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Yom Shemini and How to Celebrate It

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Yom Shemini 
and How to Celebrate It

Yom Shemini and how to celebrate it

D iscover in this short Scripture study, the meaning of Yom Shemini and how to celebrate it.  Jonathan Cahn opens this subject with a short revelation learned from His Teacher.  

     “The teacher led me into the Chamber of Scrolls, but instead of unrolling a scroll and sharing, he began the sharing with no scroll.“

I’ve told you of the mystery of Shemini Atzeret (The Eighth Day),” he said, “the last of the appointed holy days, when the scroll of the Torah reaches its end, and its last words are read…which are all about the end, the end of the wilderness journey. Of what does all this speak?”

     “About the end,” I replied, “the end of earthly existence, the end of this creation”

     “Yes,” said the teacher, “but Shemini Atzeret speaks also of what comes after the end.  And there is another scroll.  One scroll ends… but another begins.”

     He then led me over to one of the shelves, removed a scroll, laid it on the wooden table, and unrolled it to its beginning.

     “This is the other scroll…the Book of Joshua (Yahusha). For the children of Alahim (God), what comes after the end?  When the wilderness journey ends, the Book of Joshua begins.  And what is this book about?  It’s about leaving the wilderness, crossing the Jordan to the other side…to that which is beyond the wilderness…to the Promised Land…And so for the child of Alahim (God), when the old is finished, a new book begins.  When the old creation is no more, a new creation will come.  And when the old life is finished, a new life begins.  And we will cross over to the other side.  Do you remember what the word Hebrew means in Hebrew?

     “One who crosses over.”

     “And so on that day you will cross the Jordan into the land beyond.  And as it was for the children of Yasharal (Israel) when they finally entered the Promised Land, so it will be for you…That which you had for so long hoped for, longed for, and believed in by faith, you will then see with your eyes and walk with your feet… the Promised Land.  And who was with them in the Promised Land, who had walked among them in the wilderness? Joshua.  And do you know what Joshua is in Hebrew?”

     “What?”

     “Yeshua/Jesus [H#3091 -יהושׁע – Yahusha].  And so when all has passed away, the old world and everything in it… He who led you through this life will lead you in…into the Promised Land.  He who held you, who kept you, and who never left you…in every moment of your earthly journey…and who loved you before you were …will be with you every moment… to the end, Yom Shemini (the Eighth Day), the LAST GREAT DAY…and beyond the end…forever.”

The Mission: Ponder the day you’ll cross over into the Promised Land [the Earth made new].  And give thanks that He Who will be with you then, is with you right now.   Deuteronomy 8:7-9; 26:15; Joshua 1:1-4; 1 Peter 1:3-4; Revelation 21:1-4. 

By Jonathan Cahn from lessons learned from “The Teacher.”

Disclaimer: “The Book of Mysteries” by Jonathan Cahn presents a series of lessons he attributes to “The Teacher” in the land of Yasharal (Israel). While we do not affirm all of Cahn’s interpretations or theological positions, we welcome the insights that harmonize with Scripture.

What is Yom Shemini?

Yom Shemini is referred to as the Eighth Day because it follows the seven-day Feast of Tabernacles. Yom Shemini always falls on the biblical seventh-day Sabbath, the 22nd of the Seventh Lunar Month. There are some in the Sunday persuasion who would like you to believe that every Sunday is the Eighth Day, but that is false for many reasons. When it came to circumcision, it was performed on the eighth day after birth. It was also symbolic of the very same event when sinful flesh, evil, and death would be forever eradicated from the faithful and obedient people of Yahuah.

  1. The Eighth Day symbolizes leaving the old creation.
  2. The Eighth Day is the day of transcending, of breaking out of the limitation of the finite and into the realm of the infinite.
  3. The Eighth Day is about overcoming the power of death and every other limitation.
  4. The Eighth Day is the day after the end of the Plan of Salvation and the Restoration of mankind.
  5. The Eighth Day is the day when all prophecy has been met, and eternity and infinity begin.
  6. The Eighth Day is the appointed time when the earth, once ravaged by sin and death, will be restored to its original glory, where the flowers, trees, animals, and the redeemed of the earth will never die. A place where the Maker and His creation shall be forever harmoniously entwined.

So don’t be bound by this age, but choose this day to live with your Messiah in His Kingdom to come. Yahuah’s loving and faithful followers are ordained to be His children of the Eighth Day!

As mentioned above by Jonathan Cahn, Yom Shemini Atzeret (the Feast of the Eighth Day) is the day of a solemn assembly. But it is also a day of hope and gratitude for the righteous saved for all the abiding work of YAHUSHA, the Messiah, to restore His faithful back to Father YAHUAH ALAHIM.  This sacred Feast Day has annually followed in its order, occurring last among the monumental lunar appointed Feast Days as found on the Menorah. It alone marks the conclusion of the whole matter of restoration born out in the riveting ministry of our Messiah unto Salvation for every man, woman, and child who accepts the free gift.

