THE FEASTS AND THEIR IMPORTANCE




I am very optimistic that you are now abreast of why modern Christians should continue to keep God’s Holy feasts, due to the little information I have so far given you on this subject. As such, it behooves me as a Bible Student, to show you the essences of these God’s feasts I am talking about, so that your understanding as to why one should keep such feasts shall be well established.



Before I go further to say anything about the importance of the feasts I would like to disclose to you that there are SEVEN YEARLY SABBATH DAYS apart from the weekly Sabbath Day. These yearly Sabbath Days are also honoured like the weekly Sabbath day, but with slight difference. That is on the yearly Sabbaths one can cook, unlike the weekly Sabbath whereby cooking is strictly prohibited by the Lord.Before the commandment in EX. 35:3 that, no one should kindle fire throughout our habitations on the Sabbath Day, the Lord through Moses taught the Israelites how to avoid cooking on the Sabbath Day. 
"And he said unto them, This is that which the LORD hath said, Tomorrow is the rest of the holy sabbath unto the LORD: bake that which ye will bake today, and seethe that ye will seethe; and that which remaineth over lay up for you to be kept until the morning.” EX. 16:23

But as for the yearly Sabbath days, the only warranty for us to cook can be found in Exodus 12 when the Lord introduced the Passover to the children of Israel. Though He forbade them servile work just like the weekly Sabbath ordinance, food preparation was allowed.

"And in the first day there shall be an holy convocation, and in the seventh day there shall be an holy convocation to you; no manner of work shall be done in them, save that which every man must eat, that only may be done of you.” EX. 12:16

Like the weekly Sabbath, there are many other things that must be avoided during the yearly Sabbaths also; for instance buying and selling as well as exaction of debt: And it is to this end that the book of Nehemiah reports the following:

"And if the people of the land bring ware or any victuals on the sabbath day to sell, that we would not buy it of them on the sabbath, or on the holy day: and that we would leave the seventh year, and the exaction of every debt.” NEH. 10:31

There are seven yearly Sabbath days or HIGH DAYS that require holy convocations. These are the First day of Unleavened Bread, the seventh day of Unleavened Bread (LEV.2 3:4-8), Day of Pentecost (LEV.23:15,16), Day of Trumpets (LEV. 23:23-25), Atonement day (LEV. 23:26-32), First day of Tabernacles and the eighth day of Tabernacles (LEV. 23:33-36). Among all these including even the weekly Sabbath, it is only the Atonement Day in which observance is enshrined how to reckon time from sun-set to sun-set or evening to evening for the observance of the Sabbaths. All Sabbath keepers acknowledge this fact.

"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.”L EV. 23:32

According to the good Lord all His children must appear before Him three times in a year during the feast of Unleavened bread, feast of Weeks (Pentecost) and feast of Tabernacles (EX. 23:14-17).

"Three times in a year shall all thy males appear before the LORD thy God in the place which he shall choose; in the feast of unleavened bread, and in the feast of weeks, and in the feast of tabernacles: and they shall not appear before the LORD empty:” DEUT. 16:16

In actual fact these feasts portray some important features to us to such an extent that, we can’t simply ignore their observance. For instance, the Passover commemorates the redemption work Christ did for us all. So Christ’s body without sin is represented with the Unleavened Bread taken on that occasion. So does the purging out of sin or total righteous life is symbolized with the seven days eating of Matzah and Unleavened food. All these therefore go a long way to demonstrate to us that we should always be mindful of righteous living or life without sin.

The Day of Pentecost that follows, also lead us to another level. Here it shows us the way to prepare ourselves for receiving of the Holy Spirit power, which is our mark and seal until the day of redemption (EPH. 4:30). According to ACTS 5:32; 8:13-24, only obedient people have access to this power of the Holy Spirit. For that much each and everyone must be righteously prepared all the time, especially during the days leading to Pentecost, so as to ensure one’s Holy Spirit baptism happens on that occasion.

The blowing of Trumpets during the first day of the seventh month of the biblical year according to LEV.23:24, is also a great and remarkable day for all Christians. This feast portrays to us some kind of alert Christians awaiting the Kingdom to come, must be highly minded of. Thus the blowing of trumpets sounds a kind of warning to everyone that the judgment of God is just around the corner. So we keep this feast of trumpets to show that Our Lord Jesus Christ will return to this world in the last days amidst the blowing of trumpets to gather all His triumphant elect.

(30) " 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. (31) 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

Clearly, this above text implies that the meaning of the Feast of Trumpets to modern Christians is that, there will be blowing of Trumpets on the day of the return of Our Lord Jesus Christ by His Angels. You can read from 1COR. 15:50-52 and 1THESS.4:15-17 also for better understanding.
In the same way, the Day of Atonement that seeks for the forgiveness of our sins is also important. This is why on the tenth day of the same seventh month every one of us, must bow down our heads in fasting to atone for our sins. The significance of this feast is that no one can enter into the Kingdom of God with sin.

