Joel Richardson
ՉMuch has been written in recent years regarding the prophetic nature of the Biblical Feasts or moӥdim.
ՉThe Hebrew term: moӥdim means Գet or appointed timesԮ
ՉAlthough called feasts, or holy-days, they are not all feasts (Day or Atonement for example is a fast), and not all are single days (Unleavened Bread and Tabernacles for example are observed for a week).
ՉWhile an understanding of the moӥdim is beginning to find its way into some churches, most believers are still unaware of the rich prophetic meaning of these Biblical Feasts.
ՉWhere there is understanding, it is most often limited to the first four Feasts of Passover, Unleavened Bread, First Fruits and Pentecost.
ՉThe seven Biblical Feasts contain the complete Gospel of the Kingdom; the message proclaimed by all of the prophets, Jesus and the apostles.
ՉThe first three Feasts of Passover, Unleavened Bread and First Fruits prophetically speak of the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus.
ՉThe fourth feast of Pentecost speaks of the first great outpouring of the Holy Spirit and the resultant ingathering of 3000 individuals into the Church in one day.
ՉToday, many Christians believe that the message of the first four feasts contains the complete Gospel Message.
ՉBut the message of the spring feasts without the prophetic message of the Fall Feast Days is incomplete. The complete Gospel Message must include the prophetic message of the Fall Feasts as well as the Spring Feasts.
ՉThe Fall Days speak of the return of the Messiah and the salvation of the Jewish people. This is an equally integral and essential element of the Gospel message.
ՉThe message and timing of the Fall Feasts shed much light on the return of Jesus; His victorious procession and ultimate triumphal entry that follows.
ՉThese events together make up the primary longing, hope and expectation of the believer.
ՉYet there is a systemic and fundamental lack of understanding through the Church regarding these events.
ՉThe Church must return to understanding and proclaiming the complete Gospel message contained in ALL of the Feasts!
OVERVIEW OF THE BIBLICAL FEASTS:
ՉPassover (Erev Pesach): A perfect spotless lamb is sacrificed and its blood is wiped on the doorpost. A shadow or type of the sacrifice of Jesus, the Lamb of God, at the cross (1 Cor 5:7).
ՉThe Feast of Unleavened Bread / Passover Meal (Pesach): The unleavened bread (matzah) eaten during this meal, is a type of the sinless Jesus, the unleavened bread of life, who releases repentant believers from the bondage of sin. (John 6:32, 48-51) The Gospel Message symbolized in this meal is practiced today by most as the Lord’s Supper or Communion.
ՉFirst Fruits (Omer): This was the day they were to wave the sheaf from a barley plant from the first / spring harvest. Jesus was the first fruits of the resurrection, (1 Cor 15:20, 23, 2 Tim 2:6-8). All repentant believers will also be resurrected physically.
ՉPentecost (Shavuot): This day celebrated the first of the wheat harvest with the offering of two wave loaves of leavened bread (Lev 23:17, 20). This feast foreshadowed the first major outpouring of the Holy Spirit, resulting in three thousand souls being added to the Church in one day (Acts 2:41). This early outpouring of the Holy Spirit will also be followed by another greater outpouring of the Holy Spirit near the end of time (Joel 2:28-29) to empower the proclamation of the Gospel of the Kingdom before the return of Jesus.
ՉFeast of Trumpets (Yom Teruah): This day is a day of blowing trumpets (shofar) calling all to repent. Traditionally this day is preceded by thirty days (and followed by ten days) of Teshuvah or repentance. At the conclusion of the day of Trumpets, one final powerful blast resounds on the shofar. This day prophetically speaks of the final call to repent before the return of the Messiah and the resurrection of righteous that occurs at the final trumpet blast.
ՉDay of Atonement (Yom Kippur): This day, a complete fast, is the holiest day of the Biblical calendar. It is a day of repentance. Through repentance, reconciliation with God takes place. This is also the day that the corporate sins of the Jewish nation were laid upon a scapegoat that was cast outside of the camp into the wilderness. Atonement prophetically speaks of the day when the Jews mourn and repent concerning their rejection of Jesus who is foreshadowed in the scapegoat. Thus, the Day of Atonement also points to the day when all Israel will be saved (Romans 11) as they return to the LORD forevermore.
