Copyright © 2008 by Anthony Coore
The concept of the Sabbath is fairly well known. From the bible, we learn that God blessed and sanctified the seventh day, and so commands His people to remember it by keeping it holy. Many Christians have embraced its observance and have come to experience the joys in so doing. What is less known though, is that as it pertains to celebrations, God has given not just the Sabbath to enrich our lives, but also His Festivals. This study will introduce you to these God-ordained times which the Eternal has filled with blessings for His special people.
Leviticus 23 – The Feasts of the Eternal
The LORD said to Moses, “Speak to the Israelites and say to them: ‘These are my appointed feasts, the appointed feasts of the LORD, which you are to proclaim as sacred assemblies'” ( vs. 1-2. NIV).
In this chapter of the bible, the Eternal tells us the times He has appointed for us to keep. It should not be overlooked that God says these are His feasts. He does not limit it to the Jews or the nation of Israel.
The Sabbath
“Six days shall work be done: but the seventh day is the Sabbath of rest, an holy convocation; ye shall do no work therein: it is the Sabbath of the LORD in all your dwellings” (vs. 3)
At the head of the list of festivals, is the weekly Sabbath. As we will eventually see in part 2, the Sabbath and the festivals are grouped together for good reason. Since the Sabbath is more familiar to us than the other feasts, we won’t spend much time looking at it right now. (You may request the article The Joys of Sabbath-Keeping to learn more about this special day of the week). What should be noted though is that the Sabbath is a time of rest, and holy convocation (ie. an assembling of the people of God to worship).
Passover
“In the fourteenth day of the first month at even is the LORD’s passover” (vs. 4)
The first of the seasonal feasts is the Passover. If you are familiar with Israel’s history, you know that there was a time when the Israelites were slaves in the land of Egypt. God sent Moses to free the people. Pharoah, King of Egypt, refused to let the people go, even when God sent terrible plagues upon the Egyptians. However, the tenth plague, the death of the firstborn, was the last straw for Pharaoh. This was too devastating even for the king, and finally he agreed to release the people. All the firstborn both of man and beast, of the Egyptians were killed in one night. Yet not one of the Israelites was harmed.
As Exodus 12 tells us, God instructed each household to kill a lamb and sprinkle its blood over their doorposts. The blood signified to God, who to pass over and spare from death. The Passover feast is a memorial of this event. Perhaps you are wondering what this has to do with Christians. Clearly this celebration is specific to Israel’s national history. Yet the Passover actually has even greater meaning to the Christian.
When John the Baptist saw Jesus, He proclaimed, “Behold the Lamb of God that takes away the sin of the world “ (John 1:29). Also Paul explicitly calls Jesus our Passover (1 Cor 5:7). Not coincidentally, Jesus died on Passover. His last supper, where He gave new meaning to the bread and wine, is called Passover (Luke 22:15). Just as how the first Passover marked the deliverance of the children of Israel from Egyptian bondage, so the latter Passover marks the deliverance of God’s people from the bondage of sin. In fact, this is really what God from the start intended Passover to represent.
Jesus instructed His disciples to continue to take the annual Passover emblems (the bread and wine) as a memorial of His death (Luke 22:19).
Feast Of Unleavened Bread
“And on the fifteenth day of the same month is the feast of unleavened bread unto the LORD: seven days ye must eat unleavened bread. In the first day ye shall have an holy convocation: ye shall do no servile work therein. But ye shall offer an offering made by fire unto the LORD seven days: in the seventh day is an holy convocation: ye shall do no servile work therein” (vs. 6-8)
Immediately following the Passover day is the festival of Unleavened Bread which lasts seven days. So inextricably linked are Passover and this feast, that the two terms are used interchangeably. Throughout this time, no leavened products are to be consumed. Instead, we are to eat unleavened bread. The first and seventh days of the feast are holy. We are told to rest from our work, and keep a holy convocation.
This festival really proceeds from the Passover. Having been released from bondage, the Israelites were told to keep this feast as a celebration of their liberation.
“And ye shall observe the feast of unleavened bread; for in this selfsame day have I brought your armies out of the land of Egypt: therefore shall ye observe this day in your generations by an ordinance for ever” (Ex 12:17)
Why unleavened bread?
