Understanding The Days That God Calls Holy To Him

13 October, 20184 December, 2025Marissa

Did you know that there are certain days in the Bible that God calls holy? One of these holy times happens every 7 days and we call it the weekly Sabbath. The other 7 holy days happen at set times in the spring, early summer, and fall.

If you’re reading this when it was posted, the fall holy days ended a couple weeks ago and the spring ones won’t start again for 6 months. This in-between time seems to me like the perfect opportunity for those of us who do keep the holy days to reflect on their meaning, along with how and why we keep them. And if you’ve never observed God’s holy days before, I hope you’ll find value in learning about them and maybe even join us in keeping them.

All the holy days are outlined in Leviticus 23, and then expounded on in other passages as well. In this chapter they’re all called “set feasts” (mo’ed) and “holy convocations (miqra). This identifies them as appointments that God has set at specific times for specific reasons. We talked about these Hebrew words, and others that describe God’s holy days, in last week’s post (click here to read it).

Sabbath

“The children of Israel shall keep the Sabbath, to observe the Sabbath throughout their generations, for a perpetual covenant. It is a sign between me and the children of Israel forever; for in six days Yahweh made heaven and earth, and on the seventh day he rested, and was refreshed.”
Exodus 31:16-7, WEB

As spiritual Israel (Rom. 9:6-8; Gal. 3:29; Eph. 2:12-13), this is part of God’s eternal law that is transferred to us (see post “Inheriting Covenants“). The author of Hebrews talks about this topic from 3:7 to 4:9 and concludes, “There remains therefore a Sabbath rest for the people of God.” The Greek word sabbatismos literally means “keeping Sabbath” (G4520, Thayer’s dictionary).

The Sabbath (which happens every week from sunset on Friday until sunset on Saturday) is a time when we stop doing work and other things that clutter our weeks and enter God’s rest. It’s a time to gather with other believers in God’s presence, to learn from Him, and take on His delights as our own. The Sabbath reminds us of His plan, purpose, and presence, and let’s us practice His rest.

Further study: “Delighting In The Sabbath” by Brian Shaw and Isaiah Study: Joy in the Sabbath Covenant With God

Understanding The Days That God Calls Holy To Him | LikeAnAnchor.com — Photo credit: katerinavulcova via Pixabay

Passover

When the hour had come, he [Jesus] sat down with the twelve apostles. He said to them, “I have earnestly desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer.”
Luke 22:14-15, WEB

The Passover (Pesach in Hebrew) observance was instituted in Exodus 12, and Israel was told they should keep it and the Feast of Unleavened Bread that followed “throughtout your generations by an ordinance forever” (Ex. 12:14, WEB). Jesus changed/added to (depending on your interpretation) the symbols associated with Passover, but still told his followers to continue keeping it “in remembrance of me” (Luke 22:19; 1 Cor. 11:23-26).

For New Covenant believers, Passover reminds us of God’s deliverance and Jesus’ sacrifice. Drinking the wine and eating the bread symbolize our commitment to and participation in the New Covenant. Passover also lets us “proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes” (1 Cor. 11:26, WEB). It is a way for us to keep in mind of, and remind others, that Jesus died for our sins and that He will return.

Further study: “Passover Questions: Am I Ready To Hear What God Says?” and “Why I’m Keeping Passover On Nisan 14“

Feast of Unleavened Bread

Purge out the old yeast, that you may be a new lump, even as you are unleavened. For indeed Christ, our Passover, has been sacrificed in our place. Therefore let us keep the feast, not with old yeast, neither with the yeast of malice and wickedness, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.
1 Corinthians 5:7-8, WEB

Beginning the day after the Passover, the Feast of Unleavened Bread (Chag HaMatzot) lasts for 7 days. The first and last days are both holy convocations and days when we do no work. For all 7 days, we eat nothing with leavening in it and we eat unleavened bread (Lev. 23:6-8; Ex. 23:15).

As we can see in this quote from Paul’s letter, the early New Testament church was still keeping this Feast. They were doing so in the spirit as well as the letter, recognizing that there’s a purpose behind the symbolism of putting leaven out and taking in unleavened things. These days are a yearly reminder to keep putting off sin and putting on Christ’s nature.