ՉFeast of Tabernacles (Sukkoth): An eight-day celebratory feast coinciding with the final harvest of the year. For seven days the people moved out of their homes and lived in shelters called ԓukkahԮ It was decorated with branches cut from palm, willow and other trees. This last feast prophetically speaks of the future celebration regarding the final harvest of mankind at the end of the age and the commencement of the Millennium. Today we eat in a Sukkah looking forward to the day when God will dwell on earth with us. But even during the Millennium, we will continue to keep this festival (Zech 14) to celebrate the fact that God dwells with man and is our covering (Sukkah) through Jesus the Messiah.
OVERVIEW OF THE RETURN OF THE MESSIAH, HIS VICTORIOUS PROCESSION AND THE ULTIMATE TRIUMPHAL ENTRY
v DAY OF TRUMPETS
ՉJesus returns on the clouds
ՉThe raptured / resurrected believers are with Him
ՉEvery eye will see Him
ՉIsrael mourns and repents as they recognize the identity of their Messiah
v DAY OF ATONEMENT
ՉThose who are left /survivors / remnant of Israel are saved / return to the LORD
ՉJesus and the resurrected believers come to Egypt
ՉJesus leads a victorious procession from Egypt to Jerusalem
ՉMusicians and singers go before and follow after the procession
ՉThe wrath of God; rain, hail, earthquakes and fire are pored out on the enemies of God
ՉThe Antichrist, False Prophet and their peoples are destroyed
ՉJesus and the procession free prisoners of the Antichrist
ՉThe Psalms of Ascent are sung as the procession goes up to Zion
ՉUltimate triumphal entry into Jerusalem
ՉThe Gates of Jerusalem are opened for the arrival of the King Messiah
ՉJesus is enthroned takes His place as the rightful King Messiah on the throne of David
ՉThe Lord Jesus dwells in Zion.
v TABERNACLES (SUKKOTH) IS CELEBRATED.
ՉThe children and remnant of the peoples of the Antichrist and the Gentile nations will come to repent and serve Israel and Jesus her king.
ՉBoth Israel and the faithful meek, victimized, downtrodden, abused, forgotten, and lowly will be honored and exalted.
SCRIPTURAL SUPPORT:
v DAY OF TRUMPETS
o But in the days when the seventh angel is about to sound his trumpet, the mystery of God will be accomplished, just as he announced to his servants the prophets.” (Revelation 10:7)
o The seventh angel sounded his trumpet, and there were loud voices in heaven, which said: “The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ, and he will reign for ever and ever.” (Revelation 11:15)
o Then the LORD will appear over them; his arrow will flash like lightning. The Sovereign LORD will sound the trumpet; he will march in the storms of the south. (Zechariah 9:14)
ՉJesus returns on the clouds:
o Sing to God, sing praises to His name; extol Him who rides on the clouds, By His name YAH, And rejoice before Him. (Psalm 68:4)
o ӠI was watching in the night visions, And behold, One like the Son of Man, Coming with the clouds of heaven! (Daniel 7:13)
o Then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in heavenŠand they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. (Matthew 24:30)
o Jesus said to themŠԉ say to you, hereafter you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Power, and coming on the clouds of heaven.Ԡ(Matthew 26:64)
ՉThe raptured / resurrected believers are with Him:
o And he will send his angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather his elect from the four winds, from one end of the heavens to the other. (Matthew 24:31)
o Ʃn a flash, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed. (1 Corinthians 15:52)
o For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. (1 Thessalonians 4:16)
o Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord. (1 Thessalonians 4:17)
o Thus the LORD my God will come, and all the saints with You. It shall come to pass in that day that there will be no light; the lights will diminish. (Zechariah 14:5,6)
o Then I saw the beast and the kings of the earth and their armies gathered together to make war against the rider on the horse and his army. (Revelation19:19)
ՉEvery eye will see Him
o He is coming with clouds, and every eye will see Him, even they who pierced Him. And all the tribes of the earth will mourn because of Him. (Revelation 1:7)
ՉIsrael mourns and repents as they recognize the identity of their Messiah
o ԁnd I will pour on the house of David and on the inhabitants of Jerusalem the Spirit of grace and supplication; then they will look on Me whom they pierced. Yes, they will mourn for Him as one mourns for his only son, and grieve for Him as one grieves for a firstborn. (Zechariah 12:10)