“And they baked unleavened cakes of the dough which they brought forth out of Egypt, for it was not leavened; because they were thrust out of Egypt, and could not tarry, neither had they prepared for themselves any victual” (Ex 12:39)
So because the Israelites had to leave Egypt in haste, they could not afford the time to leaven their dough. It would appear at first glance that this peculiarity is restricted to Israel’s history, and so again, it would not be amiss if you are wondering what this has to do with Christians.
Well if Jesus is the true Passover lamb, and the days of Unleavened Bread are tied to Passover, then we should expect that they would have significance to Christians. Indeed, this is what we find set out quite explicitly.
“Your glorying is not good. Know ye not that a little leaven leaveneth the whole lump?
Purge out therefore the old leaven, that ye may be a new lump, as ye are unleavened. For even Christ our passover is sacrificed for us:
Therefore let us keep the feast, not with old leaven, neither with the leaven of malice and wickedness; but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth. ” (1 Cor 5:6-8)
Here Paul gives some insight into the meaning of the feast and its application to Christians. Leaven symbolises sin. Unleavened bread symbolises sincerity and truth, or simply put, righteousness. Having accepted Christ whereby we are delivered from sin, we ought to live a life of righteousness. Seven depicts completion, and so the seven days of unleavened bread picture how we are expected to live our entire lives after coming to Christ.
The Feast of Unleavened Bread is a time for God’s people to remember their Redeemer, the great work wrought through Christ, and to celebrate the deliverance from death and sin. Truly if we are expected to literally partake of the emblems that represent the body and blood of Christ our Passover, then certainly we are expected to literally celebrate this festival of unleavened bread which proceeds from the Passover. If the Israelites were expected to keep this feast for simply being released from physical bondage, then how much more should we who have been liberated from spiritual bondage!
Pentecost, Feast of Firstfruits, Feast of Weeks
“Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them, When ye be come into the land which I give unto you, and shall reap the harvest thereof, then ye shall bring a sheaf of the firstfruits of your harvest unto the priest:
And he shall wave the sheaf before the LORD, to be accepted for you: on the morrow after the Sabbath the priest shall wave it.” (vs. 10-11)
“And ye shall count unto you from the morrow after the Sabbath, from the day that ye brought the sheaf of the wave offering; seven Sabbaths shall be complete:
Even unto the morrow after the seventh Sabbath shall ye number fifty days; and ye shall offer a new meat offering unto the LORD. Ye shall bring out of your habitations two wave loaves of two tenth deals; they shall be of fine flour; they shall be baken with leaven; they are the firstfruits unto the LORD” (vs. 15-17)
“And ye shall proclaim on the selfsame day, that it may be an holy convocation unto you: ye shall do no servile work therein: it shall be a statute for ever in all your dwellings throughout your generations” (vs. 21)
It is important to understand that the festivals of God were designed to coincide with the two major harvest seasons in Israel. These are the grain and fruit, where the grain consists of two main subdivisions, barley and wheat. The grain harvest happened in the Spring, starting close to Passover with the barley, and ending around Pentecost with the wheat1 . The fruit harvest would take place during the Summer and culminate in the Autumn around the time of the last of the sacred festivals. Although there are firstfruits to any harvest, it was the grain harvest that was closely associated with the firstfruits (Ex. 23:16, Ex. 34:22). This is probably because it was the first of the harvests.
The “sheaf of the firstfruits” that the priest would ceremoniously wave was of the grain harvest (specifically barley). This would take place during the Days of Unleavened Bread, on the morning following the Sabbath2 . It is from this event that fifty days (or seven weeks) would be counted and culminate in another sacred celebration, called the Feast of Weeks (because of the counting of the weeks) and also the Feast of Firstfruits, the climax of the grain harvest. In the New Testament it is called Pentecost which comes from a Greek word that means fiftieth. This is when the firstfruits loaves were offered.
Just as we saw that Passover and Unleavened Bread foreshadowed significant events in the Work of God, so too do the events pertaining to Pentecost. Recall that Jesus died on Passover. He rose 3 days later which would have been sometime between the Sabbath evening and the following Sunday morning during the days of unleavened bread. Sometime that day He would have presented Himself to the Father. This fulfills the ceremony of the wavesheaf of the firstfruits perfectly. Paul calls Jesus the firstfruits (1 Cor 15:20).
Now counting fifty days from this event we come to Pentecost.
Acts 2
“And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place.
And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting.
And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them.
