Friend, the fall: when identity was lost!

Genesis 3:7-9  Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves coverings. 8  And they heard the sound of the LORD God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the LORD God among the trees of the garden. 9  Then the LORD God called to Adam and said to him, "Where are you?" 

In the beginning, humanity walked in perfect harmony with God — clothed in His glory, at peace with His creation, and secure in His image. Adam and Eve knew who they were because they knew the One who formed them. There was no striving, no insecurity, no question of worth. Their identity flowed from unbroken fellowship with their Creator.

But when sin entered the world, that reflection shattered. The serpent’s deception was not just about disobedience — it was an attack on identity. "Did God really say…?" (Genesis 3:1) was more than a question; it was a seed of doubt meant to separate humanity from the truth of who they were. When Adam and Eve reached for what they already possessed — the likeness of God — they traded intimacy for independence, glory for guilt.

From that moment, humanity began defining itself by shame, fear, and separation rather than by the divine image. Mankind began to see itself through the eyes of failure rather than through the gaze of the Father. Instead of walking with God, mankind began running from Him; instead of bearing His likeness, mankind built identities out of what was lost.

Every generation since has repeated the same pattern — seeking identity in possessions, achievements, culture, and pride, while the echo of God’s voice still calls through the ages: "Where are you?"

Sin didn’t erase the image of God — it obscured it. The mirror was cracked, but not destroyed. Deep within the human heart remains a longing to return to that original reflection — to be known, loved, and restored.

Friend, every distortion of identity began in that moment of separation. When we look to the world to define us, we repeat Adam’s hiding in the garden. But God still calls our name. His desire is not to condemn us, but to restore the image that was lost. The sacrifice of His Son was the Father's answer to the fall. In Yeshua (Jesus), the image is being restored, the shame is being covered, and the fellowship once broken is being renewed. Now is the time to step out from behind the trees of fear and shame — to stop hiding and come back into His light. You were not created to live fragmented, defined by failure. You were created to walk in His likeness. Return to your true reflection — the image of God restored in the face of the Messiah.

Your family in the Lord with much agape love,

George & Baht Rivka (Arad, Israel)

Friend, created in His image: the original identity!

Colossians 1:15-18  He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. 16  For by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. All things were created through Him and for Him.  17  And He is before all things, and in Him all things consist. 18  And He is the head of the body, the church, who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in all things He may have the preeminence. 

I’m beginning a new series about finding our true identity.

As a pastor in Israel for over twenty years, I’ve seen many lose their way—not because they didn’t love God, but because they never truly understood where their identity lies. Too often, people define themselves by their heritage, work, calling, or title, yet these are only temporary reflections. Our worth isn’t found in what we do or where we come from, but in who we are in the One who created us. Our true identity is discovered only in the Messiah — the One through whom all things were made and for whom all things exist.

Everything begins with Him — Yeshua (Jesus) the Messiah — the visible image of the invisible God. Our purpose, our design, our very being flows from His nature. When God said in Genesis 1:26, “Let Us make man in Our image,” He was speaking from within that eternal fellowship — Father, Son, and Spirit. Humanity was formed to bear that image, to reflect His love, holiness, and dominion upon the earth.

Our original identity wasn’t earned — it was bestowed. It came when the breath of God filled Adam’s lungs and His likeness was imprinted upon the human soul. But when sin entered the world, that image was fractured. Ever since, mankind has been searching for meaning and worth apart from the One whose image we carry.

Only in the Messiah is that image restored. He came not merely to forgive us, but to remake us — to restore the divine likeness that sin distorted.

If we want to discover who we truly are, we must first behold who He is, for He is the true Image—the perfect reflection of the Father. When we fix our gaze upon Him, we begin to see who we were always created to be. As the apostle Paul declared, “But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory.” (2 Corinthians 3:18) In beholding Him, our identity is revealed, and in reflecting Him, we are continually transformed into His likeness.

Friend, if we genuinely want to know who we are, we must find our identity in Him! It is only when we see ourselves through the eyes of our Creator that our purpose comes into focus, for we were never meant to mirror the world — we were made to reflect Him. God fashioned us in His image and likeness, breathing His very nature into our being, and until we align our hearts with that truth, we will keep chasing shadows of identity that can never satisfy. Let us no longer define ourselves by what we do, where we come from, or what others say about us, but by what He says — by His Word, His love, and His glory. When we behold Him, we discover ourselves; when we reflect Him, we become whole. Only from this place — from our union with the Messiah — can we truly understand who we are and walk in the fullness of our divine calling.

Your family in the Lord with much agape love,

George & Baht Rivka (Arad, Israel)

Friend, the eternal sabbath -- from creation to the eighth day!

Genesis 2:1-3  Thus the heavens and the earth, and all the host of them, were finished. 2  And on the seventh day God ended His work which He had done, and He rested on the seventh day from all His work which He had done. 3  Then God blessed the seventh day and sanctified it, because in it He rested from all His work which God had created and made. 

Hebrews 4:9-11  There remains therefore a rest for the people of God. 10  For he who has entered His rest has himself also ceased from his works as God did from His. 11  Let us therefore be diligent to enter that rest, lest anyone fall according to the same example of disobedience. 

When we read the creation account in Genesis, every day ends with the same rhythm: “And there was evening, and there was morning — the first day… the second day…” But when we come to the seventh day — the Sabbath — something extraordinary happens. The pattern breaks. There is no mention of “evening and morning.” The text simply says, “God blessed the seventh day and sanctified it, because in it He rested from all His work which He had created and made.”

From the very beginning, the Sabbath was different. It did not end because it was never meant to. It pointed beyond time — a divine whisper of eternity woven into the first week of creation. The absence of “evening and morning” was God’s hint that His ultimate rest would have no sunset, no ending — an eternal day when His people would dwell with Him forever.

This was the promise that the writer of Hebrews spoke of: “There remains, then, a Sabbath rest for the people of God; for whoever has entered His rest has also rested from his works, as God did from His.” (Hebrews 4:9–10) The Sabbath of creation was not merely a command to pause from labor — it was a prophecy of redemption. Humanity’s fall broke that rest, but through Yeshua (Jesus) the Messiah, the door to it was reopened. Through Him, we can enter that rest now — not just by ceasing from work, but by ceasing from striving, by trusting fully in His finished work on the cross.

And yet, there is still more to come. The Eighth Day — the eternal Sabbath — lies ahead. It is the day when time itself gives way to eternity, when the temporary rest of Shabbat unfolds into the everlasting peace of God’s presence. The early believers understood this mystery deeply: that the seventh day pointed to completion, but the eighth day pointed to consummation — the final dwelling of God with His redeemed creation.

The rest of God is not just a pause — it is a person. It is found in Yeshua, the Lord of the Sabbath, the One who said, “Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” The invitation still stands: to enter His rest now by faith and to await that coming day when rest will never end.

Friend, so lift your eyes beyond the cycle of days and weeks. The seventh day marks completion, but the eighth day calls you into communion — the eternal morning where there is no night. Let His peace rule your heart today, for soon the dawn of the Eighth Day will break — and the King will say, “It is finished — enter into My rest.”

Shabbat Shalom ... have a GREAT WEEKEND and we'll see you first thing on Monday!

Your family in the Lord with much agape love,

George & Baht Rivka (Arad, Israel)

Editor's Note: As we continue this deep dive into Shemini Atzeret, the eighth day—the climactic culmination of all the feasts—if it feels a bit “meaty,” go back through the earlier devotions. Each one builds line upon line, revealing the profound truth of this day: the ultimate fulfillment when God will tabernacle with us for eternity!

Friend, the eighth day: the millennial shabbat and eternal rest!

2 Peter 3:8  But, beloved, do not forget this one thing, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day. 

In the divine rhythm of creation, God's week of work and rest was more than a record of time -- it was a prophetic calendar of redemption. The apostle Peter wrote, "With the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day" (2 Peter 3:8). The early Church Fathers discerned in this pattern a mystery: the six "days" of creation represented six thousand years of human labor and struggle, to be followed by a thousand-year Sabbath -- the seventh "day" of rest -- the Messianic reign of Christ on earth, when righteousness and peace would fill the world. This seventh millennium, they taught, would be the great Sabbath of history -- the fulfillment of the rest first sanctified in Genesis.

But beyond the seventh comes the eighth day -- an age beyond time, when the temporary gives way to the eternal, and the reign of the King unfolds into unending communion. The early believers gathered on the first day of every week — celebrating it as the eighth day, the Lord’s Day — a weekly remembrance of the resurrection.

For them, it was more than a day of worship; it was a living sign that the new creation had already begun in Messiah, and that the power of His resurrection was even now transforming the world. They honored the Shabbat, yet also gathered on the Lord's Day, not merely to mark time, but to proclaim a truth: that the resurrection was the dawn of a new age, and that eternity had already broken into this present world.

In this, we see the pattern echoed in Shemini Atzeret, the "Eighth Day Assembly" that follows the seven days of Sukkot. Just as that sacred day stood apart -- a pause beyond the feast, a divine invitation to linger with God -- so the eighth day of redemptive history points to eternity itself. It is the moment when time yields to timelessness, when the King says to His redeemed, "Stay with Me a little longer."

The Lord's Day is thus a type of eternity -- distinct from the "Day of the Lord," which speaks of His return in judgment. The Lord's Day looks forward to the final Sabbath rest, when the King will dwell among His people, sin will be no more, and creation itself will enter its everlasting peace -- not measured in sunsets or centuries, but in the radiant presence of God.

