you as food to all kinds of birds of prey and to the beasts of the field.

5You will fall on an open field, for I have spoken.’” It is a declaration of Adonai.

6“I will send fire on Magog and on those who live securely in the islands. Then they will know that I am Adonai.

7So I will make My holy Name known among My people Israel. I will not let My holy Name be profaned anymore. The nations will know that I am Adonai, the Holy One in Israel.

8Behold, it is coming. It will be done”—it is a declaration of Adonai—“this is the day that I have spoken about.

9“The inhabitants of Israel’s cities will go out and kindle fires with the weapons—shields and breastplates, bows and arrows, war clubs and spears. They will make fires with them for seven years.

10They will not take wood out of the field or cut anything from the forests, for they will make fire from the weapons. They will plunder those who plundered them and loot those who looted them.” It is a declaration of Adonai.

11“On that day, I will give Gog a burial place there in Israel, the valley of the travelers east of the sea. It will block those who travel through, since they will bury Gog and all his multitude there. Then they will call it the valley of Hamon-Gog.

12The house of Israel will bury them for seven months, in order to cleanse the land.

13All the people of the land will bury them. It will be memorable for them, a day when I am glorified.” It is a declaration of Adonai.

14“Men will be continually set apart to travel through the land and bury the travelers remaining on the face of the land, in order to cleanse it. At the end of seven months, they will make their search.

15When they travel through the land, if any sees a man’s bone, he will set up a sign by it, until the buriers have buried it in the valley of Hamon-gog.

16Hamonah will also be the name of the city. So they will cleanse the land.

New Covenant (Sukkot Week) | Rev. 7:1-10

144,000 Marked with a Seal

1After this, I saw four angels standing at the four corners of the earth, holding back the four winds of the earth so that no wind would blow on the earth or on the sea or against any tree.

2Then I saw another angel coming up from the east, having the seal of the living God. He cried out with a loud voice to the four angels who were permitted to harm the earth and the sea,

3saying, “Do no harm to the earth or the sea or the trees, until we have put a seal on the foreheads of the servants of our God.”

4Now I heard the number of those marked with the seal: 144,000 from every tribe of Bnei-Yisrael—

512,000 from the tribe of Judah; 12,000 from the tribe of Reuben; 12,000 from the tribe of Gad;

612,000 from the tribe of Asher; 12,000 from the tribe of Naphtali; 12,000 from the tribe of Manasseh;

712,000 from the tribe of Simeon; 12,000 from the tribe of Levi; 12,000 from the tribe of Issachar;

812,000 from the tribe of Zebulun; 12,000 from the tribe of Joseph; 12,000 from the tribe of Benjamin.

Countless Worshipers Before the Throne

9After these things I looked, and behold, a vast multitude that no one could count—from every nation and all tribes and peoples and tongues—was standing before the throne and before the Lamb. They were clothed in white robes, with palm branches in their hands

10and crying out with a loud voice, saying, “Salvation belongs to our God, who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!”

New Covenant (Sukkot Shabbat) | Rev. 19:1-16

Victory Songs in Heaven

1After these things, I heard something like the loud voice of a great multitude in heaven, shouting: “Halleluyah! Salvation and glory and power belong to our God.

2For His judgments are true and just. For He has judged the great prostitute who corrupted the earth with her whoring, and has avenged the blood of His servants caused by her hand.”

3And a second time they shouted, “Halleluyah! The smoke from her goes up forever and ever!”

4Then the twenty-four elders and the four living creatures fell down and worshiped God who is seated on the throne, saying, “Amen! Halleluyah!”

5Then a voice came from the throne, saying: “Praise our God, all you His servants and all who fear Him, both the small and the great!”

Wedding of the Lamb

6Then I heard something like the voice of a great multitude—like the roar of rushing waters or like the rumbling of powerful thunder—saying, “Halleluyah! For Adonai Elohei-Tzva’ot reigns!

7Let us rejoice and be glad and give the glory to Him! For the wedding of the Lamb has come, and His bride has made herself ready,

8She was given fine linen to wear, bright and clean! For the fine linen is the righteous deeds of the kedoshim.”

9Then the angel tells me, “Write: How fortunate are those who have been invited to the wedding banquet of the Lamb!” He also tells me, “These are the true words of God.”

10Then I fell down at his feet and worshiped him. But he said to me, “See that you do not do that—for I am only a fellow servant with you and your brothers and sisters who hold to the testimony of Yeshua. Worship God! For the testimony of Yeshua is the Spirit of Prophesy.”

Final Battle of this Age

11Then I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse! The One riding on it is called Faithful and True, and He judges and makes war in righteousness.

12His eyes are like a flame of fire, and many royal crowns are on His head. He has a name written that no one knows except Himself.

13He is clothed in a robe dipped in blood, and the name by which He is called is “the Word of God.”

14And the armies of heaven, clothed in fine linen, white and clean, were following Him on white horses.

15From His mouth comes a sharp sword—so that with it He may strike down the nations—and He shall rule them with an iron rod, and He treads the winepress of the furious wrath of Elohei-Tzva’ot.

16On His robe and on His thigh He has a name written, “King of kings, and Lord of lords.”