And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance”. (vs. 1-4)
Recall that Jesus had told his disciples to wait in Jerusalem until they were imbued with power (Luke 24:29). What we see here is the fulfillment of Jesus’ promise, which took place on Pentecost, fifty days after His resurrection. This was a fundamental event in the history of the church. It is this power that enabled the once fearful disciples to go preaching the gospel throughout the world. It is this power that puts the laws of God on the heart (Ez. 36:27). From as early as Deutoronomy 5, God expressed the desire that the people have the law on their hearts so that they would keep it (Deut. 5:29). It is interesting to note that Jewish tradition has it that the ten commandments were given on Pentecost3. It is therefore fitting that the Spirit which writes the law on the heart, should be given on this very day.
What should not be overlooked is the typology of this early harvest. Jesus, as we saw earlier, is depicted by the first of the firstfruits. All those who receive the Spirit before the return of Christ are considered firstfruits.
“Of his own will begat he us with the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures” (James 1:18)
“And not only they, but ourselves also, which have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body” (Rom 8:23).
The implication of this is that there is a latter harvest to come, one distinct from that of the currently ongoing Pentecost firstfruits. This we shall see when we look at the festivals of the seventh month.
The feast of Pentecost, like the Sabbath, is holy time. It is truly significant to those of us called to be firstfruits, and serves as a time for us to celebrate the fact that God has sent His Spirit and that He has made us His people. It also reminds us of the Work we have in taking the gospel to the world before the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.
The Feast of Trumpets
“And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,
Speak unto the children of Israel, saying, In the seventh month, in the first day of the month, shall ye have a Sabbath, a memorial of blowing of trumpets, an holy convocation.
Ye shall do no servile work therein” (vs. 23-25)
There is not much that is said explicitly about this day. However, the significance of trumpets cannot be overlooked. Trumpets were used to call people together, whether leaders or all the congregation, as well as to announce the beginning of the months (or new moons), the festivals and wars. They were also used as a call to repentance before an impending judgment, as well as to announce the judgment itself. For eg. Isa. 58 says
“lift up your voice like a trumpet and tell my people their transgressions” (vs. 1)
The book of Joshua tells of the trumpet blasts to signal God’s judgment on Jericho.
“And seven priests shall bear before the ark seven trumpets of rams’ horns: and the seventh day ye shall compass the city seven times, and the priests shall blow with the trumpets.
And it shall come to pass, that when they make a long blast with the ram’s horn, and when ye hear the sound of the trumpet, all the people shall shout with a great shout; and the wall of the city shall fall down flat, and the people shall ascend up every man straight before him” (Josh 6:4-5)
Clearly the trumpet blast is something we should pay attention to. It should not surprise us then that the return of the Lord Jesus Christ is accompanied by the sound of the trumpet.
“For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first:
Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord” (1 Thes 4:16-17)
“Listen, I tell you a mystery: We will not all sleep, but we will all be changed— in a flash, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed” (1 Cor 15:51-52)
“And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.
And he shall send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other” (Matt 24:30-31)
The book of Revelation speaks of seven trumpets to sound before the return of Christ (Rev 8:1-2). The sounding of these trumpets signal God’s judgment on this world’s governments and systems, somewhat akin to the fall of Jericho. At the last trumpet, we are told,
“And the seventh angel sounded; and there were great voices in heaven, saying, The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of his Christ; and he shall reign for ever and ever” (Rev 11:15)
It is interesting to note that Jewish tradition associates Rosh HaShanah (ie. the Feast of Trumpets) with the “last trumpet”4 as well as the resurrection of the dead5. Whether Jesus returns on the Day of Trumpets, or, the first of the seven trumpets leading to His return is sounded on this day, is yet to be seen. But most certainly this feast is connected with the return of Christ. It is never a good thing to ignore the sound of the trumpet. Considering the significance of this feast we should truly celebrate this holy day looking forward to the return of our Lord who will come and set all things right.
The Day Of Atonement
“And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,
Also on the tenth day of this seventh month there shall be a day of atonement: it shall be an holy convocation unto you; and ye shall afflict your souls, and offer an offering made by fire unto the LORD.
And ye shall do no work in that same day: for it is a day of atonement, to make an atonement for you before the LORD your God.
For whatsoever soul it be that shall not be afflicted in that same day, he shall be cut off from among his people.
And whatsoever soul it be that doeth any work in that same day, the same soul will I destroy from among his people.