Friend, we now live in the overlap of the ages -- after the six days of labor, on the threshold of the seventh of reign, awaiting the dawn of the eighth. Let your heart rest in the hope of that eternal day. Let every redemption, every restoration, every soul set free whisper of what is coming. For the King is even now preparing the world for His eternal Sabbath -- the eighth day, the day beyond all days -- and His voice still calls: "Stay with Me... for I am making all things new."

Your family in the Lord with much agape love,

George & Baht Rivka (Arad, Israel)

Editor's Note: As we continue this deep dive into Shemini Atzeret, the eighth day—the climactic culmination of all the feasts—if it feels a bit “meaty,” go back through the earlier devotions. Each one builds line upon line, revealing the profound truth of this day: the ultimate fulfillment when God will tabernacle with us for eternity!

Friend, the Prophetic Connection: Bikkurim, Pentecost, and the Final Harvest!

Revelation 14:14-16  Then I looked, and behold, a white cloud, and on the cloud sat One like the Son of Man, having on His head a golden crown, and in His hand a sharp sickle. 15  And another angel came out of the temple, crying with a loud voice to Him who sat on the cloud, "Thrust in Your sickle and reap, for the time has come for You to reap, for the harvest of the earth is ripe."  16  So He who sat on the cloud thrust in His sickle on the earth, and the earth was reaped. 

When the Lord appointed His feasts in Leviticus 23, He wove together a rhythm of redemption — a divine timeline that begins with Firstfruits (Bikkurim) and blossoms into Pentecost (Shavuot). God commanded Israel to count seven full weeks from the day of the wave sheaf offering — forty-nine days — and then to celebrate the Feast of Weeks on the fiftieth day. What began as a single sheaf lifted before the Lord became a countdown to the greater harvest — a shadow of the outpouring of the Holy Spirit and the global gathering of souls that would follow.

On that fiftieth day — the beginning of the eighth week — heaven once again touched earth. The same Spirit who raised Yeshua (Jesus) on Bikkurim descended upon the disciples in Jerusalem. Flames of fire appeared above their heads, and they began to speak in every language under heaven. What had begun with one resurrected body on Firstfruits now multiplied into a living harvest — three thousand souls saved and filled with the Spirit’s power. The Feast of Weeks had become the Feast of Witnesses, and the firstfruits had become a field in full bloom.

This prophetic pattern continues to unfold through time. Bikkurim was the seed — Shavuot was the first harvest — but the Final Ingathering is still to come. In Revelation 14, John sees the Son of Man seated on a cloud, a sickle in His hand, ready to reap the earth’s great harvest. The story that began in a garden ends in glory; the firstfruits have become the full field of redemption. The resurrection of Yeshua was not the conclusion but the beginning of the harvest season — one that continues until the final trumpet sounds.

The Spirit poured out on Pentecost was not a new Spirit but the same power that raised Yeshua from the dead. Bikkurim revealed the miracle of resurrection; Pentecost revealed the harvest through the miracle of resurrection life. The same fire that brought Yeshua from the tomb now fills His people, making them the vessels through which God gathers His end-time harvest.

Following the pattern of Shemini Atzeret — the Eighth Day Assembly — Shavuot (Pentecost) came at the close of seven full weeks and the dawn of the eighth, marking the moment when time touched eternity. It was the day when the temporary became timeless — the beginning of an outpouring that would never end, as heaven’s fire filled human hearts with eternal purpose and power.

Friend, the harvest has already begun. The seed has risen, the Spirit has been poured out, and the sickle of the Son of Man is being sharpened for the final gathering. The same resurrection power that raised Yeshua now lives in you — not to be remembered, but to be released. You are not just a witness to resurrection; you are the fruit of it, called to carry that life into every barren place. Live as one who knows that Pentecost was not the end of the story — it was the spark of the final harvest fire. So lift your eyes — the fields are white, the nations are waiting, and the Spirit is moving. The first sheaf has been lifted, the fire has fallen, and the Lord of the Harvest is calling: “Come, gather My harvest — for the time to reap has come.”

Your family in the Lord with much agape love,

George & Baht Rivka (Arad, Israel)

Editor's Note: As we continue this deep dive into Shemini Atzeret, the eighth day—the climactic culmination of all the feasts—if it feels a bit “meaty,” go back through the earlier devotions. Each one builds line upon line, revealing the profound truth of this day: the ultimate fulfillment when God will tabernacle with us for eternity!

Friend, the wave offering: the sheaf and the savior!

Ephesians 1:6  to the praise of the glory of His grace, by which He made us accepted in the Beloved. 

On the Feast of Bikkurim (Firstfruits), the priest would lift the first sheaf of the barley harvest and wave it before the Lord “to be accepted on your behalf” (Leviticus 23:11). It was a sacred act — a declaration that the first belonged to God and that the rest of the harvest would be blessed because of it.

Fifteen centuries later, in perfect fulfillment, Yeshua (Jesus) rose from the grave on that very morning. When He appeared to Mary Magdalene, she reached out to embrace Him, but He said, “Do not cling to Me, for I have not yet ascended to My Father” (John 20:17). Why? Because the true Wave Offering had not yet been presented. Before His followers could touch Him, the Risen Messiah would ascend to the Father, to be accepted on behalf of all who would believe.

In that divine moment, the pattern of Bikkurim was completed. Just as the first sheaf was lifted before God as a sign that the entire harvest belonged to Him, Yeshua was lifted into Heaven as the Firstfruits of resurrection — the assurance that all who are His will rise in like manner. His ascension was not a departure, but a presentation. The Firstfruits was accepted, sanctifying the full harvest of souls that would follow.

Paul later writes that we are “accepted in the Beloved” (Ephesians 1:6). Because He was received before the Father, we are received. Because He lives, we live. Because He was the first to rise, we know that the harvest is certain — the firstfruits have already risen, and the rest will follow in glory.

Friend, the sheaf has already been waved. The Firstfruits has been lifted. The Risen One has gone before you and been accepted on your behalf. You are not striving for acceptance — you are living from it. The Father has already said “yes” over your life because of the Son. Let this truth settle deep in your spirit: the harvest is guaranteed. The same power that raised Messiah from the dead will raise you. The same acceptance that welcomed Him welcomes you. Lift your heart like the priest’s sheaf and wave it before the Lord — an offering of worship, gratitude, and surrender. For the Firstfruits has been presented, and because He lives, you are part of the harvest that will surely come.

Your family in the Lord with much agape love,

George & Baht Rivka (Sea of Galilee, Israel)

Editor's Note: As we continue this deep dive into Shemini Atzeret, the eighth day—the climactic culmination of all the feasts—if it feels a bit “meaty,” go back through the earlier devotions. Each one builds line upon line, revealing the profound truth of this day: the ultimate fulfillment when God will tabernacle with us for eternity!

Friend, the appointed day: the Feast of Bikkurim and the promise of resurrection!

1 Corinthians 15:20-24  But now Christ has risen from the dead, and has become the firstfruit of those who slept. 21  For since death is through man, the resurrection of the dead also is through a Man. 22  For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ all will be made alive.  23  But each in his own order: Christ the first-fruit, and afterward they who are Christ's at His coming; 24  then is the end, when He delivers the kingdom to God, even the Father; when He makes to cease all rule and all authority and power.

In the divine calendar of God’s appointed times, Bikkurim (Firstfruits) holds a mystery that stretches from the fields of Israel to the empty tomb in Jerusalem. This feast was celebrated “on the day after the Sabbath” following Passover (Leviticus 23:11) — what we now see as the eighth day, the day of new creation. While the nation of Israel brought their first sheaf of barley to the priest to be lifted before the Lord, giving thanks for the beginning of the harvest, something eternal was taking place beyond the veil of time: Yeshua (Jesus) the Messiah rose from the grave.

It was not coincidence — it was divine choreography. The same morning that the firstfruits of the earth were lifted before God, the Firstfruits of resurrection was presented before the Father. The priest in the Temple waved a single sheaf as a promise that the full harvest was yet to come; and at that very moment, Yeshua, the true Priest and Offering, rose as the guarantee that death itself had been defeated and the greater harvest of souls was assured.

Paul captures this mystery beautifully, declaring that Messiah has been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. Just as death entered through Adam, so life now comes through Messiah. In Him, all will be made alive — first Yeshua, the Firstfruits, and then all who belong to Him at His coming (1 Corinthians 15:20–24).

Just as Shemini Atzeret, the eighth day, stands apart from the Feast of Tabernacles — separate yet completing it — so the resurrection of Yeshua stands as the eighth day of creation. The first seven days marked the work of God’s hands; the eighth day marked the birth of His new creation. On that morning, time itself shifted.

What once seemed final—death—was shattered by His resurrection, which opened the doorway to eternal life. The curse of Adam was undone in the Second Adam, who rose as the Firstborn of a new and redeemed humanity.

Bikkurim is not just a feast of grain — it is a feast of guarantee. It declares that what God begins, He will complete. The sheaf lifted before the Lord was a pledge that the full harvest would follow, just as the resurrection of Yeshua is the pledge that all who belong to Him will rise. His resurrection was not the conclusion of redemption — it was the first fruits of it.

Yeshua is the true Bikkurim, the Firstfruits of the new creation. His resurrection was not just a miracle — it was a pattern. It fulfilled the feast down to the very hour and set the rhythm of redemption in motion. He is the first to rise never to die again, and His victory ensures ours. Every believer who walks in the power of His resurrection becomes a living testimony that the harvest is coming — that what was sown in weakness will be raised in glory.

