The
feasts were religious holidays that God established as visual aids for the
Hebrews to learn His plan of redemption through the Messiah. As an indication
of their importance, every redemptive work of Jesus happened on a feast day. If
for no other reason, this shows just how important it is for Christians to
understand these festivals.
While we normally think of these holy days as the “Feasts of the Jews,” they are really the “Feasts of the LORD.” Leviticus reads, “… The feasts of the LORD, which you shall proclaim to be holy convocations, these are My feasts. … These are the feasts of the LORD, holy convocations, which you shall proclaim at their appointed times” (Leviticus 23:2,4).
God established seven of these feasts and scheduled them on the Hebrew calendar in such a way that the Jews would have to travel to Jerusalem three times a year to keep them. These three feast seasons were known as Passover (Pesach), Pentecost (Shavuot), and Tabernacles (Sukkot). (See Exodus 23:14-17; Leviticus 23.)
In the story in Exodus, God instructed each family to take an unblemished lamb to their home on the tenth day of the month. They were to observe the lamb for five days to make sure it was without spot or blemish. Then on the fourteenth day, they were to kill the lamb and take some of its blood and place it on the two doorposts and the lintel of their house.
At that first Passover, the angel of death killed the firstborn male throughout the land. However, if the entrance to the door was covered with the blood of the lamb, the angel would “Passover” the house and the people inside would be spared. The whole story is told in Exodus 12
There is a Christian connection through Jesus to all of these feasts. John the Baptist introduced Jesus as the “ ... Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world” (John 1:29). From a Christian perspective, Jesus fulfilled the Feast of Passover in His crucifixion. He orchestrated all the events of the last week of His life to fulfill in His flesh what the feasts symbolized.
The apostle Paul connected Jesus to Passover when he said, “For indeed, Christ [Messiah] our Passover, was sacrificed for us” (1 Corinthians 5:7). While Christianity has taught that the feasts were Jewish holidays that have no meaning for the church, Paul instructed the Christians at Corinth to “... keep the feast, not with the old leaven, nor with the leaven of malice and wickedness, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth” (1 Corinthians 5:8).
God instructed the Hebrews to keep the Feast of Unleavened Bread as a memorial to their separation from Egypt. The people were not to eat leavened bread at Passover on the fourteenth nor for the next seven days according to Exodus 13:3-7. The Feast of Unleavened Bread was celebrated the day after Passover and lasted from the fifteenth to the twenty-first.
Jesus fulfilled this feast as the bread of life from heaven who had no leaven (sin) in Him. Jesus said, “... I am the bread of life. He who comes to Me shall never hunger, and he who believes in Me shall never thirst” (John 6:35). Paul writes, “For He [God] made Him [Jesus] who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him” (2 Corinthians 5:21).
Christians can apply this work of Jesus on their behalf by putting off the old man of sin, as Paul writes in Ephesians, “ that you put off, concerning your former conduct, the old man which grows corrupt according to the deceitful lust” (Ephesians 4:22).
The Feast of Firstfruits is celebrated during the Feast of Unleavened Bread on the seventeenth day. The Hebrews were to bring the first sheaves (omer) of the barley harvest and wave them before the LORD. This offering is known as the omer. The period of time between this feast and the Feast of Pentecost is a time of “counting the omer.
Jesus fulfilled this feast when He was resurrected as the firstfruits from the dead at the very time when the firstfruits harvest was being offered to God. His resurrection marked the beginning of the harvest of souls who have been set apart for God through Jesus.
Paul spoke of this with these words, “But now Christ [Messiah] is risen from the dead, and has become the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. For since by man came death, by Man also came the resurrection of the dead. For in Adam all die, even so in Christ [Messiah] all shall be made alive. But each one in his own order: Christ [Messiah] the firstfruits, afterward those who are Christ’s [Messiah’s] at His coming” (1 Corinthians 15:20-23).
Christians can apply this work of Jesus to their lives by putting on the new man as Paul writes, “and that you put on the new man which was created according to God, in true righteousness and holiness” (Ephesians 4:24). The result will be the fruit of God’s Spirit manifested in our lives (Galatians 5:16-25).
The next major feast season is Pentecost. It is also referred to as the Feast of Weeks, Feast of Harvest, and the Day of Firstfruits (Exodus 23:16; 34:2; Numbers 28:26). This feast is celebrated on the sixth day of the Hebrew month of Sivan, which corresponds to the months of May and June on the Gentile calendar.
The main activity on the Feast of Pentecost was the presentation of a wave offering of two loaves of baked bread to the LORD. They were to do this fifty days after the Feast of Firstfruits. Since the word Pentecost in Greek means “fifty,” this feast gets its name from the fifty day interval between the two feasts.
Later when the Jews were dispersed among the nations, the Feast of Pentecost lost its primary significance as a harvest festival and was celebrated as a memorial to the time when God have the Torah at Mount Sinai. This is because the Jews have traditionally believed that God gave the Torah to Moses on the Day of Pentecost (Exodus 19:1,11).
