The Eighth Day — A New Beginning in Messiah!

Revelation 1:10  I was in the Spirit on the Lord’s day, and I heard behind me a loud voice like a trumpet.

John 7:37-38  On the last day of the feast, the great day, Jesus stood up and cried out, “If anyone thirsts, let him come to me and drink. 38 Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, ‘Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.’” 

Throughout Scripture, the number eight carries profound prophetic significance. It speaks of new beginnings, fresh starts, and divine separation from what was, to embrace what is to come.

Think of Noah, stepping out of the ark with seven others—eight souls total—to restart humanity after the flood. Or Isaac, the first recorded in the Bible to be circumcised on the eighth day, a covenantal sign that marked a new identity and set-apart life before God. And then, Yeshua (Jesus), our Messiah, who was also circumcised on the eighth day, entered into His earthly mission as a Jewish boy set apart from birth.

But the most powerful “eighth day” of all was the day of resurrection. After Shabbat (Sabbath) — following havdalah (Hebrew for separation – a weekly ceremony that marks the end of Shabbat and the ushering of a new week) — Yeshua rose from the grave. In that moment, which coincided with the Feast of Bikoreem (First Fruits), He conquered death and ushered in a new covenant and a new way of life for all who follow Him. Just as havdalah marks the transition from Sabbath to a new week, Messiah’s resurrection marked the separation from the old and the beginning of a new and living way (Hebrews 10:19-24).

The Apostle Paul often wrote of this separation—the old covenant giving way to the new, the law of death replaced by the law of life in Messiah. (2 Corinthians 3:5-18)

This is why the early Church began celebrating the “Lord’s Day” on the first day of the week — not simply as a memorial of Yeshua’s resurrection, but as a weekly reminder of the eighth day. It was a day that pointed beyond time itself, toward eternity — a “time outside of time” — when all things would be made new and God would dwell forever with His people. (Revelation 21:1-6) Every Lord’s Day became a prophetic rehearsal for the age to come, when death would be no more and the fullness of redemption would be complete.

Remarkably, 2,000 years ago, on the eighth day of the Feast of Tabernacles — on Simchat Torah, Yeshua stood in the Temple and cried out, “If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and drink” (John 7:37-38). On that sacred day, traditionally linked with rejoicing in the Torah, He pointed to Himself as the source of living water. It was a prophetic marker of a new beginning — in connection with the outpouring of the Holy Spirit.

Even today, the echoes of that moment continue. When war broke out in Israel in October 2023, it was on Simchat Torah; it was more than just a tragic coincidence. It served as a solemn reminder that God often initiates new seasons in moments of shaking. The same day that once symbolized joy and the giving of the Word now marks a renewed call to return to the Source — to Yeshua, the Living Water.

Today, if you feel stuck in the past, remember this: the eighth day is coming. In God’s Kingdom, every ending is the doorway to a new beginning. In Yeshua, the end is never the end—it’s a call to rise. His resurrection was not merely a moment in history, but an open invitation to live a resurrected life and walk in the unshakable hope of eternity. Yeshua didn’t rise just to display power — He rose to give it, lifting us from what was and leading us into all that is yet to come.

Copyright 1999-2025 Worthy Devotions. This devotional was originally published on Worthy Devotions and was reproduced with permission.

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As we enter this season of Teshuva (Repentance) during the month of Elul, we enter a unique season approaching the Fall Feasts. This month initiates a 40-day countdown to Yom Kippur (the Day of Atonement), and is traditionally known as the time the King would visit His people.

As we continue our study of the men who followed David, another characteristic was their ability to war.They learned how to battle with both the right hand and the left hand for hurling stones. If you have ever thrown a ball, you know that you can aim effectively with your dominant hand — but try it with the opposite hand — it’s far more difficult to throw accurately.  But the men that followed David learned to throw with both arms effectively!  It must have taken months of training to develop such skill.

When David was a fugitive from Saul, the men who followed him recognized his rightful place as King of Israel, and they developed a deep loyalty to him, this little band. As we read yesterday, these men were transformed from distress, debt, and discontentment [1 Sam. 22:1-2] into becoming mighty men of war. Having joined David, they quickly realized that they were joining a conflict.

Last night, Jewish people around the world will mourn Tisha B’Av, the ninth day of the fifth month of the Hebrew calendar year. Some of you may know that a lot of bad things have happened to the Jewish people on this date, the first of which was when the spies returned with an evil report of Canaan, the Promised Land, recounted in Numbers 13 and 14. Both the first and the second Temple were destroyed on this exact date, hundreds of years apart. The Crusades began on this day in 1095. The Jews were expelled out of England on this day in 1290, and again were expelled from Spain and Portugal on Tisha B’Av in 1492. And there are many more examples of this infamous day in Jewish history!

An ancient legend tells of a king who walked into his garden one day to find almost everything withered and dying. After speaking to an oak near the gate, the king learned that he was troubled because he was not tall and beautiful like the pine. The pine overheard their conversation and added that she, too, was upset, for she could not bear delicious fruit like the pear tree. The pear tree heard his name and began to complain that he did not have the lovely odor of the spruce. And so it went throughout the entire garden.

In the midst of a serious heat wave, wildfires are spreading across Europe causing thousands to evacuate. This reminded me of a story I once read.

I can’t begin to tell you. So many people I’ve shared the Gospel with have answered, “Well — I don’t need that, I’m a good person.” No, we’re not. We have a tendency to compare ourselves with our neighbor, thinking how nice or how giving we are compared to him or her. But none of us are good by God’s standards. Our good works are like filthy rags, according to Isaiah.