Ye shall do no manner of work: it shall be a statute for ever throughout your generations in all your dwellings.
It shall be unto you a Sabbath of rest, and ye shall afflict your souls: in the ninth day of the month at even, from even unto even, shall ye celebrate your Sabbath. ” (Lev 23:26-32)
It is interesting that many Sabbatarians cite the latter part of this text to declare when the Sabbath begins, while ignoring the actual Sabbath this is referring to. Sure the weekly Sabbath begins at evening or sunset, as all days do (biblically speaking), but the Sabbath spoken of in this context is the Day of Atonement.
By now we should expect that as this is another holy day in the series, it will have meaning that all Christians should take note of. We will see this as we examine the ceremonial aspects of the day. But first observe that this day is kept in a similar manner as the Sabbath in that no work is to be done, and it is a holy convocation. The major difference is that this is a fast day. That is what is meant by “afflict your souls” (For eg. See Isa. 58:3 “Wherefore have we fasted, say they, and thou seest not? wherefore have we afflicted our soul, and thou takest no knowledge?” and verse 5 “Is it such a fast that I have chosen? a day for a man to afflict his soul?”).
The reason for fasting is related to the fact that this is a day when atonement would take place. Atonement entails the cleansing and removal of our sins. Sins separate us from God. So when they are cleansed, we are able to be reconciled to God and be at one with him. Since we are totally dependent on the work of God through Christ to have our sins removed, it is fitting that this day is commemorated with fasting which is meant to show humility. Fasting also serves to represent our willingness to deny the sinful nature.
Leviticus 16 describes an elaborate ritual that was to be done each year on this particular day. The ceremonial events centre around the work of the High Priest. His whole aim was to make reconciliation for the people on account of their sins throughout the year. Only at this time was the high priest allowed into the most holy place of the tabernacle/temple. All other times the priests were only allowed into the holy place which was separated from the most holy by a curtain (or veil).
When the high priest entered the most holy place, he would first need to make atonement for his own sins, with the blood of a bull. Then he would take the blood of a goat to cleanse the sanctuary for the sake of the people’s sins. The writer to the Hebrews explains that these sacrifices could not actually cleanse sins. They only foreshadowed the reality to come. The writer goes on to show how Jesus accomplishes the atonement work that the high priest enacted.
“But Christ being come an high priest of good things to come, by a greater and more perfect tabernacle, not made with hands, that is to say, not of this building;
Neither by the blood of goats and calves, but by his own blood he entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us. ” (Heb 9:11-12)
Jesus Christ is the true high priest. It is His own blood that He shed to cleanse our sins.
“And almost all things are by the law purged with blood; and without shedding of blood is no remission.
It was therefore necessary that the patterns of things in the heavens should be purified with these; but the heavenly things themselves with better sacrifices than these.
For Christ is not entered into the holy places made with hands, which are the figures of the true; but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us: ” (Heb 9:22-24)
So Jesus has entered the most holy place for us and is able to reconcile us to the Father so we can stand in His presence. Perhaps at this stage you are wondering about the apparent redundancy of the Day of Atonement, considering that the events of Passover seem to accomplish the same thing. But two points must be kept in mind. One is that while Christians are reconciled to God now, we still have to contend with our carnal nature, or our body of sin. Atonement in its fulness depicts the complete removal of sin. Even we, who are called to be the firstfruits await this reality.
“For we know that the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together until now.
And not only they, but ourselves also, which have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body” (Rom 8:22-23)
The second point to bear in mind, is that, while the firstfruits are able to enjoy fellowship with the Father, having been reconciled by our high priest, the world to a large extent remains estranged from God. Yet we know God desires all men to be saved (1 Tim 2:4). He sent His Son to die, not just for the firstfruits, but for the world (John 3:16).
The Day of Atonement anticipates the reconciliation of the world that will result in a great latter harvest. To effect this result, the blindness that covers the eyes of most people must be removed. Paul shows that it is Satan who has blinded the minds of those who are perishing (2 Cor 4:3-4). If Satan is removed, then people will be able to know and understand the truth, which would no doubt lead to a great many coming to repentance and hence reconciliation with God.