The Day of Pentecost did not originate with Christianity, but it is the Jewish feast day that God chose to send the Holy Spirit as proof that Jesus had been glorified as Lord. This was the day when the Jews were in Jerusalem celebrating the feast and the giving of the Torah. They were looking forward to the time when God would write the Torah on their hearts as the prophets said (Jeremiah 31:31-34).
From Luke’s account in Acts 2 we see the marvelous timing of God. Thousands of Jews had journeyed to Jerusalem to celebrate the Feast of Pentecost. It was then that the followers of Jesus waiting in the upper room were filled with the Holy Spirit. They then began to worship God in foreign languages that were spoken and understood by the Jewish pilgrims.
This outpouring of the Holy Spirit was taking place on the very day when the Jews were offering the two wave loaves to God and celebrating the Torah symbolizing their dependence on God. One wave loaf represented the Jews and the other the Gentiles who would also receive the Holy Spirit in like manner as recorded in Acts 10.
Christian believers can apply the spiritual reality of the Feast of Pentecost by being filled with the Spirit of God as Paul wrote, “... be filled with the Spirit” (Ephesians 5:18).
The last feast season is the Feast of Tabernacles. It includes the three feasts of Trumpets, Atonement, and Tabernacles. The Feast of Trumpets is on the first day of the seventh month on the religious calendar.
One of the clearest demonstrations of the use of trumpets is in warfare as we learn in the story of Joshua at the battle of Jericho. (See Joshua 5-6.) When the people blew the shofar, God gave them victory. The Jews began to call God the “horn of their salvation.”
King David was the great warrior who said to God, “… I will love you, O LORD, my strength. The LORD is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer; my God, my strength in whom I will trust; my shield and the horn of my salvation; my stronghold. I will call upon the LORD who is worthy to be praised; so shall I be saved from my enemies” (Psalm 18:1-3).
To the Christian, Jesus is the Horn of our Salvation who defeats the enemies of our soul. Zechariah said of Jesus, “Blessed is the Lord God of Israel, for He has visited and redeemed His people, and has raised up a horn of salvation for us in the house of His servant David, as He spoke by the mouth of His holy prophets, who have been since the world began, that we should be saved from our enemies and from the hand of all who hate us ”(Luke 1:68-71).
Paul wrote to believers everywhere, “Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of darkness of this age, against spiritual wickedness in heavenly places” (Ephesians 6:10-12).
The next feast after Trumpets is the Day of Atonement. It is on the tenth day of the month. This was the great day of national cleansing and repentance from sin. It was on this day that God judged the sins of the entire nation of Israel. In view of this, the Day of Atonement became known as the Day of Judgment.
Because this was the Day of Judgment, it was a time of great soul affliction. It was a day of godly sorrow, godly repentance and confession of sins. It was a time of mourning before God with a broken spirit and contrite heart. It is the only required day of fasting in the Bible.
The Jews believed that the final judgment and accounting of the soul would come on the Day of Atonement. On this day, the future of every individual would be sealed and the gates of heaven would be closed.
Jesus fulfilled the spiritual aspects of the Day of Atonement when He went into the heavenly holy of holies with His own blood, which He shed for the sins of the world. Believers have been forgiven and made clean once and for all by the blood of Jesus. His blood did what the blood of bulls and goats could not do for us. His blood doesn’t just cover our sins, it takes them away to be remembered no more.
Even though God has forgiven us of our sins, this does not mean that Christians do not need a continuous cleansing in our daily lives. We must judge our sins daily for the purpose of maintaining fellowship with the Lord. In this regard, the blood of Jesus purifies us that we can have continuous fellowship with Him. This is the work of Jesus in purifying His bride, the church.
John spoke of this need with the following words, “If we say that we have fellowship with Him, and walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth. But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ [Messiah] His Son cleanses us from all sin.
“If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness”(1 John 1:6-9).
Prophetically, the Day of Atonement points to the return of Jesus to judge the earth. This future event will literally be fulfilled on the final great Day of Atonement.
The prophet Zechariah spoke of the future literal fulfillment of the Day of Atonement when he said, “And I will pour on the house of David and on the inhabitants of Jerusalem the Spirit of grace and supplication; then they will look on Me whom they have pierced; they will mourn for Him as one mourns for his only son, and grieve for Him as one grieves for a firstborn” (Zechariah 12:10).
The last feast God gave the Hebrews to observe was the Feast of Tabernacles. It was also called the Feast of Ingathering because it was at the end of the harvest season and the Feasts of Booths because the Hebrews slept in booths or shelters during the feast (Exodus 23:16; Deuteronomy 16:16). The celebration lasted for seven days from the fifteenth to the twenty-first. There was also a special Sabbath on the eighth day.
The Feast of Tabernacles celebrated the final ingathering of the harvest God had blessed the people with for the year. The fruit of the land had been reaped so the people could rest from their labors and rejoice in the goodness of God.
God required the Hebrews to dwell in booths or tabernacles to remind them of the years their ancestors wandered in the desert for forty years living in shelters. They were always to remember that the wanderings were brought about by unbelief and disobedience. Yet, God was in their midst providing for their every need and eventually brought them into the land of rest He had promised them.