Further study: “Rhythms of Worship” and “Exodus To Corinthians: A Passover Message For The New Testament Church“

Feast of Weeks

Now when the day of Pentecost had come, they were all with one accord in one place.
Acts 2:1, WEB

On the Sunday after Passover, ancient Israel performed a ceremony called Firstfruits or Wavesheaf (Lev. 23:9-14). From that day, you count seven Sabbaths plus one day to get 50 days, then o-bserve the Feast of Weeks (better known today as Pentecost or, in Hebrew, Shavuʿoth).

Pentecost is a fascinating holy day. It’s connected with the story of Ruth and our role as firstfruits in God’s harvest. It’s the day Jesus and His Father gave the precious gift of their Holy Spirit to the church. It’s also the only single day called by the Hebrew word a chag (the other holy days designated “Feasts” are the 7-day long Unleavened Bread and Tabernacles). There’s a great deal of significance in this day, and it’s there for us today as well as for earlier believers.

Further study: “Firstfruits from the Rejects” and “The Bridegroom’s Pledge“

Day of Trumpets

Speak to the children of Israel, saying, “In the seventh month, on the first day of the month, shall be a solemn rest to you, a memorial of blowing of trumpets, a holy convocation.”
Leviticus 23:24, WEB

There’s not nearly as much information in scripture about the Day of Trumpets/Shouting (Yom Teruah) as for the other holy days, but that doesn’t mean it’s any less important. Many believers (and I think rightly so) see it as the holy day which points to Christ’s return because of the connection with trumpet blasts (1 Thes. 4:16; Rev. 11:15). It’s one of the “shadows” speaking to us of Christ’s reality (Col. 2:16-17).

Further study: “Preparing For The Bridegroom To Come Back” and “With The Sound of Trumpets“

Day of Atonement

Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying, “On the tenth day of this seventh month is the day of atonement: it shall be a holy convocation to you, and you shall afflict yourselves; and you shall offer an offering made by fire to Yahweh. … It shall be a Sabbath of solemn rest for you, and you shall deny yourselves. In the ninth day of the month at evening, from evening to evening, you shall keep your Sabbath.”
Leviticus 23:26-27, 32, WEB

The Jews consider the Day of Atonement (Yom Kippur) as the most solemn and holy time of the year. It was the only day a human being could enter the Holy of Holies inside the temple, and even then only the high priest. There was also a ceremony of two goats — one killed for the sins of the people as a picture of Jesus Christ and the other banished as picture of what will happen to Satan (Lev. 16; Heb. 2:17; Rev. 20:1-3).

Today, Atonement reminds us of Christ’s sacrifice, looks forward to a time when Satan is removed from the picture, and invites us to think deeply about our High Priest Jesus Christ. It’s also the only specific day we’re commanded to fast, which in itself has a whole host of spiritual benefits. Exactly how to “fast” is debated, but most people I know (including me) believe it’s a fast of no food or drink for 24 hours. This holy day is briefly mentioned in the New Testament (Acts 27:9).

Further study: “Clean Temples For Yom Kippur” and “Fasting“

Feast of Tabernacles

And then every survivor from all those nations coming against Jerusalem will go up year after year to worship the king, Yahweh of hosts, and celebrate the Feast of Booths.
Zechariah 14:16, LEB

The Feast of Tabernacles or Booths (Sukkot) is a week-long feast with an 8th day, the Last Great Day, on the end (Lev. 23:33-36; 39-44). It was a Feast that Jesus kept (John 7:1-10; 37-39), and this prophecy in Zechariah shows it will still be celebrated in the future. It’s a time when we’re told to stay in temporary shelters. Most people I know celebrate this Feast by traveling to a “Feast site” hosted by a church group, staying in a hotel (a place we live temporarily) or camping in a tent (a temporarily set-up shelter), and attending daily church services.

This Feast is a season of great rejoicing, followed on the 8th day by a solemn observance called an atsarah (click here to go to last week’s post on Hebrew words associated with the holy days). Tabernacles reminds us that we’re strangers and pilgrims on this temporary earth, but that a time is coming when God will establish His kingdom here and all people will live in His peace.

Further study: “Tabernacles and Temples” and “Do You Value The Gifts From Your Bridegroom?“

Conclusion

This is a long post, but it’s just the briefest overview of the days God calls holy to Him. These days offer a weekly (in the Sabbath) and yearly (in the annual Feasts) rehearsal of God’s plan. He invites — and commands — us to keep these days with Him on His set appointed times because they matter.

