Restoring God’s Appointed Times for Messiah’s Return
“Prepare the way for the Lord, make straight paths for Him.” These words, embodied in John the Baptist, weren’t merely announcing Messiah’s first arrival—they established a pattern of preparation that we may be called to continue today.
John wasn’t simply fulfilling personal conviction in the Judean wilderness. He was walking in the prophetic mantle described in Malachi 4:5-6, where Elijah would ‘turn the hearts’ before the great day of the Lord. As Yeshua Himself confirmed, “Elijah does come first to restore all things.” (Mark 9:12).
This raises a pressing question: What precisely needs restoration before Messiah returns?
In Deuteronomy 30, Moses prophesied not only Israel’s scattering and regathering but a profound spiritual renewal: “The Lord your God will circumcise your hearts… so that you may love him with all your heart.” This restoration involves returning to God’s original intentions for His covenant people.
Peter reinforces this in Acts 3:19-21: “Repent… that times of refreshing may come from the Lord, and that he may
send the Messiah… Heaven must receive him until the time comes for God to restore everything.” Here we find an extraordinary revelation: Yeshua’s return is directly connected to “the restoration of all things.”
Among the most fundamental aspects requiring restoration are God’s appointed times—the Mo’edim. These aren’t merely ‘Jewish festivals’ but divine appointments established by the Creator Himself. In Leviticus 23:2, God declares: “These are my appointed festivals.”
For centuries, believers in Yeshua have been disconnected from these divine appointments. Daniel 7:25 warned about this very strategy: “He (the anti Messiah spirit) will speak against the Most High and oppress his holy people and try to change the set times and the laws.”
Could our disconnection from God’s calendar be impeding the very restoration that must precede Messiah’s return?
Zechariah 14 provides a compelling insight. After describing the Lord’s return, the prophet states in verses 16-17: “Then the survivors from all the nations… will go up year after year to worship the King… and to celebrate the Festival of Tabernacles.”
This presents a challenge: If the nations will celebrate Sukkot (the Feast of Tabernacles) after the Messiah’s return, shouldn’t believers be at the forefront of restoring this practice now?
This isn’t about legalism but alignment with God’s prophetic timeline. When we observe the Sabbath, we’re entering God’s rhythm of creation. When we celebrate Passover, we’re proclaiming “until He comes” the redemptive work of the Lamb. When we observe Sukkot, we’re rehearsing the future dwelling of God with mankind.
Practically, this restoration involves:
- Studying the biblical festivals with fresh eyes
- Beginning to observe these appointments, even in simple ways
- Focusing particularly on Sukkot, which Zechariah connects to the Messianic Kingdom
- Rejecting replacement theology that abandons God’s original covenant rhythm
- Building bridges between Jewish and Gentile believers.
As we witness prophetic events unfold in Israel today, what if the most effective way to “prepare the way of the Lord” isn’t merely evangelistic campaigns or political activism, but the humble restoration of God’s appointed times?
Like John the Baptist, we’re called to a prophetic function of preparation—a restoration that will enable people to recognise Messiah when He comes.
The voice still cries in the wilderness: “Prepare the way for the Lord.” How will you respond?
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