Friend, the eighth day has dawned—the tomb is empty, and life has broken through the soil. The same Spirit that raised Messiah from the dead now breathes in you. Give Him your first—your worship, your trust, your heart—and watch Him turn surrender into harvest. For the Feast of Bikkurim declares: what was buried will rise, what was broken will bloom, and what seemed finished has only just begun. This is the power of the eighth day—the day of resurrection, the day of firstfruits, the dawn of new creation in Messiah.

Your family in the Lord with much agape love,

George & Baht Rivka (Jerusalem, Israel)

Editor's Note: As we continue this deep dive into Shemini Atzeret, the eighth day—the climactic culmination of all the feasts—if it feels a bit “meaty,” go back through the earlier devotions. Each one builds line upon line, revealing the profound truth of this day: the ultimate fulfillment when God will tabernacle with us for eternity!

Friend, Shemini Atzeret and the Jubilee -- the great release of the eighth!

Revelation 21:3-4  And I heard a loud voice from heaven saying, "Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them, and they shall be His people. God Himself will be with them and be their God.   4 And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away." 

In God’s divine calendar, everything moves in rhythms of seven — seven days, seven weeks, seven years, and seven cycles of years. Yet when a cycle of sevens reaches its completion, something extraordinary happens: a new beginning emerges — the eighth.

Just as Shemini Atzeret follows the seven days of Sukkot (Feast of Tabernacles) as a sacred “eighth day,” standing apart yet completing the feast, so the Jubilee follows seven cycles of Shemitah — seven sabbatical years of release.  The word Shemitah (שְׁמִטָּה) comes from the Hebrew root שָׁמַט (shamat), meaning to release or let go. It refers to the Sabbatical Year, when God commanded Israel to let the land rest, cancel debts, and free servants (Leviticus 25; Deuteronomy 15). It was God’s rhythm of mercy and trust — a time to release control, reset the heart, and rest in His faithfulness.

After seven sets of seven years--forty-nine years of labor, rest, and release--came the fiftieth year, the Jubilee (Leviticus 25:8-10). It was not merely another Shemitah, but something far greater: a divine reset, a holy interruption, a year set apart from all others. After seven full Shemitah cycles, this single and separate year stood as the eighth--distinct yet connected--just as Shemini Atzeret follows the seven days of Sukkot. The Jubilee was the super-cycle of release, the pattern of patterns, pointing beyond the boundaries of time itself to the eternal Jubilee, when every chain will break, every tear will cease, and God's people will dwell forever in His rest.

In every Jubilee cycle, inheritances were restored, debts forgiven, and captives set free. It was, in essence, the ultimate eighth—the fullness and completion of a fifty-year rhythm—pointing to the same divine pattern revealed in Shemini Atzeret, Jubilee is the sacred “eighth” of years.

Prophetically, this points to the Great Jubilee still to come — the day when Yeshua (Jesus) will return to proclaim liberty to all creation. As He once read from Isaiah, "The Spirit of the Lord is on Me; because of this He has anointed Me to proclaim the Gospel to the poor. He has sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to proclaim deliverance to the captives, and new sight to the blind, to set at liberty those having been crushed, to proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord" (Luke 4:18–21). After closing the scroll, He declared, “Today this Scripture is fulfilled in your hearing.” In that moment, Yeshua revealed Himself as the very embodiment of the principle of Jubilee — the living fulfillment of God’s promise of release, restoration, and redemption.

And yet, we still look forward to the final Jubilee — the moment outside of time, the ultimate release and restoration when all creation will be made new.

Shemini Atzeret is the yearly prophetic picture of that eternal Jubilee — the day beyond the seven, the feast beyond the feasts, the pause that opens eternity.

Every Shemini Atzeret, every Shemitah, every Jubilee, every season of release, and every act of redemption points toward that climactic fulfillment — when the King will dwell with His people, and every debt, sorrow, and bondage will be no more.

Friend, we are standing at the edge of God’s great release. Let every season of waiting and every moment of surrender prepare you for the freedom of the eighth. What has been lost, He will restore; what has been bound, He will set free.  The King is calling, “Stay with Me just a little while longer … soon I am making all things new.”

Shabbat Shalom -- have a great weekend -- we'll see you bright and early on Monday morning!

Your family in the Lord with much agape love,

George & Baht Rivka (Jerusalem, Israel)

Editor's Note: As we continue this deep dive into Shemini Atzeret, the eighth day—the climactic culmination of all the feasts—if it feels a bit “meaty,” go back through the earlier devotions. Each one builds line upon line, revealing the profound truth of this day: the ultimate fulfillment when God will tabernacle with us for eternity!

Friend, the pattern of breakthrough — stepping into the eternal rhythm!

As we continue this deep dive into Shemini Atzeret, the "Eighth Day," it’s worth pausing to look back over the divine pattern that has led us here. The Feast of Tabernacles is a celebration of completion — seven days of rejoicing, fullness, and harvest. But Shemini Atzeret is something different. It’s the eighth day, the day that stands beyond the seven — beyond time, beyond cycles, beyond the natural order. It is God’s invitation to linger, to step out of the familiar rhythm of man into the eternal rhythm of heaven.

Throughout Scripture, the number eight is woven into moments of divine transition and breakthrough. It marks the threshold between what was and what will be. When the floodwaters receded, eight souls stepped out of Noah’s ark into a brand-new world (Genesis 7:7). When a male child was circumcised on the eighth day, it signified the cutting away of the flesh and the sealing of covenant — the beginning of new life in God (Leviticus 12:3). On the eighth day, after seven days of preparation, the Tabernacle was dedicated, and the glory of the Lord filled it (Leviticus 9:1–6). And when the eighth week arrived after Passover, on the day of Pentecost, the fire of the Spirit fell, and the Church was born (Acts 2:1).

In every instance, the pattern is the same: the eighth day breaks the cycle of the seven. Seven represents completion, but eight represents continuation — resurrection, renewal, and revelation. It’s the number of new beginnings, the signal that the old has fulfilled its purpose and something greater is about to emerge.

Even Yeshua’s resurrection followed this divine rhythm — it took place during the Feast of Bikkurim (Firstfruits), the day after the Sabbath, when the first sheaf of the harvest was lifted before the Lord. On that eighth day, the true Firstfruits rose from the grave, marking the ultimate breakthrough — death defeated, and eternal life released.

And in another echo of the eighth, on the Mount of Transfiguration (Luke 9:28–36), after eight days of waiting, His glory was unveiled—Moses and Elijah standing beside Him as heaven and earth converged in a moment of radiant light.

This is no coincidence. The eighth is the day when heaven breaks into earth, when the seen gives way to the unseen, when the temporary yields to the eternal. It is the number of breakthrough — when man’s strength ends and God’s power begins.

Shemini Atzeret is not merely a stop — it is a glimpse of the eternal threshold, a divine invitation to step beyond time itself and enter into the everlasting — where the temporal gives way to the eternal, and the dwelling of God becomes forever. The seventh day says, “It is finished”; the eighth day says, “Behold, I make all things new.” The seventh completes the cycle; the eighth begins the Kingdom. The rhythm of seven belongs to earth, but the rhythm of eight belongs to heaven.

Friend, let this be your season of breakthrough. Step out of the old patterns of striving and into the flow of His Spirit. Let the eighth day dawn in your life — a day of resurrection power, covenant renewal, and divine transformation.

Your family in the Lord with much agape love,

George & Baht Rivka (Jerusalem, Israel)

Editor's Note: As we continue this deep dive into Shemini Atzeret, the eighth day—the climactic culmination of all the feasts—if it feels a bit “meaty,” go back through the earlier devotions. Each one builds line upon line, revealing the profound truth of this day: the ultimate fulfillment when God will tabernacle with us for eternity!

Friend, the birth of the spirit in the upper room — the Covenant written on hearts!

2 Corinthians 3:3, 6-7  clearly you are an epistle of Christ, ministered by us, written not with ink but by the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of flesh, that is, of the heart. 6  who also made us sufficient as ministers of the new covenant, not of the letter but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life. 7 But if the ministry of death, written and engraved on stones, was glorious, so that the children of Israel could not look steadily at the face of Moses because of the glory of his countenance, which glory was passing away, 

Fifteen centuries after the fire of Sinai, on the very same feast — Shavuot, the Feast of Weeks — the heavens opened again. The disciples waited in the upper room, hearts steady but expectant, obeying Yeshua’s (Jesus') command to “wait for the promise of the Father.” Suddenly, the sound of a rushing mighty wind filled the place, tongues of fire appeared, and the Holy Spirit descended. The same God who once descended in flame upon a mountain now descended in flame upon men.

The parallel could not be clearer. At Sinai, the Word was written by the finger of God upon tablets of stone; at Zion, the Word Himself — the Living Torah — wrote His law upon the tablets of human hearts. At Sinai, 3,000 souls perished because of sin; at Jerusalem, 3,000 were saved by grace. The fire that once struck terror now brought transformation. The mountain that once trembled in fear now lived within the hearts of men and women made new.

Jeremiah and Ezekiel had both seen this day coming: “I will put My law within them and write it on their hearts… I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you” (Jeremiah 31:33; Ezekiel 36:26). This was the moment when prophecy became presence — when the promise of the Father became the power of the Spirit.