Earlier we saw some of what the Atonement ceremony as described in Lev. 16 entailed. One detail not yet highlighted, is the matter of the other goat. There are actually two goats involved. The one that is killed represents the sacrifice of Jesus. Lots were cast to determine which goat is for the Lord and be killed, and which to be the scapegoat. The word for scapegoat is actually Azazel, which according to some Jewish traditions, is a leader of evil angels6 . This has caused a number of people to believe that this represents Satan. When the high priest returns from the most holy place, he takes this other goat, ascribes to it the sins of the people and banishes it into the wilderness. Satan is called the Father of lies (John 8:44), and the ruler who works in the children of disobedience (Eph 2:2). So it is not hard to see why all sin can be attributed to him, even though we all bear responsibility for our own sins.
Recall that the Feast of Trumpets is connected with the return of Christ. Since the Day of Atonement follows closely, we would expect to see the greater fulfillment of this day taking place then. This is precisely what we see in the book of Revelation. Shortly after Christ returns, He causes Satan to be bound for one thousand years so that he won’t be able to deceive the nations (Rev 20:3). As explained earlier, if Satan, the cause of deception, is removed, then the world can come to repentance, and be reconciled to God.
As Christians, it is most appropriate for us to continue to keep the Day of Atonement as a fast and a Sabbath. For we humbly recognise Christ as the one who reconciles us to God, and who stands in His presence to make intercession for us, while we commit to deny our carnal nature. We also eagerly anticipate the redemption of our sinful bodies, and the reconciliation of the world that will be effected once Satan is taken out of the way.
The Feast of Tabernacles
“Speak unto the children of Israel, saying, The fifteenth day of this seventh month shall be the feast of tabernacles for seven days unto the LORD.
On the first day shall be an holy convocation: ye shall do no servile work therein” (vs. 34-35)
This festival is associated with tabernacles because the people were expected to dwell in booths/tabernacles for the seven days:
“Ye shall dwell in booths seven days; all that are Israelites born shall dwell in booths:
That your generations may know that I made the children of Israel to dwell in booths, when I brought them out of the land of Egypt: I am the LORD your God. ” (vs. 42-43)
Here we see the reason behind the dwelling in booths. When the Israelites came out of Egypt, they wandered through the wilderness for forty years dwelling in booths the whole time until they finally entered the promised land. A booth is essentially a temporary shelter, and while dwelling in such, the Israelites acknowledged that they were not yet at their destination. So this feast was a reminder of where they were coming from, how God provided for them throughout their sojourn in the wilderness, and accompanied them all the way to their promised home. This was certainly cause to be joyous. Also, as a latter harvest festival, it would naturally have been a time to celebrate as the fruits would now be reaped. Therefore, it is not difficult to understand the command given to rejoice:
“…and ye shall rejoice before the LORD your God seven days.” (vs. 40)
Once again, it is tempting to conclude that this festival is specific to Israel and is not relevant to the church. But this too would be a mistake. Not only is there direct application to the church, but it also holds hope for the world.
Just as Israel wandered in the wilderness after being delivered from the bondage of Egypt, and before coming to the promised land, so do Christians travel through a spiritual wilderness after being delivered from the spiritual bondage of Egypt, which is sin, and before coming to the spiritual promised land, which is the Kingdom of God in its glory.
“While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal.
For we know that if our earthly house of this tabernacle were dissolved, we have a building of God, an house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens.
For in this we groan, earnestly desiring to be clothed upon with our house which is from heaven:
If so be that being clothed we shall not be found naked.
For we that are in this tabernacle do groan, being burdened: not for that we would be unclothed, but clothed upon, that mortality might be swallowed up of life”. (2 Cor 4:18,5:1-4)
Here Paul explains that the state we are presently in, with our earthly body or tabernacle, is temporary. We are expecting a new body that will be everlasting.
“For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality” (1 Cor 15:53)
So when Christians celebrate the Feast of Tabernacles, it is a reminder that this life is transitory, that we are strangers and pilgrims in this world, and that we are really looking forward to the eternal state promised to those who endure to the end.
“These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off, and were persuaded of them, and embraced them, and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth.
For they that say such things declare plainly that they seek a country.
And truly, if they had been mindful of that country from whence they came out, they might have had opportunity to have returned.
But now they desire a better country, that is, an heavenly: wherefore God is not ashamed to be called their God: for he hath prepared for them a city. ” (Heb 11:13-16)
Now just as how the Israelites celebrating the Festival of Tabernacles would have reminded them of God’s faithfulness to see them through the wilderness into the promised land, so too does it remind us of the assurance we have that God will provide all that we need to enter into the eternal city.