“You shall keep my Sabbaths, and have reverence for my sanctuary. I am Yahweh.”
Leviticus 26:2, WEB

We keep His Sabbaths because He is Yahweh — the eternal Lord and the only true God. These days mean something to God, and therefore should mean something to His children. The Sabbaths and Feasts are appointments that God has set at specific times for His people to gather together for specific reasons. God places a high value on these days, calling them “holy” or set-apart for Him. As His children, we should value these days as well.

Free resource! Click here to download a chart summarizing these holy days, including the Hebrew words used for each, when and how they were observed, and New Covenant applications:

Mo’ed of the Lord Download

Featured image credit: tihanyitom via Pixabay

What Are God’s Holy Days and Why Would We Care?

6 October, 20184 December, 2025Marissa

Prayer is a time we can choose to come before God however we are, whenever we want, and whatever we need. In these cases, we’re sort of “in control” of the interaction. There are also times when God commands/invites us to come before Him on His terms. Those times when God “hosts” us are His weekly Sabbath and the yearly holy days.

Though I’ve been keeping the holy days outlined in Leviticus 23 my whole life, I hadn’t thought about them quite like this before. My family and I kept the Feast of Tabernacles (Sukkot) with a group in West Virginia this year, and one of the Bible studies there was called “Keeping A Holy Convocation.” It’s one of the best, most thought-provoking messages I’ve ever heard and it’s what prompted today’s post (click here to listen to that Bible study).

I won’t take the time here to address the question of whether or not modern believers should keep these holy days, but you can check out my posts “Top 5 Reasons for Christians to Keep God’s Holy Days” and “Rhythms of Worship” if you’re curious. One reason these days are important to us is that they teach us about God’s plan and His priorities, including who we’re meant to be in Him. They’re part of our identity as God-followers, which makes them a key part of our faith and it also relates to this blog’s theme of finding our true selves in God.

This is probably going to be the first post in a series, since there is so much to explore in this topic and I don’t want today’s post to become unreadably long. So for now, let’s just take a look at the ways God describes His holy days. There are 5 key Hebrew words that give us a picture of what these days are and why we should care about them.

Mo’ed

The word mo’ed (Strong’s number H4150) means an appointed time and/or place, as well as an assembly or congregation. The word is used 223 times in the Bible. It’s also translated “season,” as in its first use in Genesis:

God said, “Let there be lights in the expanse of sky to divide the day from the night; and let them be for signs to mark seasons, days, and years” (Gen. 1:14, WEB)

Mo’ed is used of the time for a baby to be born, the right season to keep a commanded Feast day, and for the place of a gathering and/or the people gathered. The Rabbi at my Messianic congregation defines mo’ed as the right person/people, in the right place, at the right time, for the right reason.

Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying, “Speak to the children of Israel, and tell them, ‘The set feasts (mo’ed) of Yahweh, which you shall proclaim to be holy convocations, even these are my set feasts (mo’ed). … These are the set feasts (mo’ed) of Yahweh, even holy convocations, which you shall proclaim in their appointed season (mo’ed). (Lev. 23:1-2, 4 WEB)

The root word of mo’ed is ya’ad (H3259), which means to appoint, assemble, meet, or betroth. The betrothal translation isn’t used much, but I find it interesting given how much the analogy of Christ as our bridegroom is tied-in with the holy days.

Miqra

Miqra (H4744) is considered a synonym for mo’ed and it’s used 23 times in the Bible. It refers to a rehearsal, assembly, or convocation (which means to call together, as for a meeting). God’s feast days are called “holy convocations,” marking them as meeting times set apart for His purposes.

Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying, “Speak to the children of Israel, and tell them, ‘The set feasts of Yahweh, which you shall proclaim to be holy convocations (miqra), even these are my set feasts. … These are the set feasts of Yahweh, even holy convocations (miqra), which you shall proclaim in their appointed season. (Lev. 23:1-2, 4 WEB)

Miqra can also mean reading aloud. Its root word qara (H7121) means to call, cry out, recite, or enunciate a specific message. In some cases, it means calling by or calling on a name.