o He is coming with clouds, and every eye will see Him, even they who pierced Him. And all the tribes of the earth (or land) will mourn because of Him. (Revelation 1:7)
v DAY OF ATONEMENT
o And so all Israel will be saved, as it is written: ӠThe Deliverer will come out of Zion, and He will turn away ungodliness from Jacob.Ԡ(Romans 11:26)
o Zion will be redeemed with justice and her repentant ones with righteousness. (Isaiah 1:27)
ՉThose who are left / the survivors / the remnant of Israel are saved / return to the LORD
o And the remnant who have escaped of the house of Judah shall again take root downward, and bear fruit upward. For out of Jerusalem shall go a remnant, and those who escape from Mount Zion. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will do this.Ҡ(2 Kings 19:30-31)
o Isaiah also cries out concerning Israel: Ԕhough the number of the children of Israel be as the sand of the sea, only the remnant will be saved. (Romans 9:27)
o In that day the Branch of the LORD will be beautiful and glorious, and the fruit of the earth will be the pride and the adornment of the survivors of Israel. (Isaiah 4:2)
o And it shall come to pass in that day that the remnant of Israel, and such as have escaped of the house of Jacob, Will never again depend on him who defeated them, But will depend on the LORD, the Holy One of Israel, in truth. (Isaiah 10:20)
o ԁt the same time,Ԡsays the LORD, ԉ will be the God of all the families of Israel, and they shall be My people.ԠThus says the LORD: Ԕhe people who survived the sword found grace in the wildernessԠ(Jeremiah 31:1,2)
o Whoever calls on the name of the LORD Shall be saved. For in Mount Zion and in Jerusalem there shall be deliverance, As the LORD has said, among the remnant whom the LORD calls. (Joel 2:32)
o I will make the lame a remnant, And the outcast a strong nation; So the LORD will reign over them in Mount Zion from now on, even forever. (Micah 4:7)
o I will leave in your midst a meek and humble people, and they shall trust in the name of the LORD. The remnant of Israel shall do no unrighteousness and speak no lies, nor shall a deceitful tongue be found in their mouth; for they shall feed their flocks and lie down, and no one shall make them afraid.Ԡ(Zephaniah 3:13)
ՉJesus and the resurrected believers come to Egypt:
o See, the LORD rides on a swift cloud and is coming to Egypt. The idols of Egypt tremble before him, and the hearts of the Egyptians melt within them.
ՉJesus (As the Greater Moses) leads a victorious procession out of Egypt to Zion / Jerusalem:
o God came from Teman (Arabia), the Holy One from Mount Paran (Sinai desert). His glory covered the heavens and his praise filled the earth. His splendor was like the sunrise; rays flashed from his hand, where his power was hidden. Plague went before him; pestilence followed his steps. He stood, and shook the earth; he looked, and made the nations tremble. The ancient mountains crumbled and the age-old hills collapsed. His ways are eternal. I saw the tents of Cushan in distress, the dwellings of Midian in anguish. (Habakkuk 3:3-7)
o O God, when You went out before Your people, when You marched through the wilderness, the earth shook; the heavens also dropped rain at the presence of God; Sinai itself was moved at the presence of God, the God of Israel… The Lord gave the word; great was the company of those who proclaimed it: ԋings of armies flee, they flee.ԅ They have seen Your procession, O God, the procession of my God, my King, into the sanctuary. (Psalm 68:7-8, 11-12, 24)
o Who is this who comes forth from Edom, with dyed garments from Bozrah, this One who is glorious in His apparel, traveling in the greatness of His strength?ד I who speak in righteousness, mighty to save.Ԡ(Isaiah 63:1-2)
ՉMusicians and singers go before and follow after the procession:
o They have seen Your procession, O God, the procession of my God, my King, into the sanctuary. The singers went before, the musicians followed after; among them were the maidens playing timbrels. (Psalm 68:24-25)
o He leads forth the prisoners with singing (Psalm 68:6)
o God has ascended amid shouts of joy, the LORD amid the sounding of trumpets. Sing praises to God, sing praises; sing praises to our King, sing praises. For God is the King of all the earth; sing to him a psalm of praise. God reigns over the nations; God is seated on his holy throne. (Psalm 47:5-8)