This feast is therefore a time of great rejoicing for Christians, for it points to the glorious reality that awaits us, and also reminds us that God is leading the way, while supplying all our needs. It is indeed the Father’s good pleasure to give us the Kingdom (Luke 12:32).
When we enter into glory, we will reign with Christ. After the last trumpet is sounded, and Christ returns, Satan will be bound, blindness of the world healed, as depicted by the events of the Day of Atonement, and then the reign of Christ begins.
“And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them: and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years” (Rev 20:4)
“And they sang a new song:
“You are worthy to take the scroll
and to open its seals,
because you were slain,
and with your blood you purchased men for God
from every tribe and language and people and nation.
You have made them to be a kingdom and priests to serve our God,
and they will reign on the earth.”” (Rev 5:9-10 NIV)
As has been noted earlier, the Feast of Tabernacles was a harvest festival since it came at the time of year when the latter fruits would be gathered. Just as how Pentecost foreshadowed the harvesting or calling of the firstfruits, so Tabernacles points to a time when the rest of the world will be called and given the same Spirit that Christians receive now.
“And it shall come to pass in that day, that I will seek to destroy all the nations that come against Jerusalem.
And I will pour upon the house of David, and upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the spirit of grace and of supplications: and they shall look upon me whom they have pierced, and they shall mourn for him, as one mourneth for his only son, and shall be in bitterness for him, as one that is in bitterness for his firstborn. ” (Zech 12:9-10)
This is an amazing prophecy that tells what happens when Jesus returns. Implicit in it, is the fact that the Jews would have rejected their Messiah, as it tells of the time when they will finally understand who He really is. They will be able to perceive the truth then because their blindness will be removed. Recall that this is the natural result of removing Satan. The Spirit of God is then poured out upon them, and they become part of the latter harvest.
The rest of the world is not left out. They too will be called to join the household of God.
“And many nations shall come, and say, Come, and let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, and to the house of the God of Jacob; and he will teach us of his ways, and we will walk in his paths: for the law shall go forth of Zion, and the word of the LORD from Jerusalem” (Mic 4:2, Isa 2:3)
And there is this remarkable description:
“And it shall come to pass, that every one that is left of all the nations which came against Jerusalem shall even go up from year to year to worship the King, the LORD of hosts, and to keep the feast of tabernacles.
And it shall be, that whoso will not come up of all the families of the earth unto Jerusalem to worship the King, the LORD of hosts, even upon them shall be no rain.
And if the family of Egypt go not up, and come not, that have no rain; there shall be the plague, wherewith the LORD will smite the heathen that come not up to keep the feast of tabernacles.
This shall be the punishment of Egypt, and the punishment of all nations that come not up to keep the feast of tabernacles” (Zech. 14:16-19)
As Jesus, along with the saints then ruling, will be working to bring all men to the truth, all will be expected to worship God in spirit and truth, and so will be required to keep the Feast of Tabernacles. It is probable that most will willingly join in the true worship, but there will possibly be some who are stubborn at the start of Jesus’ reign. Such folks will be punished as described. God’s appointed festivals and days will not be optional observances for the world. Surely then those of us being called now, ought to keep the Feast of Tabernacles and worship God in spirit and truth.
Some have argued that this prophecy was conditional and dependent on whether the Jews were faithful. Since the Jews rejected Christ, it is concluded that this will not be fulfilled. However, as we saw from Zech. 12:10, it was anticipated that they would not have recognised their Messiah the first time. Zech. 14 actually is pertaining to the same events as Zech. 12 (compare 12:2-4 with 14:2-3), so there is no reason to believe that this prophecy will not be fulfilled.
With all that this feast represents, it should be considered by all of God’s people, a great celebration and time for rejoicing!
The Last Day
“Seven days ye shall offer an offering made by fire unto the LORD: on the eighth day shall be an holy convocation unto you; and ye shall offer an offering made by fire unto the LORD: it is a solemn assembly; and ye shall do no servile work therein.”(vs. 36)
“Also in the fifteenth day of the seventh month, when ye have gathered in the fruit of the land, ye shall keep a feast unto the LORD seven days: on the first day shall be a Sabbath, and on the eighth day shall be a Sabbath” (vs. 39)
The Feast of Tabernacles lasts seven days. But notice that an eighth day is spoken of. Technically, this is a distinct festival from Tabernacles. However, this day is tied to it, as the only way to have an eighth day is to have a preceding seven. It is kept like the other holy days, by abstaining from work, and with a solemn assembly.