Paul captures this divine exchange perfectly in his letter to the Corinthians:

"He has made us competent as ministers of a new covenant — not of the letter but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life. For if the ministry of death, written and engraved on stones, was glorious, so that the Israelites could not gaze steadily at the face of Moses because of its glory, which was passing away, how much more glorious is the ministry of the Spirit!" (2 Corinthians 3:6–8)

The old covenant revealed God’s holiness but condemned man’s sin; the new covenant reveals God’s holiness and empowers man to walk in it. The Law commanded righteousness from the outside; the Spirit creates righteousness from the inside. At Sinai, glory rested upon a face; at Pentecost, glory filled every believer.

The same fire that once surrounded the mountain now rests upon the heads of His people. The same voice that once thundered from above now whispers within the heart. And just as the first covenant was sealed in fire and trembling, the new covenant was sealed in Spirit and power.

The story doesn’t end there. Just as Shemini Atzeret — the Eighth Day — follows the seven days of Sukkot, symbolizing God’s desire for His people to linger in His presence, so too the outpouring of the Spirit is the beginning of that eternal invitation. Pentecost was not the end of God’s work; it was the continuation — pointing to the eighth-day extension of covenant life. It was as if God said, “Stay with Me a little longer — not in a temple made with hands, but in the temple of your heart.”

Pentecost was more than a single event in history; it was the inauguration of unending fellowship — a foretaste of eternity where God and man dwell together, not on a mountain, but in one another. The same Spirit who fell in fire at Pentecost is the Spirit who will one day fill all creation when the Kingdom comes in fullness. The eighth day is not an ending — it is a beginning without end.

Friend, you are the living tablet of God’s covenant — His glory now written not on stone, but on your very heart. The same fire that once blazed on Sinai and descended in the upper room now wants to burn within you. Let that fire burn unhindered. Let it consume every trace of fear, ignite unshakable faith, and breathe resurrection power through your life. You were not made merely to carry the flame — you were made to shine with it, to speak with its power, to let the Spirit of the Living God flow through you until hearts around you are set ablaze.

The letter may kill, but the Spirit gives life — and that life now burns in you. This is the part of the mystery of Shemini Atzeret — the eternal continuation, the divine lingering of God with His people. The shaking has ceased, the waiting is over, and the fire remains. The covenant that began in flame still burns — not on a mountain, but through the lives of His redeemed, until the whole earth is filled with His glory.

Your family in the Lord with much agape love,

George & Baht Rivka (Jerusalem, Israel)

Editor's Note: As we continue this deep dive into Shemini Atzeret, the eighth day—the climactic culmination of all the feasts—if it feels a bit “meaty,” go back through the earlier devotions. Each one builds line upon line, revealing the profound truth of this day: the ultimate fulfillment when God will tabernacle with us for eternity!

Friend, the birth of covenant at Mount Sinai -- now written in fire!

Hebrews 12:26-29  whose voice then shook the earth; but now He has promised, saying, "YET ONCE MORE I SHAKE NOT ONLY THE EARTH, BUT ALSO HEAVEN." 27  Now this, "YET ONCE MORE," indicates the removal of those things that are being shaken, as of things that are made, that the things which cannot be shaken may remain. 28  Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom which cannot be shaken, let us have grace, by which we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear. 29  For our God is a consuming fire. 

Fifty days after the first Passover, Israel stood trembling before Mount Sinai. Thunder rolled, lightning flashed, and the mountain blazed with holy fire. The Lord descended in glory, and His voice shook the earth as He entered covenant with His people—not merely to free them from bondage, but to bind them to Himself in love and holiness. On that day, the Feast of Weeks (Shavuot), the Law was given, written by the very finger of God and sealed in fire. It was a wedding at the mountain: the Redeemer taking His redeemed as His own.

Yet even as glory fell upon the mountain, rebellion rose in the camp. While Moses met with God in the cloud, Israel fashioned a golden calf and bowed to it. Judgment came swiftly, and three thousand fell (Exodus 32:28). The same fire that sanctified the mountain now purified the people. But even in judgment, a greater promise was hidden. The Law revealed God’s holiness but could not transform human hearts. It could expose sin, but not erase it. It was a mirror of divine perfection, pointing forward to a covenant that would one day be written not on stone, but upon living hearts.

Centuries later, the writer of Hebrews looked back to Sinai and said, “At that time His voice shook the earth, but now He has promised, ‘Yet once more I will shake not only the earth but also the heavens.’” (Hebrews 12:26–27). The shaking at Sinai was only the beginning -- a prophecy of the greater shaking yet to come. God’s voice once thundered to establish covenant; soon it will resound again to upend creation and reveal an unshakable Kingdom. Everything made by man will fall, but what is born of His Spirit will remain.

The fire at Sinai was a glimpse of the final glory -- a shadow of the consuming presence that will one day purify the heavens and the earth. The God who once descended in fire will come again, not to terrify, but to transform all things into His eternal dwelling. The shaking that once birthed fear will yield faith; the fire that once judged will refine; the Word once written on stone will be engraved upon hearts.

Friend, the same God who shook Sinai still shakes the earth -- but now His fire burns within you. Allow Him to shake free every false thing that cannot stand and to burn away all that does not belong. “For our God is a consuming fire” (Hebrews 12:29) -- not to destroy, but to purify, to refine, to make holy. The covenant once written on stone now lives within you by His Spirit. The fire that once divided man from God now draws you closer into His dwelling.

This is the mystery of redemption -- the rhythm of fire and the shaking of grace that births an unshakable Kingdom. And this part of the mystery of Shemini Atzeret -- the eternal day, the holy stillness where God whispers, "Stay with Me." The shaking gives way to rest, the fear gives way to intimacy, and the same glory that once descended now abides forever in the hearts of His redeemed.

Your family in the Lord with much agape love,

George & Baht Rivka (Dead Sea, Israel)

Editor's Note: As we continue this deep dive into Shemini Atzeret, the eighth day—the climactic culmination of all the feasts—if it feels a bit “meaty,” go back through the earlier devotions. Each one builds line upon line, revealing the profound truth of this day: the ultimate fulfillment when God will tabernacle with us for eternity!

Friend, the rhythm of seven and the dawn of the eighth — the number of breakthrough!

Leviticus 23:15-16  And you shall count to you from the next day after the sabbath, from the day that you brought the sheaf of the wave offering; seven sabbaths shall be complete.  16  To the next day after the seventh sabbath you shall number fifty days. And you shall offer a new food offering to Jehovah. 

From the very beginning, God built the rhythm of time around the number seven — six days of labor and a seventh day of rest. Seven represents fullness, completion, divine order. Yet, every “seven” in Scripture is followed by an eighth — a new beginning, a fresh outpouring, a divine reset. The eighth is the number of resurrection, renewal, and breakthrough.

The Feast of Weeks (Shavuot / Pentecost ) is the perfect picture of this pattern. God commanded Israel to count seven full weeks from the day after Passover’s Sabbath — seven sevens — forty-nine days. Then came the fiftieth day, the eighth week, the day after completion. It was on that day that God told His people to bring a new grain offering — not from the old harvest, but from the fresh crop, symbolizing new life and new power (Leviticus 23:15–16). Shavuot marks the end of one cycle and the birth of another. It is the day when waiting meets outpouring, when obedience meets overflow.

Throughout Scripture, this rhythm repeats. After seven days of creation, the eighth day began a new walk with God. After seven weeks of counting, the fire fell at Pentecost. The number seven closes a chapter, but eight opens the scroll. It’s the moment when human limitation collides with divine intervention — when rest becomes release, and faith becomes fulfillment.

Even in the natural, the eighth note begins a new octave; it carries the same tone, but on a higher frequency. So it is in the Spirit — the eighth marks the next dimension of what God has been preparing all along. It’s not just continuation — it’s elevation. When the seventh ends, God doesn’t rewind the song; He raises the key.

The number eight is where God breaks through the walls of what has been — the place where the old order yields to the new, where the waiting of seven becomes the wonder of eight. It’s not the end of your story; it’s the threshold of glory.

Friend, your seventh is not your stopping point — it’s your setup. When your strength ends, God’s new beginning begins. The eighth is where His power meets your surrender, where your patience becomes His promise fulfilled. Don’t stop at completion — press into breakthrough. The eighth week is dawning — step into it. For what was once resting is about to start rising.

Your family in the Lord with much agape love,

George & Baht Rivka (Dead Sea, Israel)

Editor's Note: As we continue this deep dive into Shemini Atzeret, the eighth day—the climactic culmination of all the feasts—if it feels a bit “meaty,” go back through the earlier devotions. Each one builds line upon line, revealing the profound truth of this day: the ultimate fulfillment when God will tabernacle with us for eternity!

Friend, cleansing from leprosy -- a new start, a restored life!

Lev. 14:10-11  "And on the eighth day he shall take two male lambs without blemish, one ewe lamb of the first year without blemish, three-tenths of an ephah of fine flour mixed with oil as a grain offering, and one log of oil.  11  Then the priest who makes him clean shall present the man who is to be made clean, and those things, before the LORD, at the door of the tabernacle of meeting. 

In Leviticus 14, God gave detailed instructions for the cleansing of one healed from leprosy. It was a long and careful process—seven days of examination, washing, and waiting outside the camp -- and then came the eighth day, the day of restoration. On that day, the person who had once been exiled and isolated returned with sacrifices in hand: a guilt offering, a sin offering, and a burnt offering before the Lord. Scripture says, “The priest shall make atonement for the one to be cleansed before the Lord, and he shall be clean” (Leviticus 14:20).

The eighth day was not just about physical healing; it was about reentry into life -- rejoining the camp, worshiping again, being seen, touched, and loved again. The first seven days represented the process of purification and separation, but the eighth day declared: “You belong again.”

