It is fall feast season in Israel, and of course war continues to rage in Lebanon/Syria, Gaza, the West Bank, and elsewhere. Israel’s eyes are also still on Iran. Israeli life is often complex even in times of peace, but add war and annual feasts to the mix and it is especially complicated.

As noted last week, Rosh HaShanah (known Biblically as the Feast of Trumpets) is the first of three fall feasts ordained by the Lord in Leviticus 23. Meaning “Head of the Year,” Rosh HaShanah is typically a very festive day of celebration, very similar to New Year’s Day. It occurred at sundown on October 2, only a few days prior to the shadow that loomed over the October 7 anniversary of the worst Jewish massacre since the Holocaust. Celebrations were a bit subdued.

What follows Rosh HaShanah are 10 days leading up to Yom Kippur, the most solemn of the seven feasts. Those 10 days are known as the Days of Awe, and they are days of deep contemplation and “making things right” with family, friends, neighbors and others who may have been wronged. In ancient Jewish history, it was on Yom Kippur, at the end of those 10 days, that the High Priest was allowed to enter the Holy of Holies to make atonement for the sins of the Jewish people. Yom Kippur means “Day of Atonement,” and by taking the blood of the sacrificial lamb and splattering it on the Ark of the Covenant, the High Priest was doing his priestly duty to “cover” the sins of the people for another year.

Jews very much revere Yom Kippur, as that “covering of sin” is as close to forgiveness of sin as they come. Yes, we pray for Jewish eyes to be opened to see Jesus the Messiah as the sacrificial Lamb who takes away their sin once and for all, just as He does for anyone who will call upon Him and put their faith in Him. But sadly, Yom Kippur is simply a spiritual experience for religious Jews, and a ritual for secular Jews. Yet they all hold that day in high esteem and their hearts long in earnest for their Messiah.

Here is where complexity comes in. Israel’s enemies love to attack on high holy days such as Yom Kippur. Typically, soldiers are at home commemorating the holy day with their families. But not so this year. The IDF is busy taking care of the bad guys who wish to see Israel wiped from the face of the earth. Might Hezbollah regroup enough to send larger than normal rocket barrages into Israel? Will the Houthis fire off more rockets toward Israel? What about attacks from the West Bank or from terrorist groups in Iraq? Will Iran send a “meaningful message” on that solemn day?

Yom Kippur commences at sundown on Friday (October 11). Circumstances are such that Israelis are seeking their Messiah, yet keeping one eye on their enemies who wish to take them by surprise at their most vulnerable moment to destroy them.

Friends, it is the perfect time to pray that Jews throughout Israel and around the world will see through the veil to recognize Yeshua (Jesus) as the Messiah. God is working in the hearts and minds of the Jewish people, so let’s join Him in His work by praying many Jews will come to know Jesus!

Will you pray?