They read in the book, in the law of God, distinctly; and they gave the sense, so that they understood the reading (miqra). Nehemiah, who was the governor, and Ezra the priest the scribe, and the Levites who taught the people, said to all the people, “Today is holy to Yahweh your God. Don’t mourn, nor weep.” For all the people wept, when they heard the words of the law. (Neh. 8:8-9, WEB)

The use of miqra to mean readings or callings is often connected to the Feasts. Here in Nehemiah, the people had just rediscovered the fall holy days and were devastated to learn how much they’d lost. As the story continues, we see them overjoyed at the chance to keep the Feast of Tabernacles (Neh. 8:11-18).

What Are God's Holy Days and Why Would We Care? | LikeAnAnchor.com — Photo credit: Ruby-Rose via Lightstock

Chag

The previous two words apply to all the holy days of God. This one, chag (H2282), is used more specifically. It means festival or feast, and refers to the three pilgrim feasts of God: Unleavened Bread, Pentecost, and Tabernacles. Chag appears 62 times in the Old Testament.

Three times in the year all of your males shall appear before Yahweh your God at the place that he will choose, at the Feast (chag) of Unleavened Bread and at the Feast (chag) of Weeks and at the Feast (chag) of Booths, and they shall not appear before Yahweh empty-handed. Each person shall give as he is able, that is, according to the blessing of Yahweh your God that he has given to you. (Deut. 16:16-17, LEB)

These holy festival seasons are described with a different word than the other holy days, and there are some differences in how they’re kept. For example, individuals are told to bring offerings during these days, but not on the other holy days. We’re also told to “keep” these days, which is the word chagag (H2287). Chagag is the root word of chag, and it means to hold or keep a feast. It can also be translated “dance” or “reel,” which connects to other instructions to rejoice in these days.

Shabbat

Shabbat and the closely related word shabbaton (H7676 & H7677) refer to a Sabbath observance. These words show up 122 times in the Old Testament. They are used of the weekly Sabbath and of the fall holy days (Lev. 23:24, 32, 39).

Six days shall work be done, but on the seventh day is a Sabbath (shabbat) of solemn rest (shabbaton), a holy convocation; you shall do no kind of work. It is a Sabbath (shabbat) to Yahweh in all your dwellings. (Lev. 23:3, WEB)

The root word is shabbath (H7673), which means to cease, desist, or rest, and that’s something we do on all the holy days. Though shabbat is not used of the spring holy days or Pentecost, instructions about these days still include the command to not work, so we tend to describe them as Sabbaths as well.

Atsarah

This last word only shows up 11 times in the whole Bible. Atsarah (H6116) means an assembly or sacred/solemn meeting of a company or group. The atsarah that belonged to God are among the things that Israel profaned.

When you come to appear before me, who has required this at your hand, to trample my courts? Bring no more vain offerings. Incense is an abomination to me; new moons, Sabbaths, and convocations: I can’t bear with evil assemblies (atsarah). My soul hates your New Moons and your appointed feasts. They are a burden to me. I am weary of bearing them. (Is. 1:12-14, WEB)

In a positive sense, atsarah is only used specifically of the Last Day of Unleavened Bread (Deut. 16:8) and the 8th day concluding the Feast of Tabernacles (Lev. 23:36). Its root word, atsar (H6113), means to restrain, retain, withhold, close up, or refrain. Apparently, these are two most solemn holy days that God commands.

Why So Much Repetition?

I’ve heard it said that we should listen closely even when God says something once, but when He says something two or more times then we know it’s something to pay extra attention to. Not only does He talk about these holy days more than once, He uses five different words to explain over and over again how special they are.

The God who cared so much about these days in the Old Testament is the same God that we worship today, which should be reason enough for us to care about these days as well. I’m very much looking forward to studying deeper into His holy days, including how He talks about us keeping them and why He wants so much to share them with His people. I hope you’ll join me 🙂

Free resource! Click here to download a chart summarizing these holy days, including the Hebrew words used for each, when and how they were observed, and New Covenant applications:

Mo’ed of the Lord Download

Lessons From Sukkot

14 October, 201713 October, 2017Marissa

My family and I just got back on Thursday evening from a wonderful Sukkot (Feast of Tabernacles) gathering in eastern Pennsylvania. While it was packed full of spiritual lessons, there wasn’t much time for the sort of personal Bible studies that typically end up becoming blog posts on Saturdays. So today I’m just going to share a few lessons I learned this past week:

