The Month of Ethanim
" All the men of Israel came together…at the time of the festival in the month of Ethanim, the seventh month. (1 Kings 8:2)” This is where Scripture states the name of this month
“When the seventh month came and the Israelites had settled in their towns, the people assembled as one man in Jerusalem. (Ezra 3:1)”
The month of Ethanim, meaning, the “month of gifts,” as it is called in Holy Scripture
(1 Kings 8:2 & 2 Chronicles 5:3), so named because the autumnal rains begin to fill the dry wadis (river channels) which was seen as a gift of Yahweh. After the Babylonian Exile the month became known as Tishri as it is in the Talmud from the Akkadian word tašrītu meaning the "Beginning" because it is the first month of the Babylonian year BUT it is the seventh month of the Scriptural year of the Hebrew calendar.
The month of Ethanim, which falls during the months of September and October on the Gregorian calendar, is one of the holiest time of the year, for in the month of Ethanim, there are a total of 13 Holy Days, 7 of them Shabbats on which work is not permitted. These are the "High Holidays" of Yom Teruah (Feast of Trumpets), Yom Kippur (Day of Atonement) and Sukkot (Feast of Tabernacles).
The constellation of Ethanim is Libra the Scales. “Who art thou that judgest another man's servant? to his own master he standeth or falleth. Yea, he shall be holden up: for God is able to make him stand. (Romans 14:4)” “Yahweh decided his servant would suffer as a sacrifice to take away the sin and guilt of others. Now the servant will live to see his own descendants. He did everything Yahweh had planned. (Isaiah 53:10)” So, the first day of Ethanim is also called Yom ha-Din (Day of Judgement), because it begins the "Ten Days of Awe" (Yomin Noraim), the "Ten Days of Teshuvah ( Repentance)" before we can come to Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement. During this period, it is customary to greet one another with the phrase, "L'Shanah Tovah Tikateyvu" meaning "May you be inscribed in the Book of Life."
Legalistic works cannot save us, as is stated in the liturgy, Avinu Malkeynu says: "We have no good works of our own; deal with us in mercy and kindness and save us." Messiah is our sin offering. If we recognize our sin, turn away from it, and return to Yahweh in faith, we can be sure our names are inscribed in the Lamb’s Book of Life (Phil. 4:3 and Rev. 3:5). The ultimate Day of Judgment of sin will come.
King Messiah Yahshua’s death demonstrated that sin must be judged. He received the judgement in our place. His resurrection shows that Yahweh has appointed Him the Judge and our Deliverer (see John 5:21-27; 12:31; and Acts 17:31).
The followers of Yahshua understood the Concept of the Book of Life well as is expressed by Yochannan in the book of Revelation which is dedicated to the themes of judgment and the coming Messiah, and several references to the "Book of Life."
Revelation 3:5 - "he who overcomes" will not be blotted out.
Revelation 13:8 -- All who are not written in the Book of Life belonging to the Lamb will worship the beast.
Revelation 17:8 -- All who are not written in the Book of Life belonging to the Lamb will be astonished at the beast.
Revelation 20:12 -- Judgment by the Book.
Revelation 20:15 -- All who are not found in the book are thrown into the lake of fire.
Revelation 21:27 -- Those who are in the Book will enter the New Jerusalem.
Events for Ethanim in Scriptural History
In the Month of Ethanim is a sobering month:
Hananiah the prophet died (Jeremiah 28:17).
And Ishmael ben Nethaniah, who was of royal blood, assassinated Gedaliah and also the men of Judah and the Babylonians who were with him at Mizpah. (2 Kings 25:25). So, it is logical that we began the month inspecting our own lives. Inspect what we expect. If we expect eternal life we need to inspect our lives allowing Yahweh to judge us now that He does not have to judge us later.
1st of Ethanim: Feast of Trumpets, Yom Teruah- a High Shabbat. (Leviticus 23:24) Ezra read the Torah by the request of the people. (Nehemiah 8:2)
2nd of Ethanim: All the chief rulers and priest were gathered to understand the Torah. (Nehemiah 8:13)
3rd of Ethanim: a fast to remember the assassination of Governor Gedaliah. Gedaliah's story is told in 2 Kings 25:22-26 and Jeremiah 39:13-14; 40:1-41:18. In the Prophetic Writings this fast is called 'The Fast of the Seventh' (Zechariah 8:19) of the Hebrew calendar.
10th of Ethanim: Day of Atonement, Yom Kippur - a High Shabbat, from evening to evening to start after the sundown on the 9th (Leviticus 16:29; 23:27)
15th of Ethanim: Feast of Tabernacle, Sukkot for 7 days, 15th to the 21st, which are Sabbaths (Leviticus 23:34), and the 8th day is a feast (Leviticus 23:39). Yahweh reminds Ezekiel of the feast of 7 days. (Ezekiel 45:24-26) Ezra keeps the feast of Tabernacle and all Israel went to Jerusalem to keep it. Having understood Ezra, the people went and cut down trees to live in
Yahshua’s Birth.
17th of Ethanim: the ark came to rest on the mountains of Ararat. (Genesis 8:4)
21st of Ethanim: Yahweh asks Haggai to ask if anyone remembers His first house and wants them to compare it to this 2nd Temple. (Haggai 2:1-3)
Used with kind permission from Rabbi Rob Miller