The shelters were loosely constructed and decorated and the roof covered with branches. This allowed the Hebrews to see through the roof into heaven and be reminded of an even greater rest and rejoicing when Messiah would rule on the earth. Thus, the Feast of Tabernacles symbolizes the Messianic age when Jesus returns to establish the Kingdom of God on the earth. At that time all the nations will go up to Jerusalem to worship the King and keep the Feast of Tabernacles (Zechariah 14:16).
To the Christian, Jesus is the ultimate tabernacle or dwelling place of God in human flesh. John tells us, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. And the Word became flesh as dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth” (John 1:1,14). Jesus Himself said, “ ... He who has seen Me has seen the Father ...” (John 14:9).
God came in human flesh to reveal Himself to us and give rest and rejoicing to our souls by redeeming us from sin. Jesus said, “Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am lowly in heart, and you shall find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light” (Matthew 11:28-30).
Hanukkah was not one of the original Feasts of the LORD. In ancient times it was a relatively minor holiday commemorating the deliverance of the great victory of the Jews over Antiochus IV (Epiphanes) in the second century BC. Antiochus made a systematic attempt to replace Jewish faith and culture with Greek culture. He was determined to destroy the Jewish people through assimilation. This happened in 167-164 BC and is recorded in the intertestamental book of 1 Maccabees.
The highlight of the victory was when the Jews rededicated the Temple to their God. Traditional Jewish writings explain that the Greek-Syrians desecrated all the oil purified for Temple use. When the Temple was rededicated, only one small undefiled container was found with the seal still on it. It contained only enough oil to burn the menorah for one day. But after the menorah was kindled, it miraculously burned for eight days
Hanukkah was called the Feast of Dedication and later the Feast of Lights. While it was not a biblical holiday, Jesus kept the customs of His people and celebrated this feast. We read in John, “Now it was the Feast of Dedication in Jerusalem, and it was winter. And Jesus walked in the temple, in Solomon’s porch” (John 10:22-23).
The central focus in celebrating Hanukkah is the eight-branched menorah called a hanukkiah. The hanukkiah has a ninth candle called a Shamash. This word means servant. The servant candle is used to light the other eight.
From a Christian perspective, Jesus is the servant candle who lights our lives with the fire of God. He said to His followers, “You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven” (Matthew 5:14-16).
As with Hanakkuh, Purim was not one of the original Feasts of the LORD. The background for Purim is found in the book of Esther. This book tells the wonderful story of how the Jewish Queen Esther interceded for her people to save them from the plot of Haman, a wicked man who wanted to destroy the Jews.
Esther found out about the plot and, at great risk to her own life, interceded with the king for her people. The key verse in the book of Esther is the statement Mordecai made to Esther. He said, “ ... Do not think in your heart that you will escape in the king’s palace any more than all the other Jews. For if you remain completely silent at this time, relief and deliverance will arise for the Jews from another place, but you and your father’s house will perish. Yet who knows whether you have come to the kingdom for such a time as this ”(Esther 4:13-14)?
Esther called for three days of fasting and prayer before approaching the king. King Ahasuerus received Esther who exposed Haman and his plot to kill the Jews. The king commanded that Haman be hung on the very tree in his own yard, which Haman had prepared for Mordecai. Mordecai was exalted and the Jews were given the chance to defend themselves when attacked. The Jews slaughtered their enemies and celebrated on the next day.
As a result of this great victory, Mordecai declared Purim to be a holiday of feasting and joy, with presents being exchanged and gifts given to the poor. The people accepted Mordecai’s words, and to this day, they celebrate Purim. Purim was not only celebrated by the Jews but by all God-fearers who would join them (Esther 9:26-28). The holiday was called Purim after the Pur (lot), which was cast for the day of the annihilation of the Jewish people.
While Purim is not specifically mentioned in the New Testament, it is most likely the feast mentioned in John 5:1. Christians can certainly learn much from the story of Esther. As Esther risked her life to intercede for her people, Jesus gave His life to intercede for us. But as Mordecai was exalted, Jesus also was exalted in His resurrection and ascension. The writer of Hebrews says, “Therefore He is able to save to the uttermost those who come to Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them” (Hebrews 7:25).
Christians must pray and intercede for the Jewish people and the nation of Israel. The Psalmist wrote, “Pray for the peace of Jerusalem; may they prosper who love you” (Psalms 122:6).
God gave the feasts to the Hebrews as pictures of His wonderful plan of redemption through the Messiah. While God gave the feasts to the Hebrews, they were for all of God’s people for all times, be they Jew or Gentile. However, in the fourth century of our era, the Roman Christian Church replaced the biblical feasts with the pagan feasts, which the Romans celebrated. But in our times, God is awakening the Church to the Jewish roots of our faith and the importance of celebrating the Feast of the Lord as they find their fulfillment in Jesus.
A. How should the church view the Feasts of the Lord?
B. How would celebrating the feasts impact our lives?
C. How can you apply this lesson to your life?