How powerful that this was part of God’s design! Leprosy, in Scripture, represents not only physical disease but also the condition of sin -- what isolates, defiles, and separates us from God and others. But on the eighth day, the barrier is broken, and relationship is restored. It is the day of a new beginning and new belonging.

Yeshua (Jesus) fulfilled this beautifully in His ministry. When the leper cried out, “If You are willing, You can make me clean,” Yeshua reached out and touched him—something no one else would dare to do—and said, “I am willing; be clean!” (Mark 1:40–45). In that moment, physical healing and divine acceptance converged. The true High Priest brought the unclean back into fellowship, not through ritual sacrifice, but through the touch of compassion.

Spiritually, each of us has been that leper -- kept outside, covered in the shame of sin, crying from a distance. But the eighth day speaks of restoration: when the Lord not only heals our wounds but brings us home again. It is the day when He replaces isolation with intimacy, and defilement with dignity.

The number eight again marks the transition from cleansing to communion, from distance to dwelling. In the same way that Shemini Atzeret is God saying, “Stay with Me one more day,” the eighth day of cleansing is God saying, “Come back inside. You’re Mine again.”

Friend, the King who healed the leper still calls to you today: “Be clean, be restored, be whole.” You may have been through your seven days of waiting—your wilderness, your isolation—but this is your eighth day. Step forward with gratitude and faith. The One who touched the untouchable is ready to fill you with His Spirit, to restore your fellowship, and to renew your joy. Let Him take what shame and sin have stolen, and let Him write “clean” across your soul. The eighth day is here—the day of your new start, your restored life, your return to His presence.

Shabbat Shalom, have a really great weekend in the Lord -- we'll see you bright and early on Monday!

Your family in the Lord with much agape love,

George & Baht Rivka (Arad, Israel)

Editor's Note: As we continue this deep dive into Shemini Atzeret, the eighth day—the climactic culmination of all the feasts—if it feels a bit “meaty,” go back through the earlier devotions. Each one builds line upon line, revealing the profound truth of this day: the ultimate fulfillment when God will tabernacle with us for eternity!

Friend, the dedication of the tabernacle -- new worship begins!

Lev 9:1,4,23-24  And it happened on the eighth day. Moses called Aaron and his sons, and the elders of Israel. 4  Also take a young bull and a ram for peace offerings, to sacrifice before Jehovah, and a food offering mixed with oil. For today Jehovah will appear to you. 23  And Moses and Aaron went into the tabernacle of the congregation, and came out and blessed the people. And the glory of Jehovah appeared to all the people. 24  And there came a fire out from before Jehovah, and burned up the burnt offering and the fat on the altar. And all the people saw, shouted, and fell on their faces.

On the eighth day, something extraordinary happened in Israel’s history. After seven days of preparation, anointing, and consecration, the Tabernacle — the dwelling place of God among His people — was finally ready. Moses had completed every command. The priests had been set apart. The altar had been purified. The sacrifices were ready. Then Scripture says, “It came to pass on the eighth day that Moses called Aaron and his sons and the elders of Israel… and the glory of the Lord appeared to all the people” (Leviticus 9:1, 23).

For seven days, the people watched the rituals of consecration — the washing, the anointing, the offerings. But on the eighth day, God Himself drew near. Fire came out from His presence and consumed the offering on the altar, and the people fell on their faces in awe and worship. What had been prepared in obedience was now filled with glory.

This was not just the dedication of a tent — it was the birth of worship as God intended it: His presence dwelling among His people. The seven days represented completion, but the eighth day represented the beginning of communion — a new order of relationship between heaven and earth. From that moment, Israel would not just know God through commandments — they would encounter Him in glory.

The eighth day always points beyond the physical into the spiritual. It speaks of transition — from ritual to relationship, from form to fire, from the shadow of worship to the substance of presence. Just as the Tabernacle was dedicated on the eighth day, Yeshua inaugurated a new kind of worship on the eighth day — the day of His resurrection. From that day onward, worship would no longer be centered in a tent or temple, but in the hearts of the redeemed.

“The hour is coming,” Yeshua (Jesus) told the woman at the well, “when you will worship the Father neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem… but in spirit and in truth, for the Father seeks such to worship Him” (John 4:21–23).

The eighth day teaches us that worship begins when His presence fills what we have prepared. We can build, organize, and consecrate, but only God’s fire can bring it to life. The true dedication of the Tabernacle wasn’t complete until His glory came down. The same is true for us. We are His living temples, prepared for His presence — but it is His Spirit that fills the house.

Friend, the King is seeking worshipers who will move beyond ritual into relationship — those who don’t just build a place for Him but become His dwelling place. Let His glory fill the tabernacle of your heart; yield to the fire that purifies, consumes, and transforms, for when surrender meets holiness, the glory falls. This is the mystery of Shemini Atzeret—the eighth day when worship becomes habitation, and the presence of God fills His people with His glory.

Your family in the Lord with much agape love,

George & Baht Rivka (Arad, Israel)

Editor's Note: Two prophetic messages that speak directly to this moment in history.
Israel and the Revival of the Church: The Mystery of God’s Unbreakable Covenant
In Israel and the Revival of the Church, George reveals why every believer’s faith and revival are spiritually tied to God’s covenant with Israel — the fig tree blossoming in our generation! Discover how Romans 9–11 proves the unbreakable love of God and why Israel’s restoration is the key to the Church’s awakening.

The Mystery of the Eighth Day: From Tabernacles to Eternity
In The Mystery of the Eighth Day, journey from the Feast of Tabernacles into eternity — uncovering the prophetic meaning of the “Eighth Day” and what it reveals about God’s eternal dwelling with His people. This message will stir your spirit, ignite your hope, and awaken you to the glorious future that awaits the Bride of Messiah.

Friend, the divine design — vitamin K and the eighth day!

To truly understand the mystery of Shemini Atzeret --the Eighth Day-- we must recognize that the number eight in Scripture always points beyond time, beyond the natural, into new beginnings and eternal covenant. Our deep dive begins with one of the earliest biblical mentions of the "eighth day": the circumcision of a newborn male. "He who is eight days old among you shall be circumcised," the Lord commanded Abraham (Genesis 17:12; Leviticus 12:3). Why the eighth day? Why not the first, or the seventh? Because the God who designed the covenant also designed the body --and even in the physical act of circumcision, His divine wisdom is revealed.

Medical science has confirmed that the eighth day is the safest day in a newborn's life for circumcision. At birth, a baby's blood-clotting ability is not yet mature. Two crucial elements for coagulation are prothrombin and vitamin K. Vitamin K is essential for the liver's production of prothrombin, a key protein that allows blood to clot. In newborns, vitamin K levels are very low at birth and gradually increase over the first week of life. Remarkably, on the eighth day, medical studies show that vitamin K levels peak to about 110% of the normal adult level, providing the perfect condition for safe healing and minimal bleeding. In other words, the Creator wrote His wisdom into the very body He formed. Long before science understood vitamin K or blood chemistry, God ordained the eighth day as the day of covenant. The physical sign of circumcision was perfectly timed to coincide with the body's readiness, proving that every divine command is infused with both spiritual purpose and biological precision.

But circumcision was never merely about the flesh. It was a prophetic sign pointing to a deeper reality--the cutting away of the sinful nature and the birth of new life in the Spirit. As Moses declared, "The Lord your God will circumcise your heart and the heart of your descendants, to love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul, that you may live" (Deuteronomy 30:6). Paul revealed its ultimate fulfillment in Messiah: "In Him you were circumcised with a circumcision made without hands, by putting off the body of flesh... having been buried with Him in baptism, in which you were also raised with Him" (Colossians 2:11-12). Just as the eighth day marked the covenant in the flesh, the resurrection of Yeshua (Jesus) -- on the eighth day, the day after the Sabbath -- marked the covenant in the Spirit. The natural was fulfilled in the supernatural. The physical cutting became the spiritual cleansing. The old was removed, and the new was born.

The eighth day reminds us that God's timing is perfect, both in our bodies and in our spirits. He knows when the heart is ready to be marked, when the soul is ready to be healed, and when the old nature must be cut away. What area of your life needs that "eighth-day" moment--where the old is removed and new life begins? The covenant of the eighth day still speaks. The same God who ordained it in Abraham's flesh now writes it upon our hearts. Let Him cut away every layer of unbelief, fear, and sin that hinders love. The eighth day is not just a number--it is the rhythm of resurrection. It declares, "The old has passed away; behold, all things have become new."

Friend, let the Great Physician perform His work within you. Yield to His Spirit's scalpel. For when the cutting is complete, healing flows swiftly, and new life springs forth by divine design. This is the mystery of the eighth day--perfect timing, perfect covenant, perfect new beginning.

Your family in the Lord with much agape love,

George & Baht Rivka (En route to Israel across the Atlantic)
(Today's brief is a bit shorter as we're traveling to Israel -- but rest assured, we'll more than make up for it with every "Worthy" story in tomorrow's edition!)

Editor's Note: Two prophetic messages that speak directly to this moment in history.
Israel and the Revival of the Church: The Mystery of God’s Unbreakable Covenant
In Israel and the Revival of the Church, George reveals why every believer’s faith and revival are spiritually tied to God’s covenant with Israel — the fig tree blossoming in our generation! Discover how Romans 9–11 proves the unbreakable love of God and why Israel’s restoration is the key to the Church’s awakening.