Now if tabernacles serves as a reminder that we and the world as a whole, have not yet reached the intended destination, then the eighth or last day, would logically represent the end of the road and the time when the whole world (not just the firstfruits) will come to its rest in the eternal Kingdom of God. This coincides with the events that are prophesied to take place after the millenium. We know the resurrection of the rest of the dead (ie. all who were not part of the firstfruits) takes place after the one thousand years. All who never got an opportunity for salvation will get it at this time, and those who accept will become a part of the latter harvest depicted by the seven day Feast of Tabernacles. (Request the article What Happens To Those Who Die Outside The Christian Faith? for more details on this subject). This leads to the final judgment which will culminate in the end of this temporal age and the completed new heavens and new earth.
“And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea.
And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.
And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God.
And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away.
And he that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all things new. And he said unto me, Write: for these words are true and faithful” (Rev 21:1-5)
Mankind has finally attained the purpose for which God made him in the first place. At last everyone has entered into the eternal rest. There is only joy, peace and everything good. No more striving against sin. No more death. We will dwell together with God the Father Himself and Jesus. What a glorious future! The eighth day is truly a day to celebrate.
The Plan of Salvation
Having surveyed the festivals, it is evident that they each mark a milestone in God’s plan of salvation for mankind. To put it all in context, we must remember that when God made man, He made him mortal and gave him work to do which would help him mature to be the being God desired him to be. God intended man to eventually become immortal and attain a reality far superior to what he was already (Request the article The Destiny of Man! to learn more about this).
In the very early stages, the Devil entered the picture and man sinned. This incurred the death penalty. Ever since, the Devil has held mankind captive to sin and death. The whole creation has been subjected to the corruption that resulted from sin. So unless God does something about this situation, mankind is doomed, as well as the physical creation. Fortunately, God loves His creation, and is willing to do what it takes to get things back on track.
To set things right, it is first necessary to obtain the freedom of man who is held captive by the Devil. This requires the sacrifice of the Son of God. This is why Passover is the first festival. Having been released from the Evil One’s grips, we must then commit ourselves to lifelong subjection to our Redeemer, as portrayed by the Feast of Unleavened Bread.
The problem we face after coming to accept Christ is that we still retain our sinful bodies. Therefore we still experience the pulls of sin. Unless we are given a new nature that has power to walk in the right way, we would inevitably return to the grips of the Devil. This is why God pours out His Spirit upon those He calls out of sin to be firstfruits, as celebrated in the day of Pentecost.
God allows the world for the most part to continue going down the wrong road so that all can see the results of this way. Meanwhile He works with the firstfruits leading them to salvation and demonstrating the glorious reality that can be realised by following His way. But He ultimately wants to get all mankind to where He intended from the start. So He has appointed a day when He will bring to an end the systems of this corrupt world, and will send Jesus to rule. This we see portrayed in the Feast of Trumpets.
Now to get the world to change, God must undo the works of the Devil. The Devil, through deceit, keeps mankind captive and separated from God. So God must remove him to heal the spiritual blindness that plagues the world so that all may be reconciled. We saw this pictured by the Day of Atonement.
Jesus along with the firstfruits are now able to transform the world, and establish the Kingdom of God over all the Earth. This will culminate in a great latter harvest of persons. The seven day Feast of Tabernacles foreshadows this. As God wraps things up, He will bring back to life all who ever died. All who never had a chance for salvation will be taught the truth, allowing them to be included in the latter harvest. At the end of time a final judgment will be made to determine who become part of the new heavens and the new earth. In this new reality, there will be no death, pain or sorrow. Man will be where and what he was meant to be. All this is foreshadowed by the Eighth or Last Day.
Therefore Let Us Celebrate
It should be clear by now that these festivals are still very much relevant to true worship. These are times that we should truly want to celebrate, considering what they mean to us and the implications they have for the world, and not something to try to get out of. Nevertheless, there are a number of objections that have been raised to dissuade people from embracing these festivals of the Lord. In the next section, we will examine them and see that none should keep us from observing these appointed times.