o The ransomed of the LORD will return. They will enter Zion with singing; everlasting joy will crown their heads. Gladness and joy will overtake them, and sorrow and sighing will flee away. (Isaiah 35:10)
o
ՉThe wrath of God: Rain, hail, earthquakes, pestilence and fire are poured out on the enemies of God:
o For in My jealousy and in the fire of My wrath I have spoken: ғurely in that day there shall be a great earthquake in the land of Israel, so that the fish of the sea, the birds of the heavens, the beasts of the field, all creeping things that creep on the earth, and all men who are on the face of the earth shall shake at My presence. The mountains shall be thrown down, the steep places shall fall, and every wall shall fall to the ground.҅ And I will bring him to judgment with pestilence and bloodshed; I will rain down on him, on his troops, and on the many peoples who are with him, flooding rain, great hailstones, fire, and brimstone. ԁnd I will send fire on Magog and on those who live in security in the coastlands. (Ezekiel 38:19-20; 39:6)
o His glory covered the heavens and his praise filled the earth. His splendor was like the sunrise; rays flashed from his hand, where his power was hidden. Plague went before him; pestilence followed his steps. He stood, and shook the earth; he looked, and made the nations tremble. The ancient mountains crumbled and the age-old hills collapsed. (Habakkuk 3:3-5)
o On the wicked He will rain fiery coals and burning sulfur; a scorching wind will be their lot. (Psalm 11:6)
o The earth shook, the heavens poured down rain, before God, the One of Sinai, before God, the God of Israel. (Psalm 68:8)
o The seventh angel poured out his bowl into the air, and out of the temple came a loud voice from the throne, saying, “It is done!” Then there came flashes of lightning, rumblings, peals of thunder and a severe earthquake. No earthquake like it has ever occurred since man has been on earth, so tremendous was the quake. The great city split into three parts, and the cities of the nations collapsed. God remembered Babylon the Great and gave her the cup filled with the wine of the fury of his wrath. Every island fled away and the mountains could not be found. From the sky huge hailstones of about a hundred pounds each fell upon men. And they cursed God on account of the plague of hail, because the plague was so terrible. (Revelation 16:17-21)
ՉThe Antichrist, False Prophet and their peoples are destroyed:
o On that day I will set out to destroy all the nations that attack Jerusalem. (Zechariah 12:9)
o Then the LORD will go forth and fight against those nations, as He fights in the day of battle. (Zechariah 14:3)
o Say to those with fearful hearts, “Be strong, do not fear; your God will come, he will come with vengeance; with divine retribution he will come to save you.” (Isaiah 35:4)
o Who is this who comes from Edom, with dyed garments from Bozrah, this One who is glorious in His apparel, traveling in the greatness of His strength?ד I who speak in righteousness, mighty to save.ԠWhy is Your apparel red, and Your garments like one who treads in the winepress? ԉ have trodden the winepress alone, and from the peoples no one was with Me. For I have trodden them in My anger, and trampled them in My fury; their blood is sprinkled upon My garments, and I have stained all My robes. For the day of vengeance is in My heart, and the year of My redemption has comeŠMy own arm brought salvation for Me; and My own fury, it sustained Me. I have trodden down the peoples in My anger, made them drunk in My fury, and brought down their strength to the earth.Ԡ (Isaiah 63:1-6)
o But the beast was captured, and with him the false prophet who had performed the miraculous signs on his behalf. With these signs he had deluded those who had received the mark of the beast and worshiped his image. The two of them were thrown alive into the fiery lake of burning sulfur. The rest of them were killed with the sword that came out of the mouth of the rider on the horse, and all the birds gorged themselves on their flesh. (Revelation 19:20-21)
ՉJesus and the procession will free prisoners of the Antichrist:
o They will fall by the sword and will be taken as prisoners to all the nations. Jerusalem will be trampled on by the Gentiles until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled. (Luke 21:24)