The Mystery of the Eighth Day: From Tabernacles to Eternity
In The Mystery of the Eighth Day, journey from the Feast of Tabernacles into eternity — uncovering the prophetic meaning of the “Eighth Day” and what it reveals about God’s eternal dwelling with His people. This message will stir your spirit, ignite your hope, and awaken you to the glorious future that awaits the Bride of Messiah.

Friend, Shemini Atzeret – the eighth day stop!

Leviticus 23:36  For seven days you shall offer an offering made by fire to the LORD. On the eighth day you shall have a holy convocation, and you shall offer an offering made by fire to the LORD. It is a sacred assembly, and you shall do no customary work on it.

Revelation 21:3  And I heard a loud voice from heaven saying, "Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them, and they shall be His people. God Himself will be with them and be their God. 

This is the first of a new series that I’ve not fully planned out yet, but one that I feel compelled to spend significant time unpacking — because Shemini Atzeret is the culmination of all the Feasts of the Lord. It’s the grand finale, the moment everything has been leading to — and the irony is, most believers have never even heard of it! Yet it’s one of the most profound and prophetic days in all of Scripture.

Immediately following Hoshana Rabbah, the seventh day of Sukkot, comes Shemini Atzeret — literally translated, “the eighth [day] stop.”

The Hebrew word Atzeret (עֲצֶרֶת) comes from the root Atzor (עֲצוֹר), meaning to stop, to linger, to pause. It’s as though the Lord is saying, “Don’t rush away—stay with Me a little longer.”

During the seven days of Sukkot, Israel offered seventy bulls on the altar — one for each of the seventy nations of the world — symbolizing God’s redemptive purpose for all humanity (Numbers 29:12–34). But on the eighth day, no more sacrifices for the nations were offered.

Instead, God spoke to His covenant people and said in essence, “Now that the nations have been blessed, I want one more day with you. Just you and Me.”

This is the heart of Shemini Atzeret — the pause of intimacy. It’s as if the King, after hosting a grand banquet for all the world, turns to His beloved bride and says, “Everyone else has gone home, but you — stay with Me a little longer.”

Shemini Atzeret is not technically part of Sukkot — it’s a feast of its own. Yet it immediately follows, completing the seven feasts of the Lord. Prophetically, it represents eternity itself — the eighth day, the day beyond time, symbolizing new creation, resurrection, and everlasting communion.

If Hoshana Rabbah was the cry for salvation, Shemini Atzeret is the answer — the day of eternal rest and union. It foreshadows the moment described in Revelation: “Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them, and they shall be His people, and God Himself will be with them.” (Revelation 21:3)

The temporary sukkah gives way to the permanent dwelling. The cry of “Hoshiana!” (“Save us now!”) becomes the eternal song of “Hallelujah!” The rehearsal ends, and the real feast begins.

As Sukkot concludes, we are reminded that all the Feasts — Passover (Pesach), Unleaven Bread, First-Fruits (Bikoreem), Pentecost (Shavuout), Trumpets (Yom Teurah), Atonement (Yom Kippur), and Tabernacles (Sukkot) — all point to this one reality: the eternal relationship between the Bride and the Bridegroom.

Every feast is a chapter in God’s redemptive story — and Shemini Atzeret is the epilogue that never ends.

Here, time stops. Striving ceases. The nations have been gathered, the harvest is complete, and God’s people dwell in unbroken fellowship with their King.

Friend, the King is calling you to stop — to linger in His presence. The world rushes on, but He says, “Stay with Me a little longer.” The feast for the nations has ended, but the feast of intimacy is just beginning. Let your heart rest beneath His chuppah of glory. Let His Spirit quiet your striving. This is not the time for pleading — this is the time for presence. For soon, the temporary will give way to the eternal, and the cry of “Save us now!” will become the song of “He dwells among us forever!” This is the mystery of Shemini Atzeret — the pause of intimacy, the completion of redemption, and the beginning of eternity.

Your family in the Lord with much agape love,

George & Baht Rivka (Jacksonville, Florida)

Editor's Note: Two prophetic messages that speak directly to this moment in history.
Israel and the Revival of the Church: The Mystery of God’s Unbreakable Covenant
In Israel and the Revival of the Church, George reveals why every believer’s faith and revival are spiritually tied to God’s covenant with Israel — the fig tree blossoming in our generation! Discover how Romans 9–11 proves the unbreakable love of God and why Israel’s restoration is the key to the Church’s awakening.

The Mystery of the Eighth Day: From Tabernacles to Eternity
In The Mystery of the Eighth Day, journey from the Feast of Tabernacles into eternity — uncovering the prophetic meaning of the “Eighth Day” and what it reveals about God’s eternal dwelling with His people. This message will stir your spirit, ignite your hope, and awaken you to the glorious future that awaits the Bride of Messiah.

Friend, the seventh day of Sukkot – Hoshanah Rabbah: The Great Salvation!

Psalms 118:25  Save now, I pray, O LORD; O LORD, I pray, send now prosperity. 
Isaiah 12:3  Therefore with joy you will draw water From the wells of salvation. 
John 7:37-38  On the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried out, saying, "If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and drink.  38  He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water." 

The final day of the Feast of Tabernacles (Sukkot) crescendos in a cry for salvation and the promise of living water, pointing toward the ultimate redemption of the nations under the reign of the Messiah.

As the seven days of Sukkot (Feast of Tabernacles) draw to a close, the celebration reaches its most profound and prophetic moment -- Hoshana Rabbah, "The Great Supplication" or "The Great Salvation."

In the days of the Temple, priests circled the altar seven times while the people waved palm branches and cried aloud, "Hoshiana! Save us, we pray, O Lord!" (Psalm 118:25). This mirrored the seven circuits around Jericho, when God brought down the city's walls--symbolizing victory through divine power.

The priests then poured water from the Pool of Siloam upon the altar as the people rejoiced, praying for rain from heaven -- both physical and spiritual. This Water-Drawing Ceremony marked the culmination of the feast--the very command to rejoice before the Lord brought to its highest expression, becoming one of the most joyous moments in all of Israel's worship.

And it was on this very day -- the final and greatest day of the feast -- that Yeshua (Jesus) stood in the Temple courts and cried out: "If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and drink! Whoever believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his innermost being will flow rivers of living water." (John 7:37-38)

The people were crying for rain; Yeshua was offering the Living Water. The Temple altar received water from the Pool of Siloam, but He was offering the outpouring of the Holy Spirit -- the true rain from heaven that would produce rivers of living water!

According to the sages, while the judgment of individuals is written on Yom Kippur, it is sealed on Hoshana Rabbah. Prophetically, this speaks of the final sealing of nations at the Messiah's return, when all peoples will stand before the throne.

John's revelation captures this moment: "A great multitude that no one could number, from every nation, tribe, people, and language, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, crying out, 'Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!'" (Revelation 7:9-10)

What began as a cry--"Hoshiana! Save now!"--will one day become the eternal song--"Salvation belongs to our God!"

Hoshana Rabbah is the day of culmination -- a call to press in for salvation, outpouring, and victory. It reminds us that every prayer, every tear, every cry for deliverance is heard. The God who brought rain to the earth and rivers to the desert still pours out His Spirit upon thirsty hearts.

Friend, lift your voice in faith! Cry out as they did in Jerusalem, "Hoshiana--Lord, save us now!" For the same King who heard their cry stands ready to pour out His Spirit on all who thirst. Let your altar overflow with praise, your heart become a vessel of living water, and your life a testimony of His great salvation. The Feast of Tabernacles ends not in silence, but in overflowing joy, as we look forward to the day when the nations will gather before the throne and worship the Lamb. This is the triumph of Hoshana Rabbah -- the Great Salvation!

Your family in the Lord with much agape love,

George & Baht Rivka (Jacksonville, Florida)

Editor's Note: Two prophetic messages that speak directly to this moment in history.
Israel and the Revival of the Church: The Mystery of God’s Unbreakable Covenant
In Israel and the Revival of the Church, George reveals why every believer’s faith and revival are spiritually tied to God’s covenant with Israel — the fig tree blossoming in our generation! Discover how Romans 9–11 proves the unbreakable love of God and why Israel’s restoration is the key to the Church’s awakening.

The Mystery of the Eighth Day: From Tabernacles to Eternity
In The Mystery of the Eighth Day, journey from the Feast of Tabernacles into eternity — uncovering the prophetic meaning of the “Eighth Day” and what it reveals about God’s eternal dwelling with His people. This message will stir your spirit, ignite your hope, and awaken you to the glorious future that awaits the Bride of Messiah.

Friend, the coming kingdom: when the King tabernacles with us!

Every year when Israel celebrates the Feast of Tabernacles (Sukkot), they are not only remembering the past — they are rehearsing the future. Each sukkah, each song of joy, and each gathering of worshipers under the open sky points forward to the day when the King Himself will tabernacle among His people.

Zechariah prophesied of that glorious day: “And the Lord will be King over all the earth. In that day the Lord will be one and His name one … Then everyone who survives of all the nations that came against Jerusalem shall go up year after year to worship the King, the Lord of hosts, and to celebrate the Feast of Tabernacles.” (Zechariah 14:9, 16)

It will be the age of fulfillment -- when every nation, tribe, and tongue gathers in Jerusalem to honor the King of Glory. The wars will cease. The curses will be broken. The earth itself will be renewed as righteousness covers it like the waters cover the sea. The nations will no longer war against Jerusalem; instead, they will stream to her, carrying worship instead of weapons.