1. The online Jewish Encyclopedia states, “In Palestine the grain harvest lasted seven weeks and was a season of gladness (Jer. v. 24; Deut. xvi. 9; Isa. ix. 2). It began with the harvesting of the barley (Men. 65-66) during the Passover and ended with the harvesting of the wheat at Pentecost, the wheat being the last cereal to ripen. Pentecost was thus the concluding festival of the grain harvest, just as the eighth day of Tabernacles was the concluding festival of the fruit harvest (comp. Pesik. xxx. 193)” (Online Jewish Encyclopedia, Pentecost article, under “Connection with Harvest”, http://www.jewishencyclopedia.com/view.jsp?artid=177&letter=P)
2. There was a dispute between the Pharisees and Sadduccees as to what this “sabbath” referred to. The Pharisees were of the view that this was the first holy day of unleavened bread (ie. the 15th of the first month). With this reckoning, the wavesheaf ceremony would always be on the 16th day of the first month. The Sadduccees however, believed that the “sabbath” in question referred to the weekly sabbath. If this was followed, then the waving of the sheaf would always fall on the Sunday during the days of Unleavened Bread, which necessitates Pentecost being on a Sunday seven weeks later. (See Online Jewish Encyclopedia, Pentecost article, under “The Morrow After Sabbath”, http://www.jewishencyclopedia.com/view.jsp?artid=177&letter=P)
3. Alfred Edersheim, “According to unanimous Jewish tradition, which was universally received at the time of Christ, the day of Pentecost was the anniversary of the giving of the Law on Mount Sinai, which the Feast of Weeks was intended to commemorate…Jewish tradition has it, that on the 2nd of the third month, or Sivan, Moses had ascended the Mount (Exo 19:1-3), that he communicated with the people on the 3rd (Exo 19:7), reascended the Mount on the 4th (Exo 19:8), and that then the people sanctified themselves on the 4th, 5th, and 6th of Sivan, on which latter day the ten commandments were actually given them (Exo 19:10-16)” The Temple: Its Ministry and Services, Chapter 13, under Pentecost
4. Edward Chumney writes, “The last trump is synonymous with Rosh HaShanah, according to Theodore Gaster in his book, Festivals of the Jewsih Year, in his chapter on Rosh HaShanah. Herman Kieval also states the same thing in his book, The High Holy Days (Volume 1, Rosh HaShanah, Chatper 5, Footnote 11), in the chapter on the shofar.” The Seven Festivals Of The Messiah pp. 136
5. Ibid., pp. 135 “The resurrection of the dead will take place on Rosh HaShanah (Talmud, Rosh HaShanah 16b)”.
6. For eg. The book of Enoch says, “And I asked the angel of peace who went with me, saying: ‘For whom are these chains being prepared?’ And he said unto me: ‘These are being prepared for the hosts of Azâzêl, so that they may take them and cast them into the abyss of complete condemnation, and they shall cover their jaws with rough stones as the Lord of Spirits commanded.” (1 Enoch 54:4)
Written by: Anthony Coore
Taken From: http://studies.truthunfolding.org/
Comments to: acoore@gmail.com
Holy Day Calendar
Spring Holy Days
| Year | First Day of Sacred Year | Passover | Days of Unleavened Bread | Feast of Pentecost |
| 2008 | April 6 | April 19* | April 20 – 26 | June 8 |
| 2009 | March 26 | April 8* | April 9-15 | May 31 |
| 2010 | March 16 | March 29* | March 30-April 5 | May 23 |
| 2011 | April 5 | April 18* | April 19-25 | June 12 |
| 2012 | March 24 | April 6* | April 7-13 | May 27 |
* Observed at sunset of the previous evening
Fall Holy Days
| Year | Feast of Trumpets | Day of Atonement | Feast of Tabernacles | Last Great Day |
| 2008 | Sept. 30 | Oct. 9 | Oct. 14 – 20 | Oct. 21 |
| 2009 | Sept. 19 | Sept. 28 | Oct. 3-9 | Oct. 10 |
| 2010 | Sept. 9 | Sept. 18 | Sept. 23-29 | Sept. 30 |
| 2011 | Sept. 29 | Oct. 8 | Oct. 13-19 | Oct. 20 |
| 2012 | Sept. 17 | Sept. 26 | Oct. 1-7 | Oct. 8 |
All Holy Days begin evening before
First Day of sacred year is not holy