FEW PEOPLE in the world today keep God's Holy Days. But what significance do they have for God's Church and His people?

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For some, these types of celebrations may be the first they have ever observed, and so these truths may be entirely new. Others have kept the Feasts for years. In either case, let us look into the Scriptures to see what these days are all about.

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The Holy Days were commanded to the children of Israel before they left Egypt, before the old covenant was made and before the sacrificial or Mosaic laws were given.
   
Exodus 12 gives the instructions for the Passover and Days of Unleavened Bread. These instructions were given while Israel was still in Egypt. The Feast of Trumpets was also commanded in Egypt, and this certainly implies that the other feasts were commanded there as well (Ps. 81:3-5).
   
A reading of the law, especially Leviticus 23 and Deuteronomy 16, shows that the festivals were included in God's commandments to Israel. Of course, Israel disobeyed those commandments almost immediately after they had been given at Mt. Sinai (Ex. 20), by worshiping the golden calf (Ex. 32). Only at this point did God add a sacrificial law, to teach Israel obedience (Gal. 3:19). Thus sacrifices were offered on the Holy Days and every other day of the year.
   
But just because sacrifices were added to those days does not mean that when the sacrifices were no longer needed that the days were done away — Christ's supreme sacrifice no more did away with the Holy Days than it did away with any of the other days of the year!

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Kept in New Testament

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 In the New Testament, we read of Jesus Christ (and His parents, when He was a child) keeping the Holy Days. Throughout the book of Acts and the epistles we find the true servants of God keeping these feasts. It is strange with all these New Testament texts about the Holy Days that most Christians, who claim to follow the New Testament, fail to see them.
   
Bible prophecy reveals that even gentile people, in addition to all Israel, will keep these special days during the Millennium (Zech. 14:16).
   
These days mean much to God, and He commands us to keep them holy. But why did God establish these days in the first place?

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Why Holy Days?

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As we saw, God ordained the Holy Days while the children of Israel were still in Egypt. They were made holy at a time when Israel was becoming a nation — and they were made for Israel.
   
These days were for God's people, His nation, His Church. It would be through that Church, during Christ's reign on earth thousands of years later, that the rest of the world through Israel and her God would learn of these important days.
   
God established these days as national or Church "holidays" for a special reason. Other nations have had their holidays, too. They have usually been established by people in remembrance of nationally important historic or religious events. There has not been much rhyme or reason in the establishment of holidays, but such days help join people together in a common bond or interest.

 

Unlike mankind holidays, God's Holy Days are much different, because they have great purpose. They were established with a clear purpose and future outcome in mind. They were not only to aid in bringing God's people together in a common celebration, but, more importantly, they reveal to God's people His great plan of salvation.
   
In order to understand this plan of God, we need to look at each Holy Day and its meaning. The Holy Days picture events of historic and future importance to Israel, the world and the Christian.

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These Holy are listed in Leviticus 23, according to the day(s) commanded for "holy convocations" or sacred assemblies:

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1. Passover (Lev. 23:5-7) - The Opening up of Salvation through the Blood of Jesus Christ (Matt.26:2; 17-19; Mark 14:12-16; Luke 2:41-42: 22:1; 7-20; Jon 2:13, 23; 6:4; 13:1-30; 1 Cor. 11:23-29

2. Days of Unleavened Bread (Lev. 23:7-8) - Living a life of Holiness to God (Matthew 26:17; Acts 20:6; 1 Cor. 5:6-8)

3. Feast of Firstruits/Pentecost (Lev. 23:16-21) - Symbolizing the 'Firstfruits' of God's People Called/Dedicated to Him for Service (Acts 2:1-21; 20:16; 1 Cor. 16:8)

4. Feast of Trumpets (Lev. 23:24-25) - Announcing Christ's Return; Resurrection of saints; the Day of the Lord (Matt. 24:30-31; 1 Thes. 4:16-17; Rev. 11:5)

5. Day of Atonement (Lev. 23:27-32) - Christ's reconciling the world to the Father; Marriage Supper; Binding of Satan (Acts 27:9; Rev, 19:7-9; Rev. 20:1-3)

6. Feast of Tabernacles (Lev. 23:33-36) - Christ Ruling the Earth with His Saints for 1,000 years; Great White Throne Judgment (7th Day) (John 7:1-38; Rev. 20:1-15)

7. The Eighth Day Feast (Lev. 23:36b, 39b) - New Beginnings; New Heaven and New Earth Coming Down; Eternity (John 7:53; John 8:1-2; Revelation 21 & 22)

 

Seven (7) in all, these are just a skeletal framework of God's plan of salvation as portrayed by the Holy Days. There is much more that cannot be told here in this post.
   
Come to God's Feasts days and hear the rest of the story!