Let us now consider the prophetic meaning of Yom Shemini, the Eighth Day, in light of its divine pattern. In Scripture, the number eight consistently follows a cycle of seven, symbolizing not mere continuation but renewal, a complete beginning beyond what has ended. It speaks of restoration and the dawn of a new creation. This eternal hope was revealed through the prophet Isaiah: “For behold I create new heavens and a new earth; and the former things would not be remembered or come to mind” (Isaiah 65:17–18). The apostle John was shown this same reality in fuller vision: “Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea. I saw the Holy City, the New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from Alahhim, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband” (Revelation 21:1–2).

An Alternate View of Modern Hebraic Thinking

While it is easy to think this Feast Day of Yom Shemini marks the crossing over to the New Yarushalom in heaven, consider another option. For the following twelve reasons, I believe Yom Shemini represents the termination of the 1,000 years in which the righteous saved have lived and remained in their heavenly home:

  1. All the Feast Days are to be celebrated in their order from first to last, from Aleph to Tav, placing Yom Shemini at its end.
  2. Among the fall Feast Days, we recently completed the Day of Atonement (Yom Kippur), which signifies the covering of His faithful people with the Messiah’s sacrificial blood. They are, therefore, covered and made righteous, so they will not appear in the judgment of the unrighteous to occur at the end of the 1,000.
  3. Next, we celebrated the Feast of Trumpets (Yom Teruah), which symbolizes the Second Coming of our Messiah, who takes His righteousness to be with Him in Heaven.  It will be marvelous there, where we will be eating from the Tree of Life and healing from our earthly pain and struggles, but we will only be there for 1,000 years. (Revelation 20:4, 6)
  4. Most recently, we celebrated the Feast of Tabernacles (Sukkot), which specifically symbolizes our arrival in heaven, where we tabernacle with our Creator and Messiah for 1,000 years, only to be finally restored to Earth, the Promised Land.  During this time in heaven, we celebrate the Feast of Tabernacles. It is a time of looking back on our wilderness, wandering on earth, and recalling how our Messiah tenderly led us and protected us, ever drawing our hearts closer to His and unto His free gift of Salvation.
  5. The Scriptures identify this 1,000-year period as the time when the righteous who are SAVED are in heaven, and the unrighteous UNSAVED remain in their graves on earth under the laws of the first death. (Rev. 20:6). This is a time when Satan and his angels are left to roam the earth (bottomless pit) in chains of darkness and with nobody to tempt.  All because the two groups of people are either in heaven or still in their graves. (Revelation 20:2-3) This concept may be new to you.
  6. The righteous will live in heaven and reign with Yahusha, the Messiah, for 1,000 years. And judgment is given to them to judge both unsaved mankind and fallen angels. (Revelation 20:4)  
  7. We must also factor in the two resurrections. The first resurrection from the dead is for the righteous alone, who receive their reward at the commencement of the 1,000 years when our Messiah RETURNS THE SECOND TIME. The second resurrection from the dead is for the unrighteous alone, who receive their reward at the termination of the 1,000 years. 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 puts it this way:

    “But I do not want you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning those who have fallen asleep [died], lest you sorrow as others who have no hope. For if we believe that Yahusha died and rose again, even so Alahim (God) will bring with [take with] Himself those who sleep [died] in Jesus [trusting in Yahusha]. For this we say to you by the word of YAHUAH, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of YAHUAH will by no means precede those who are asleep [who have died in the promise].

    How does He accomplish this and receive those who have died first? Are they already with Him in heaven as most of Christianity declare?

    For YAHUAH Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of Alahim (God). And the dead in Christ Messiah will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet YAHUAH in the air. And thus we shall always be with YAHUAH.  Therefore comfort one another with these words.” 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18

  8. The resurrection of the righteous SAVED occurs at the beginning of the 1,000 years when Yahusha, the Messiah, calls them forth from their graves at the Second Coming. “Blessed and holy is he who has a part in the first resurrection:  On such the second death has no power, but they shall be priests of Alahim (God) and of Messiah and shall reign with Him a thousand years.” (Revelation 20:6)
  9. The resurrection of the unrighteous occurs at the end of the 1,000 years.  “But the rest of the dead did not live again until the thousand years were finished…” (Revelation 20:5)
  10. “And when the thousand years are expired, Satan shall be loosed out of his prison and will go out to deceive the nations which are in the four corners of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them together to battle, whose number is as the sand of the sea.  They went up on the breadth of the earth and surrounded the camp of the saints and the beloved city [New Yarushalom].  And fire came down from Yahuah Alahim (God) out of heaven and devoured them.  The devil, who deceived them, was then cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are.”  (Revelation 20:7-10)
  11. Once Satan, sin, and sinners are forever eradicated from the universe, Yahuah Alahim and Yahusha haMashiach recreate the earth and make it new with no signs of death, evil, or suffering.  Remember, the earth was created to be the home of Adam and Eve and all of mankind. So naturally, this re-creation of the earth must be part of the plan of restoring mankind.  Not only are the righteous restored to Yahuah the Most High through the merits of Yahusha the Messiah, but they are also restored to their land (erets), the earth. (Revelation 21:1-5, 27)
  12. So doesn’t it make sense that the final Feast of Yom Shemini, the Feast of the Eighth Day, would mark the commencement of infinity symbolized by an “8” lying on its side?  The righteous are safely in the Holy City, the New Jerusalem, coming down from Yahuah Alahim out of heaven as a bride adorned for her husband to reside upon the earth for all eternity, infinity, and beyond. (Revelation 21:1-5)