o You will arise and have compassion on Zion, for it is time to show favor to her; the appointed time has comeŠ”The LORD looked down from his sanctuary on high, from heaven he viewed the earth, to hear the groans of the prisoners and release those condemned to death.” The name of the LORD will be declared in Zion and his praise in Jerusalem when the peoples and the kingdoms assemble to worship the LORD. (Psalm 102:13-16, 19-21)
o God makes a home for the lonely; he leads out the prisoners into prosperity… (Psalm 68:6)
o For behold, in those days and at that time, when I bring back the captives of Judah and JerusalemŠ(Joel 3:1)
o The Spirit of the Sovereign LORD is on me, because the LORD has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners, to proclaim the year of the LORD’s favor and the day of vengeance of our God, to comfort all who mourn, and provide for those who grieve in Zionشo bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of gladness instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair. (Isaiah 61:1-3)
o Rejoice greatly, O Daughter of Zion! Shout, Daughter of Jerusalem! See, your king comes to you, righteous and having salvation, gentle and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkeyŠHe will proclaim peace to the nations. His rule will extend from sea to sea and from the River to the ends of the earth. As for you, because of the blood of my covenant with you, I will free your prisoners from the waterless pit. (Zechariah 9:9-11)
o Ҏow I will bring back the captives of Jacob, and have mercy on the whole house of Israel; and I will be jealous for My holy name (Ezekiel 39:25)
o “The LORD looked down from his sanctuary on high, from heaven he viewed the earth, to hear the groans of the prisoners and release those condemned to death.” (Psalm 102:19-20)
ՉUltimate triumphal entry into Jerusalem:
o For I tell you, you will not see me again until you say, ‘Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.'” (Matthew 23:39)
ՉThe singing and worship continues as the procession goes up to Zion. Some say that the Psalms of Ascent will be among the songs sung:
o Sing, O daughter of Zion! Shout, O Israel! Be glad and rejoice with all your heart, O daughter of Jerusalem! The LORD has taken away your judgments, He has cast out your enemy. The King of Israel, the LORD, is in your midst; you shall see disaster no more. (Zephaniah 3:14-15)
ՉThe Gates of Jerusalem are opened for the arrival of the King Messiah:
o Lift up your heads, O you gates; be lifted up, you ancient doors, that the King of glory may come in. Who is this King of glory? The LORD strong and mighty, the LORD mighty in battle. Lift up your heads, O you gates; lift them up, you ancient doors, that the King of glory may come in. Who is he, this King of glory? The LORD Almightyبe is the King of glory. (Psalm 24:7-10)
o Open to me the gates of righteousness; I will go through them, and I will praise the LORD. This is the gate of the LORD, through which the righteous shall enter. (Psalm 118:19,20)
ՉJesus is enthroned takes His place as the rightful King Messiah on the throne of David
o ơnd thou will call his name JESUS. He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest: and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David: And he shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end. (Luke 1:30-33)
o Of the increase of his government and peace there will be no end. He will reign on David’s throne and over his kingdom, establishing and upholding it with justice and righteousness from that time on and forever. (Isaiah 9:7)
o But about the Son he says, “Your throne, O God, will last for ever and ever, and righteousness will be the scepter of your kingdom. (Hebrew 1:8)
ՉJesus Himself will sing and rejoice over His people:
o The LORD your God in your midst, a victorious warrior; He will rejoice over you with gladness, He will quiet you with His love, He will rejoice over you with singing.Ԡ(Zephaniah 3:17)
o And as the bridegroom rejoices over the bride, so your God will rejoice over you. (Isaiah 62:5)
o I will also rejoice in Jerusalem and be glad in my people. (65:19)
o “I will rejoice over them to do them good and will faithfully plant them in this land with all my heart and with all My soul. (Jeremiah 32:41)
ՉThe Lord Jesus dwells in Zion
o I will return to Zion and dwell in Jerusalem. Then Jerusalem will be called the City of Truth, and the mountain of the Lord Almighty will be called the Holy Mountain.Ҕ (Zechariah 8:3)
o But Judah shall abide forever, and Jerusalem from generation to generation. For I will acquit them of the guilt of bloodshed, whom I had not acquitted; for the LORD dwells in Zion.Ԡ(Joel 3:20-21)