And beyond that millennial reign awaits the ultimate completion -- the vision John saw on the Isle of Patmos: “Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth… And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, ‘Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them, and they shall be His people. God Himself will be with them and be their God. He will wipe away every tear from their eyes; and death shall be no more…’” (Revelation 21:1–4)

That is the final Sukkah -- not made by human hands, but by the Lord Himself. The shadow will give way to substance, the rehearsal to reality. Every glimpse of joy, every moment of worship, every touch of His presence we experience now is a foretaste of that eternal dwelling where we will see His face and dwell in His light forever.

Friend, remember—this world is but a temporary dwelling, but His Kingdom is eternal! Every feast, every prayer, every act of devotion is a rehearsal for that glorious day when His presence will fill heaven and earth, when darkness will vanish, and sorrow will be no more. We may now dwell in fragile shelters, but soon we will abide in the unshakable city of God. The Bride will meet her Bridegroom, and heaven’s cry will resound -- “Behold, the dwelling place of God is with men!” Hold fast, for the King is coming -- and His glory will cover the earth forever!

Chag Sameach! (Happy Holiday) Shabbat Shalom, have a great weekend -- we'll see you first thing on Monday!

Your family in the Lord with much agape love,

George & Baht Rivka (Live Oak, Florida)

Friend, the covering glory: dwelling under His presence!

During the Feast of Tabernacles, Israel was called to build a sukkah — a fragile, open, temporary dwelling. Yet it was far more than protection from the elements; it was a prophetic sign that the true covering of God’s people is not made of branches or cloth, but of His abiding presence.

David wrote, “In the time of trouble He shall hide me in His pavilion; in the secret place of His tabernacle He shall hide me; He shall set me high upon a rock.” (Psalm 27:5) Even in the storms of life, those who dwell under His shadow are hidden, secure, and covered by the glory of His presence.

Isaiah prophesied of a coming day when this covering would be fully revealed: “Then the LORD will create over the whole site of Mount Zion and over her assemblies a cloud by day, and smoke and the shining of a flaming fire by night; for over all the glory there will be a canopy. There will be a booth for shade by day from the heat, and for a refuge and shelter from the storm and rain.” (Isaiah 4:5–6)

What a breathtaking picture—a divine canopy of glory, a chuppah stretched over God’s people like a wedding covering over His bride. This is not merely poetic language; it is a prophetic promise. Just as Israel once followed the pillar of cloud and fire through the wilderness, God’s Spirit now covers us in every wilderness we walk through today.

Centuries later, that same glory appeared again -- not over the Tabernacle, but upon a mountain. Yeshua (Jesus) took Peter, James, and John up the Mount of Transfiguration, and before their eyes, the glory-cloud descended once more. His face shone like the sun, and His clothes radiated with heavenly light. Moses and Elijah appeared beside Him, symbols of the Law and the Prophets, bearing witness that the fullness of God’s presence now rested in Yeshua, the living Tabernacle.

Overwhelmed, Peter blurted out, “Lord, it is good for us to be here; if You wish, let us make three sukkot—one for You, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.” (Matthew 17:4) He didn’t realize that what once filled the tent of meeting was now standing before him—the Word made flesh, the glory of God dwelling among men.

That same glory now covers us—not as a fleeting experience, but as a permanent presence through His Spirit. When fear rises like a flood, His canopy shields us. When the world burns with uncertainty, His cloud of glory shades us. We live not under the covering of man-made structures, but under the radiant presence of the King who tabernacles within us.

Friend, your life may feel like a fragile sukkah—thin walls, temporary supports, exposed to the winds of the world—but over you rests the covering of the Almighty. His presence is your refuge, His Spirit your shade, His glory your security. Lift your eyes above the storm! The same cloud that led Israel through the wilderness now rests upon you. His chuppah covers your home, your family, your future. You are not uncovered, unguarded, or forgotten—you are surrounded by glory. Step beneath His presence today and let every fear dissolve in the light of His face. Dwell under His canopy, and no weapon formed against you will stand. The King of Glory Himself is your shelter, your shade, your peace. This is the heart of Sukkot—the glory of God dwelling with His people, and His people resting under His glory forever.

Your family in the Lord with much agape love,

George & Baht Rivka (Bradenton, Florida)

Friend, the ingathering: the harvest of nations!

As Israel gathered the last fruits of the year -- the grapes, the olives, the wheat -- they came to Jerusalem rejoicing. The barns were full, the threshing floors overflowed, and the air was filled with the laughter of thanksgiving. Sukkot (Tabernacles) was more than a festival; it was a celebration of completion -- a picture of the final ingathering of all things under God’s reign.

“You shall keep the Feast of Tabernacles seven days, when you have gathered in from your threshing floor and your winepress. You shall rejoice in your feast ... and you shall be altogether joyful.” (Deuteronomy 16:13–15)

The joy of Sukkot was rooted in the harvest -- but its prophetic meaning looks beyond the fields of Israel to the nations of the earth. Zechariah foretold a day when "everyone who survives of all the nations that came against Jerusalem shall go up year after year to worship the King, the Lord of hosts, and to celebrate the Feast of Tabernacles." (Zechariah 14:16)

Sukkot points to the great harvest of nations — the day when every nation, tribe, and tongue will worship Yeshua (Jesus), the King of Kings.  John saw this vision: “A great multitude that no one could number, from every nation, tribe, people, and language, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, crying out, ‘Salvation belongs to our God… and to the Lamb!’” (Revelation 7:9–10)

Sukkot teaches us that the God of Israel is the Lord of the Harvest. His heart beats for souls—the true fruit of His labor. The fields of the world are ripening, and Yeshua still declares, “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few.” (Matthew 9:37)

The Feast of Ingathering isn’t just a time of celebration—it’s a call to action. We are not spectators of the harvest; we are the laborers sent into it. Every act of witness, every prayer for the lost, every seed of kindness or word of truth is part of this divine gathering. The same Spirit that filled the wilderness tabernacle now empowers us to bring in the harvest of the Kingdom.

As you reflect on Sukkot, ask yourself: Am I part of the harvest, or am I helping gather it? God’s desire is not only to dwell with us, but to dwell among all nations. The Feast of Ingathering reminds us that joy is complete only when the harvest is full—when every soul has heard the invitation to come and worship the King.

Friend, lift up your eyes! The fields are white, the fruit is ready, and the Lord of the Harvest is calling your name. The time for sowing in tears is giving way to a season of reaping in joy. Let your life become a vessel of ingathering. Let your voice echo His invitation to the nations: “Come, worship the King!”  For soon, the ingathering will be complete, and the King Himself will dwell among His redeemed.  Until that glorious day, let us labor with joy, shine with His light, and pour out the Living Water to every thirsty soul — for the harvest is near, and the King is coming!

Your family in the Lord with much agape love,

George, Baht Rivka, Elianna and Obadiah
George & Baht Rivka (Bradenton, Florida), Obi (Harrisburg, PA), Elianna (Married living in Missouri)

Friend, the Water and the Light: Joy in His Presence!

Isaiah 12:3  With joy you will draw water from the wells of salvation. 

John 7:37–39 On the last day of the feast, the great day, Jesus stood up and cried out, “If anyone thirsts, let him come to me and drink. 38  Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, ‘Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.’”  39  Now this he said about the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were to receive, for as yet the Spirit had not been given, because Jesus was not yet glorified.

John 8:12 Again Jesus spoke to them, saying, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” 

During the days of the Feast of Tabernacles, Jerusalem overflowed with rejoicing. Every night, torches illuminated the city, and worshippers filled the courts of the Temple with singing, dancing, and laughter. It was said, “He who has not seen the rejoicing at the Water-Drawing Ceremony has never seen joy in his life.”

Each morning, the high priest would descend from the Temple to the Pool of Siloam. There he would draw water in a golden vessel and carry it back up to the altar with a grand procession of priests, musicians, and worshippers shouting Hallelu-Yah! As the water was poured out before the Lord, the people would recite Isaiah’s promise: “With joy you will draw water from the wells of salvation” (Isaiah 12:3).

This water-drawing ceremony—Simchat Beit HaShoevah—was a prophetic picture of the outpouring of the Holy Spirit. The people longed for the day when living water would flow freely from the throne of God to refresh the dry and weary earth.

It was on the last and greatest day of this feast that Yeshua (Jesus) stood and cried out, “If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and drink! He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his innermost being shall flow rivers of living water.” (John 7:37–38) At that very moment, as the priests were pouring out water upon the altar, Yeshua revealed Himself as the true source—the Living Water—the One who satisfies the soul’s deepest thirst.

And when the lamps of the Temple were lit to pierce the night sky, Yeshua declared again, “I am the Light of the world. Whoever follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life.” (John 8:12)

The ceremonies of Sukkot pointed to Him—the Light that never fades and the Water that never runs dry.

The joy of Sukkot was never about the water in the jar or the lamps in the court—it was about the Presence that filled both. When His Spirit flows within us, despair turns to praise. When His light shines through us, shadows flee and hearts awaken. Joy is not found in our surroundings but in the Presence of the One who fills all things with life.

Are you thirsty today? Have the wells of this world left you dry and disappointed? The same invitation that echoed through Jerusalem still resounds: “If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and drink.” Yeshua doesn’t offer a drop—He offers rivers. He doesn’t give momentary light—He gives eternal illumination.

Friend, step into His presence with joy! Let the Living Water flow again in the dry places of your soul. Don’t settle for ritual when rivers are offered. Don’t dwell in shadows when His light is shining. Lift your hands in worship and draw deeply from the wells of salvation. Let His Spirit overflow until every barren place in your heart becomes a fountain of joy. For the same Messiah who cried out in Jerusalem still cries out today -- “Come to Me and drink.” And when you do, the Light of the World will flood your darkness, and rivers of living water will burst forth from within you. This is the joy of His presence—the true heart of Sukkot.

