God’s Feast Days

The concept of God’s Feast Days refers to a set of religious celebrations and observances that are considered holy and ordained by God. These Feast Days are often associated with the Hebrew Bible and are observed by many religious traditions, including Judaism and Christianity. In Leviticus 23:1-44, God commands the Israelites to observe these Feasts as a way to remember and commemorate the events and blessings of their history, as well as to look forward to the coming of the Messiah and the fulfillment of God’s promises.

• The Feast Days have a long history and have roots in the ancient Israelite calendar, which was based on the cycles of the moon and the agricultural seasons. Throughout history, many of the Feast Days and the way they are observed have undergone changes. For example, Passover which is celebrated to commemorate the Israelites’ deliverance from slavery in Egypt and the subsequent liberation of the Jewish people, has been adapted and transformed into the modern holiday of Easter in Christianity, which is celebrated to commemorate the resurrection of Jesus Christ.

Explanation of the Feast Days

• The Feast Days include: Passover, Unleavened Bread, First Fruits, Pentecost, Feast of Trumpets, Day of Atonement, Feast of Tabernacles, and Eighth Day (or Last Great Day).
• Passover is celebrated to commemorate the Israelites’ deliverance from slavery in Egypt and the subsequent liberation of the Jewish people. In the New Testament, Passover is linked with the death and resurrection of Jesus, which is celebrated as Easter in Christianity.
• Unleavened Bread, which is celebrated immediately after Passover, is a reminder of the haste in which the Israelites left Egypt and the importance of living a pure life.
• First Fruits is celebrated on the Sunday after Passover, to honor God as the giver of all good things, and as a reminder of the resurrection of Jesus Christ.
• Pentecost is celebrated 50 days after First Fruits, and it commemorates the descent of the Holy Spirit upon the early Church, and is still celebrated as Pentecost Sunday in Christianity.
• Feast of Trumpets is celebrated on the first day of the seventh month and is a reminder of God’s sovereignty and the coming of the Messiah, it is not typically celebrated in modern Christianity.
• Day of Atonement is celebrated on the tenth day of the seventh month and is a day of fasting and repentance, it is also known as Yom Kippur in Judaism.
• Feast of Tabernacles is celebrated on the 15th day of the seventh month, and it commemorates the Israelites’ wandering in the wilderness and God’s provision for them during that time. It also serves as a reminder of the coming of the Messiah and the final harvest, it is also known as Sukkot in Judaism.
• Eighth Day (or Last Great Day) is celebrated on the 22nd day of the seventh month, and it serves as a reminder of the final judgment and the eternal state of the righteous.

The biblical basis for the Feast Days

• The biblical basis for the Feast Days can be found in the Hebrew Bible, particularly in the book of Leviticus (23:1-44). These Feasts are commanded by God as a way to remember and commemorate the events and blessings of their history, as well as to look forward to the coming of the Messiah and the fulfillment of God’s promises.
• The New Testament also references the Feast Days and their significance, particularly in the book of Acts and the letters of Paul, where the Feast Days are linked with the death and resurrection of Jesus and the coming of the Holy Spirit.

Observance of the Feast Days

• The Feast Days are observed by different religious traditions in various ways. In Judaism, the Feast Days are observed through specific rituals and ceremonies, such as prayer, fasting, and the reading of the Torah. For example, Passover is typically observed by having a special meal called the Seder, where the story of the Israelites’ deliverance from Egypt is retold and specific foods are eaten to symbolize different aspects of the story. Similarly, on the Feast of Tabernacles, it is customary to build temporary shelters called sukkahs, and to dwell in them as a reminder of the Israelites’ wandering in the wilderness.
• In Christianity, the Feast Days are often celebrated through worship services, Bible study, and fellowship. For example, on Easter, Christians typically attend church services, where they hear sermons and participate in Communion, which is a reminder of Jesus’ death and resurrection. Similarly, on Pentecost Sunday, Christians typically attend church services where the coming of the Holy Spirit is celebrated and where the scripture is read and preached.

It’s worth noting that some Christian denominations and sect does not observe all the feasts, and other religious traditions may have different ways of observing the feast days. It’s important to note that the way these feast days are observed can also vary depending on the culture, tradition and personal beliefs of the people observing them.