The last but not the least is the importance of the feast of Tabernacles. First it reminds us of the fact that our ancestors lived in temporary dwellings or booths. The Hebrew word for booths is ‘Sukkot’. Apart from the fact that it reminds us of the fact that our ancestors on the wilderness dwelt in Booths, its significance is deeply associated with living in the Kingdom of God. That means if we keep it well, our salvation is assured.
So during every 14th of the month of Abib or Nisan (that is around March- April), the children of God have to gather at a particular place for the celebration of the feast of Passover and Unleavened Bread, till the 21st of the same month. It is within these eight days that the Passover meal, now replaced with Lord’s Supper is taken, as well as the seven days of unleavened meals. Do not also forget that our Lord’s introduction of FOOT WASHING (JN. 13:1-17) on the evening portion of the day of Passover following the Lord’s Supper must be strictly adhered to: Since the Foot Washing was done by Jesus it has become part of the New Testament celebration.

(5) " After that he poureth water into a bason, and began to wash the disciples' feet, and to wipe them with the towel wherewith he was girded. (6) Then cometh he to Simon Peter: and Peter saith unto him, Lord, dost thou wash my feet? (7) Jesus answered and said unto him, What I do thou knowest not now; but thou shalt know hereafter. (8) Peter saith unto him, Thou shalt never wash my feet. Jesus answered him, If I wash thee not, thou hast no part with me. (9) Simon Peter saith unto him, Lord, not my feet only, but also my hands and my head. (10) Jesus saith to him, He that is washed needeth not save to wash his feet, but is clean every whit: and ye are clean, but not all. (11) For he knew who should betray him; therefore said he, Ye are not all clean.(12) So after he had washed their feet, and had taken his garments, and was set down again, he said unto them, Know ye what I have done to you? (13) Ye call me Master and Lord: and ye say well; for so I am. (14) If I then, your Lord and Master, have washed your feet; ye also ought to wash one another's feet. (15) For I have given you an example, that ye should do as I have done to you. (16) Verily, verily, I say unto you, The servant is not greater than his lord; neither he that is sent greater than he that sent him.” JN. 13:5-16

(5) "In the fourteenth day of the first month at even is the LORD's passover. (6) 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. (7) In the first day ye shall have an holy convocation: ye shall do no servile work therein. (8) 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.” LEV. 23:5-8

On the day of Pentecost, which is the fiftieth day calculated from the same day on which the sheaf is brought before the Lord to be waved, or the next day after that particular weekly Sabbath day just after the Passover Lamb is killed, is the very day all the children of God must meet for service. That is one has to count fifty good days from the very first weekly Sabbath day which happens to fall within the Passover and the days of unleavened. Simply one can also number seven weekly Sabbaths and add one day to it making fifty. Better still, one can also first of all add one day to that particular Sabbath day, and count seven weeks: All will give us the same answer. What matters most is to determine the actual Sabbath day on which such a calculation must be based upon. This is why the fiftieth day or Pentecost must always fall on the first day of the week, which is SUNDAY. As such its dates for observance always varies unlike the other feasts that are given particular or fixed dates. So the day remains the same, but the date always varies from time to time depending on the weekly Sabbath for the calculation.

(15)"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: (16) Even unto the morrow after the seventh sabbath shall ye number fifty days; and ye shall offer a new meat offering unto the LORD.” LEV. 23:15,16

The Feast of Tabernacles which happens to be the third among the three major yearly feasts, is also seen in the New Testament, where John’s account shows that, Jesus Christ Himself highly reverenced this feast (JN.7:1-3,14,37-39). It is observed during the seventh month of the biblical year between 15th and 22nd of that month.

(33) "And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, (34) 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. (35) On the first day shall be an holy convocation: ye shall do no servile work therein. (36) 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.” LEV. 23:33-36

So these are the three major feasts out of the seven listed in the book of Leviticus chapter 23, which were read in early part of this study. But that does not mean the rest like Trumpets and Day of Atonement, are not necessary. They are all important and are observed in their due season as the Lord has directed in the scriptures. But the three major ones require that we all assemble at one particular place to celebrate the feasts. Apart from the feasts of Unleavened Bread and Tabernacles that are observed for eight continuous days, the rest take only one complete day for the occasion.
The danger of rejecting the feast of Passover and Unleavened Bread is overemphasized. This is because Christ Himself declared it in His preaching to the world at large in the book of John, as I earlier on alluded to. Never think that if you forgo the keeping of the feasts, you are not at risk. Since the evidences of two persons are true, I hereby present to you the following warnings from Moses and Jesus Christ as follows:

"But the man that is clean, and is not in a journey, and forbeareth to keep the passover, even the same soul shall be cut off from among his people: because he brought not the offering of the LORD in his appointed season, that man shall bear his sin.” NUM. 9:13

"Then Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except ye eat the flesh of the Son of man, and drink his blood, ye have no life in you.” JN.6:53

In the same way one can’t afford to neglect the keeping of the day of Pentecost, since its embodiment is the pivot of Christianity. The Lord says anyone who lacks His spirit is not His (ROM.8:9). So without the baptism of the Holy Spirit, how can one live as a good Christian.
Another dangerous mistake some people are committing as far as the pollution of God’s Sabbaths are concerned, is the neglect of the feast of Tabernacles. According to the Prophet Zechariah, in 14:17-18, whoever disobeys God by refusing to keep His Holy feast of Tabernacles shall never enjoy God’s rains (blessings).

(16) "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. (17) 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. (18) 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. (19) 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
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