Your family in the Lord with much agape love,

George, Baht Rivka, Elianna and Obadiah
George & Baht Rivka, Obi (Baltimore, Maryland), Elianna (Married living in Missouri)

Friend, God dwelling among His people!

Leviticus 23:33-36  And the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, 34  “Speak to the people of Israel, saying, On the fifteenth day of this seventh month and for seven days is the Feast of Booths to the LORD. 35  On the first day shall be a holy convocation; you shall not do any ordinary work. 36  For seven days you shall present food offerings to the LORD. On the eighth day you shall hold a holy convocation and present a food offering to the LORD. It is a solemn assembly; you shall not do any ordinary work. 

As the world begins its celebration of the Feast of Tabernacles (Sukkot) tonight, we're reminded that every Feast of the Lord carries a prophetic message pointing to the Messiah. The apostle Paul wrote, "Therefore let no one pass judgment on you in questions of food and drink, or with regard to a festival or a new moon or a Sabbath. These are a shadow of the things to come, but the substance belongs to Christ" (Colossians 2:16-17).

Each feast is a shadow of a greater reality, a divine rehearsal revealing the redemptive plan of God through Yeshua (Jesus) the Messiah. As we begin this journey through Sukkot, we are not merely studying an ancient festival; we are entering into a prophetic revelation of how God desires to dwell with us.

When God commanded Israel, "Let them make Me a sanctuary, that I may dwell among them" (Exodus 25:8), it revealed His deepest desire: not to rule from afar, but to dwell in the midst of His people. From Eden's garden to Sinai's glory, from the wilderness tabernacle to Bethlehem's manger, this has always been His heart--to make His home among men.

During the Feast of Tabernacles, the people of Israel were instructed to live in a sukkah — temporary shelters — so they would remember their journey through the wilderness. Each frail booth reminded them that their security wasn't in structures of wood or stone but in the presence of the Living God. When the cloud covered the camp by day and the fire by night, it was a constant reminder that the Presence makes the place holy, not the walls.

In the same way, our lives are like those simple shelters — fragile, temporary, and easily shaken. Yet when the glory of God fills the "tent" of our hearts, the temporary becomes eternal. Without His indwelling presence, even the strongest life is empty; but when He abides within, even our weakness becomes His dwelling place of glory.

Then came the ultimate fulfillment: "The Word became flesh and tabernacled among us" (John 1:14). Yeshua is the living Sukkah of God — the eternal Presence wrapped in human flesh. The same glory that once rested above the Ark now dwells within us by His Spirit. What began in the wilderness is completed in Messiah: God dwelling not just among His people--but within them.

Pause and consider this--God doesn't merely visit; He inhabits. The same Presence that filled the Tabernacle now resides in you. Your body, your life, your very breath is meant to be a resting place for His glory.

Friend, the Feast of Tabernacles isn't just a memorial--it's an invitation. God is still seeking a place to dwell, and that place is your heart. Tear down every wall of self-reliance and let Him fill your sukkah anew. Let His Presence be your shelter, His Spirit your covering, His glory your light. For when He truly dwells within, no wilderness can defeat you, no darkness can overcome you, and no storm can uproot you. This is the essence of Sukkot: the God of Heaven choosing to tabernacle with man. Let Him fill your dwelling today--and you will never be empty again.

Your family in the Lord with much agape love,

George, Baht Rivka, Elianna and Obadiah
George & Baht Rivka, Obi (Baltimore, Maryland), Elianna (Married living in Missouri)

Friend, the two goats of atonement!

Hebrews 13:12  So Jesus also suffered outside the gate in order to sanctify the people through his own blood. 

2 Cor 5:21  For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God. 

On Yom Kippur, Israel witnessed a sacred drama that revealed the weight of sin and the mercy of God. Two goats were brought before the Lord. One was sacrificed — its blood sprinkled on the mercy seat to cover the sins of the people. The other, the scapegoat (azazel), had the sins of the nation confessed over it and was sent into the wilderness, carrying away their iniquities.

This was more than ritual; it was a living parable. Sin requires both a payment and a removal. One goat died to satisfy justice. The other carried sin far away, never to return.

Messiah Yeshua (Jesus) fulfills both roles perfectly. He shed His blood on the cross to cover our sins with atonement. And just as the scapegoat was led outside the camp, so Yeshua was crucified outside the city gate (Hebrews 13:12), bearing the curse of our guilt. He is both the sacrifice and the scapegoat — the One who paid for our sin and the One who carried it away. “For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him” (2 Corinthians 5:21).

If every sin has been covered by His blood and carried away forever, then why live another moment under the weight of shame? The cross has not only forgiven you — it has freed you. The Lamb was slain to cleanse you, and the Scapegoat bore your guilt into the wilderness, never to return.

Now rise up and walk in the calling He has placed upon your life. Do not waste the covering of Messiah by shrinking back in fear or settling into compromise. You have been clothed in His righteousness, set apart for His purposes, and anointed to shine His light in a dark world.

Friend, the gates of mercy are open today — but they will not remain open forever. Let the reality of His atonement give you urgency to intercede for the lost and boldness to fulfill your assignment. You are free. You are forgiven. You are covered. Now walk in the power of your calling until the final shofar sounds.

Shabbat Shalom -- have a great weekend and we'll see you bright and early on Monday!

Your family in the Lord with much agape love,

George, Baht Rivka, Elianna and Obadiah
George & Baht Rivka, Obi (Baltimore, Maryland), Elianna (Married living in Missouri)

Friend, the day the books are opened!

Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement, is the holiest day on the biblical calendar. On this day the High Priest entered the Most Holy Place once a year, “not without blood,” to make atonement for the sins of Israel (Leviticus 16:34). Heaven’s books were opened, sins laid bare, and forgiveness sought through sacrifice.

Yet even this solemn feast pointed forward to something greater. The writer of Hebrews declares: “But when Christ came as High Priest of the good things that are now already here, He went through the greater and more perfect tabernacle that is not made with human hands… He did not enter by means of the blood of goats and calves; but He entered the Most Holy Place once for all by His own blood, thus obtaining eternal redemption.” (Hebrews 9:11–12)

On Yom Kippur, the final shofar blast declared that heaven’s gates were closing. Kippur means “covering”: either the blood covered your sins, shielding you from judgment, or you stood exposed before the Holy One. There was no middle ground.

The sprinkled blood on the mercy seat covered Israel’s sins for a year, but it foreshadowed Messiah Yeshua’s perfect atonement. His blood doesn’t just cover sin temporarily — it removes it completely. Those who trust in Him are clothed in His righteousness and inscribed in the Book of Life. But for those who refuse His covering, the shofar announces judgment. When the gates close, no one enters by their own merit.

For me, Yom Kippur is not only a time to search my own heart — it’s a call to intercede for every soul who still needs salvation, for Israel, and for the nations. This day reminds us that the gates will not remain open forever. For believers, it is both a song of praise — Yeshua is our atonement — and a solemn warning: the countdown is moving swiftly toward the moment when the doors will shut and no second chances remain.

Friend, let this day stir in you both gratitude and urgency: gratitude that you are covered in His blood, and urgency to pray and witness while there is still time. The hour is late, the trumpet is near, and eternity is at hand. May we be found faithful, clothed in His righteousness, interceding for the lost — until the final shofar sounds and we stand secure in His presence forever.

Your family in the Lord with much agape love,

George, Baht Rivka, Elianna and Obadiah
George & Baht Rivka, Obi (Baltimore, Maryland), Elianna (Married living in Missouri)

Friend, no peace for the wicked!

Isaiah 57:20-21  But the wicked are like the tossing sea; for it cannot be quiet, and its waters toss up mire and dirt. 21  There is no peace,” says my God, “for the wicked.”

As the Yamim Nora’im, the Days of Awe, draw toward Yom Kippur, Isaiah’s warning falls with sobering clarity: “There is no peace for the wicked.” The image is striking — the wicked are like the restless sea, unable to be still, churning up mud and mire. Sin never leads to quiet; rebellion can never produce rest. Only those who turn back in repentance find the still waters of God’s peace.

These ten days stand as a line in the sand — a call to choose life or remain in rebellion. The rabbis taught that during this season, the Book of Life is open, and each soul must decide its path. The Days of Awe are not meant to be comfortable; they are meant to awaken us to the urgency of repentance. To continue in sin is to remain in the storm, but to turn to God is to find calm in His mercy.

For believers, this truth finds its fulfillment in Messiah Yeshua (Jesus), the Prince of Peace. He alone offers the shalom the world cannot give. Yeshua Himself said, “Peace I leave with you; My peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you” (John 14:27). The world’s peace is fleeting, but the peace of the Messiah is eternal, purchased by His blood and secured by His resurrection. Without Him, the heart remains restless; in Him, the soul finds rest.

Friend, as we reach the close of the Days of Awe, the choice could not be clearer. Peace or unrest. Repentance or rebellion. Life or death. The sea of this world offers only turbulence, but the Prince of Peace invites you to still waters. The shofar has sounded, the Book is open, and the King is at the door. Let not these days pass without turning fully to Him. For only in Yeshua, the Holy One of Israel, will you find the peace your soul longs for.

Your family in the Lord with much agape love,

George, Baht Rivka, Elianna and Obadiah
George & Baht Rivka, Obi (Baltimore, Maryland), Elianna (Married living in Missouri)