o And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Now the dwelling of God is with men, and he will live with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. (Revelation 21:3)
v SUKKOTH IS CELEBRATED
o ӠLet the nations be wakened, and come up to the Valley of Jehoshaphat; for there I will sit to judge all the surrounding nations. Put in the sickle, for the harvest is ripe. Come, go down; for the winepress is full, the vats overflowئor their wickedness is great.ԅ But the LORD will be a shelter for His people, and the strength of the children of Israel. (Joel 3: 12-13, 16)
o 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. And another angel came out of the temple, crying with a loud voice to Him who sat on the cloud, Ԕhrust in Your sickle and reap, for the time has come for You to reap, for the harvest of the earth is ripe.ԠSo He who sat on the cloud thrust in His sickle on the earth, and the earth was reaped. (Revelation 14:14-16)
o And it shall come to pass that everyone who is left of all the nations which came against Jerusalem shall go up from year to year to worship the King, the LORD of hosts, and to keep the Feast of Tabernacles. (Zechariah 14:16)
ՉThe children and remnant of the peoples of the Antichrist and the Gentile nations will come to repent and serve Israel and Jesus her king.
o ԏn that day I will raise up the tabernacle of David, which has fallen down, and repair its damages; I will raise up its ruins, and rebuild it as in the days of old; that they may possess the remnant of Edom, and all the Gentiles who are called by My name,ԠSays the LORD who does this thing. (Amos 9:12)
o The residue of my people shall plunder them, and the remnant of my people shall possess them.Ԡ(Zephaniah 2:9)
o But the LORD will arise over you, and His glory will be seen upon you. The Gentiles shall come to your light, and kings to the brightness of your rising. ӠLift up your eyes all around, and see: they all gather together, they come to youŠ”Foreigners will rebuild your walls, and their kings will serve you. Your gates (Jerusalem) will always stand open, they will never be shut, day or night, so that men may bring you the wealth of the nationsנtheir kings led in triumphal processionŠFor the nation and kingdom which will not serve you shall perish, and those nations shall be utterly ruined. Also the sons of those who afflicted you shall come bowing to you, and all those who despised you shall fall prostrate at the soles of your feet; and they shall call you The City of the LORD, Zion of the Holy One of Israel. (Isaiah 60:2-4, 11,12,14)
o And the nations of those who are saved shall walk in its light, and the kings of the earth bring their glory and honor into it. (Revelation 21:24)
ՉThe nation of Israel, as well as the faithful meek, victimized, downtrodden, abused, forgotten, and lowly will be honored and exalted:
o But with righteousness He will judge the poor, and decide with fairness for the afflicted of the earth. (Isaiah 11:4)
o The afflicted also will increase their gladness in the LORD, and the needy of mankind will rejoice in the Holy One of Israel. (Isaiah 29:19)
o Then will the eyes of the blind be opened and the ears of the deaf unstopped. Then will the lame leap like a deer, and the mute tongue shout for joy. (Isaiah 35:6)
o Although you have been forsaken and hated, with no one traveling through, I will make you the everlasting pride and the joy of all generations. (Isaiah 60:15)
o The Spirit of the Sovereign LORD is on me, because the LORD has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners, to proclaim the year of the LORD’s favor and the day of vengeance of our God, to comfort all who mourn, and provide for those who grieve in Zionشo bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of gladness instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair. (Isaiah 61:1-3)
o “I will seek the lost, bring back the scattered, bind up the broken and strengthen the sick; but the fat and the strong I will destroy I will feed them with judgment. (Ezekiel 34:16)
o “In that day,” declares the LORD, “I will assemble the lame and gather the outcasts, even those whom I have afflicted. (Micah 4:6)
o I will save the lame, and gather those who were driven out; I will appoint them for praise and fame in every land where they were put to shame. (Zephaniah 3:19)
o He will have compassion on the poor and needy, and the lives of the needy he will save. (Psalm 72:13)
