Feasts of Israel-The Seven Levitical Feasts
by Paul J. Rico (paulrico@hotmail.com)
2 Tim 3:16 – How much of the Word of God is important to us and why does God care? Rabbi Paul (Saul of Tarsus) tells us that all of the Word of God is important because it is inspired by the very breath of God’s Spirit. It’s profitable for doctrine (teaching, what to believe, facts about God), for reproof (what not to believe), for correction (how not to live) and for instruction in righteousness (how to live according to God). While we are to only obey the Torah instructions that apply to us, these instructions concerning the Festivals apply to the whole world that worships the Creator of the Universe and not just Israel. These “appointed times” are also instructions that are valid for all eternity.
Leviticus 23 God dictates to us what Holy Days we are to observe. They are pictures of God’s grace and the coming Messiah. They are not a way to earn salvation. Deuteronomy 6:20-23 These festivals as all of Torah are instituted by HaShem to point us to HaShem’s grace, compassion and lovingkindness and ultimately to point us to Messiah who would become our Passover Lamb, our atonement on Judgment Day.
Col 2:16 Let no man therefore judge you in meat, or in drink, or in respect of an holyday, or of the new moon, or of the Sabbath [days]: v17 Which are a shadow of things to come; but the body (NASB-substance) is of Messiah (Christ).
2 Pet 3:15-16 The Gentile Church is slow to recognize that Shaul (Rabbi Saul/Apostle Paul), a Hebrew Rabbi, ceaselessly quotes the Torah in his letters to the early church. His writings have been wrestled into over 4,000 denominational sects that still remain ignorant and unlearned in the only scriptures (The Old Testament) available to the early church, thus dogmatically maintaining an inaccurate perspective of the New Testament scriptures. The way to properly understand the NT is to look at it with OT eyes, and not to try to view scripture with 21st Century Gentile eyes. The basic rule: Interpret Scripture within it’s context, both of the text and culture.
Seven Levitical feasts include:
1) Sabbath- celebrated weekly the seventh day of the week from sunset Friday to sunset Saturday. In Hebrew called Sabbath. Gen 1:1—2:3, Matt 11:29-30 The Sabbath rest is a picture of the spiritual rest we find fulfilled in Messiah.
2) Passover /Feast of Unleavened Bread called in Hebrew Pesach – first feast of the spring, once yearly every spring eight days long. Story of the Exodus from Egypt. 1Cor 5:7-8 Messiah is our Passover. Passover is the sacrifice and not just the holiday
3) First Fruits – during week of Unleaven Bread, first day of the week after the regular weekly Sabbath (Sunday) one day long. Messiah rose from the dead on the day after the weekly Sabbath during the Feast of Unleavened Bread, He also raised up all of the OT Saints Matt 27:50-53/
4) Pentecost also called the Feast of Weeks, in Hebrew called Shavuos, 7 weeks after the Feast of First Fruits, one day long. This is the anniversary of the Tower of Babel when languages were confused and also of the giving of the Ten Commandments after the first Passover and 3000 were put to death for idolatry and fornication. In the NT at Shavuos languages were unconfused with the miracle gift of languages and the result was 3000 people found life in Messiah. With the giving of the Spirit the opposite of the past judgments occurred and HaShem wrote the Torah on the hearts and minds of believers, instead of just being written on tablets of stone (Jer 31:31-34, Hebrews chapter 8).
5) Feast of Trumpets – First feast of the fall season, also called in Hebrew: Rosh HaShannah (the new year) or Yom Teruach. Two days long. Pictures the Rapture and Judgment Day. Lev23:23-25, 1 Cor 3:11-15, 2 Cor 5:10, 1 Thess4:13-18
6) Day of Atonement – Second feast of the fall season 10 day after Rosh HaShannah, one day long. This one is actually literally not a feast but rather a fast. Called in Hebrew: Yom Kippur. The key responsibility of the believer is to humble themselves, that is to confess our sins. Lev 16, 23:26-32, Ps 31, 32, 38, 51, Lk 18:9-14
7) Feast of Tabernacles also called the Feast of Booths, in Hebrew called Sukkot- Third feast of the fall season, five days after Yom Kippur. Offerings were made for the 70 nations, thus this feast had an international aspect. Biblical faith isn’t exclusive but inclusive for the whole world if they want to be part of the Kingdom of God. Lev 23:33-36 Jn 7:37, Rev 7:9 The first day of Sukkot is the true birthday of Messiah, so on the last day the great day of the feast Messiah was circumcised. A day of Messianic Joy.
Non-Levitical (Biblical) feasts: Purim (Springtime before Passover) Book of Esther, Haman and Mordaci do spiritual battle over the fate of the Jews
Chanukah (Fall/ Winter after Sukkot) found only in the New Testament Jn10:22 Yahshua celebrated it by attending the festivities at the Temple. This was a second observance of Sukkot, since the Maccabees missed the first celebration that year due to the war with the Greeks. They decided to celebrate Sukkot whenever they won the war. When they did the first job at hand was to rededicate the Temple and therefore we have the Feast of Dedication:Chanukah also called the Festival of Lights.
Modern non Biblical holiday: Independence Day May 14, 1948