Yom Shemini and how to celebrate it

 

How to Celebrate Yom Shemini

The following verses comprise all the Scriptural details on how to celebrate Yom Shemini Atzeret, this sacred and solemn lunar appointed Feast Day.

“For seven days you shall offer an offering made by fire to YAHUAH. On the Eighth day (Yom Shemini) you shall have a holy convocation, and you shall offer an offering made by fire to YAHUAH. It is a sacred assembly, and you shall do no customary work on it.” Leviticus 23:36

“Also on the fifteenth day of the seventh month, when you have gathered in the fruit of the land, you shall keep the feast of YAHUAH for seven days; on the first day there shall be a Sabbath-rest, and on the Eighth day (Yom Shemini) a Sabbath-rest.” Leviticus 23:39

“On the Eighth day (Yom Shemini) you shall have a sacred assembly. You shall do no customary work.” Numbers 29:35

“Also day by day, from the first day until the last day, he read from the Book of the Law of Alahim (God). And they kept the feast seven days; and on the Eighth day (Yom Shemini) there was a sacred assembly, according to the prescribed manner.” Nehemiah 8:18

“When these days are over it shall be on the Eighth day (Yom Shemini) and thereafter, that the priests shall offer your burnt offerings and your peace offerings on the altar; and I will accept you,’ says YAHUAH Alahim (God).” Ezekial 43:27

  1. From these verses, we discover that the Eighth Day Feast of Yom Shemini is a day of a sacred and solemn assembly. Why? Because it represents the events that will occur at the end of the 1,000 years, as stated above. This is the time when the unrighteous are raised in the second resurrection to receive their judgment. It is what is referred to as the Great White Throne Judgement. All the righteous who reigned with the Messiah for the last 1,000 years and were included in the sentencing of many of their loved ones will, in the end, know beyond a shadow of a doubt that the ruling is fair, righteous, and merciful.
  2. Yom Shemini occurs consistently from year to year on the lunar seventh-day Sabbath.
  3. Sacrifices are no longer required because they all symbolize our Messiah’s great sacrifice for sin and sinners. He has already paid the price, so the animal sacrifice is no longer necessary. But we are to always bring the Sacrifice of Praise unto the house of YAHUAH.
  4. We are to do no customary work but keep this day sacred and set apart.
  5. Yom Shemini occurs on the 22nd day of the Seventh Lunar Month each year because it is counted from the full moon as the original New Moon. It is celebrated from sunrise to sunset. 
  6. The final words in Ezekiel 43:27 reveal that after we have faithfully kept this Feast Day, YAHUAH Alahim says, “AND I WILL ACCEPT YOU.” These will be the most beautiful words we will ever hear.  It is then that we cross over from death to eternal life.

The Eighth Day represents the grand conclusion of redemption’s story, the moment when Yahuah restores His creation to its intended harmony and makes His dwelling among His people once again: “Look! Alahim’s dwelling place is now among the people… He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away” (Revelation 21:3–4). Just as the glory of Yahuah appeared to Israel after seven days of consecration for Aaron and his sons, so will His glory be unveiled at the end of the seventh millennium. Yahusha, our consecrated High Priest from the beginning, stands ready to complete this work, and we who are called a royal priesthood (1 Peter 2:9) share in that divine purpose.

Thus, Yom Shemini reveals the Father’s deepest desire, to bring all creation into perfect renewal, beyond time and corruption, into the everlasting Kingdom. It is the picture of eternal life itself: the age beyond ages, when the redeemed walk with their Creator once more. Our calling is to live in that hope and proclaim the coming reality of the Kingdom of Heaven.

Summary

Perhaps it is now easier to see that Yom Shemini refers to the GREAT FINALLY, the CONCLUSION of the ENTIRE PLAN OF SALVATION. The termination of Satan, sin, and sinners. It is the re-creation of Adam’s earthly abode beyond mankind’s wildest expectations. Only then will YAHUAH Alahim and YAHUSHA the Messiah speak forth their creative WORDS, causing the earth and all things in it to be made new and more glorious than any man has previously perceived. The righteous will then live and walk together in peace and perfect harmony with their maker and friend.  It will be a place fit for the KING OF KINGS, YAHUSHA, haMashiach, our Messiah, to dwell for all ETERNITY with His beloved for whom He shed His blood and gave His life.  HalleluYAH!!!

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