I can organize people. If I’d known agreeing to plan a singles/young adult activity would have ended up involving 30+ people doing 5 different activities I would have probably wanted to hide under a desk. But it all went really well and I had lots of help from people who volunteered (or had someone volunteer them) to lead some of the activities.
The only ancient text with anywhere near as many copies still around as there are for the Bible is Homer’s Iliad and Odyssey. Stacked together, the existing copies for both those works would only be a few feet tall. In contrast, a stack of all the surviving Biblical manuscripts would be so tall it’s nearly outside earth’s atmosphere. Wow! (One of the speakers shared this fact in a Bible study about the reliability of the Bible.)
Spending a week with my boyfriend (who joined my family and our church group for the Feast) does not make living an 8-hour drive apart any easier. I suppose it’s a good thing that I miss him so much, though, since otherwise I’d have to re-think whether or not we should be dating. In related news, my new favorite love song is “Over And Over Again.” They played it at the dance our church group hosted and not only is my boyfriend a really good dancer but he also sings ❤
The “fear not” reminders just keep coming at me. On the second day of Sukkot someone gave a message about why those who are “fearful” are lumped in with murderers, sorcerers, etc. as people who won’t be in God’s kingdom (Rev. 21:8). The Greek word means “timid” or “cowardly” and carries the implication of faithlessness, as in a Christian who is too scared to act in faith doesn’t trust God enough. Thankfully, we serve a God who embodies the kind of love that casts out fear and who has the strength to help us overcome fears. That’s a reminder I need as I prep for giving my second seminar (I’m actually speaking in front of people again!) in a few months.
It’s always interesting to look back on sermons, Bible studies, and conversations at the Feast and find common themes. This year, I noticed an emphasis on shifting our focus as we move toward God’s kingdom. Instead of just focusing on, “How can I get into God’s kingdom?” we should be thinking about, “How can I be the kind of person God wants to bring into His family?” Those thoughts are related of course, but one’s focused on what we get out of our Christian walk and the other is focused on becoming like God in how we live our lives and interact with other people.

I’ve got a few other thoughts on things I learned and heard this Feast/Sukkot, but they’d be better served by each having a blog post all to themselves so we’ll wait on that. I hope you’ve all been having a wonderful week and have a fantastic weekend! I should be back to more of my usual posting routine by Monday, so I’ll “see” you then 🙂

Top 5 Reasons for Christians to Keep God’s Holy Days

3 October, 20162 October, 2016Marissa

Today we celebrate Yom Teruah, also called Feast of Trumpets and Rosh Hashanah. But why? After all, I’m Christian and most people think of this as a Jewish holiday. Same goes for Yom Kippur/Day of Atonement, which we’ll observe 10 days from now, and Sukkot/Feast of Tabernacles that starts in two weeks.

I believe these festival observances, along with others already completed this year, are for Christians today. When Jesus came to this world, it wasn’t to set up a new religion. He was the next step in God’s plan for the world and these days are part of the covenant He makes with His family. He’s still inviting us to gather for “reunions” at certain times of the year.

1. They Belong To God

And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, “Speak to the children of Israel, and say to them: ‘The feasts of the Lord, which you shall proclaim to be holy convocations, these are My feasts.” (Lev. 23:1-2)

The holy days aren’t Jewish or exclusively Old Testament. They belong to God Himself. We talk about Leviticus 23 as the chapter where God gives Israel the Feasts, but that’s not quite accurate. God doesn’t say, “Here are your holy days, Israel.” He says, “These are the feasts of the Lord, holy convocations which you shall proclaim at their appointed times” (Lev. 23:4). Read more →

Rhythms of Worship: God’s Plan and the Sacred Calendar

16 July, 201618 September, 2023Marissa

The people of God are set apart, with different priorities, habits, and festivals than the rest of the world. We may celebrate national holidays of our homelands, such as July 4th for Americans, but those are not the observances that shape our identities as God’s people. The kingdom we belong to under Christ’s authority has a different calendar.

A couple months ago, I read Desiring the Kingdom by James K.A. Smith. In “Chapter 5: Practicing (for) the Kingdom,” he discusses “rhythms and cadences of hope” that Christians observe in weekly and annual practices. For him, this means Sunday, Easter, Lent, Advent, Christmas and others. He connects the observances to a rich history of “a people gathered to worship the Messiah, who does not float in some esoteric, ahistorical heaven, but who made a dent in the calendar — and will again” (p. 157).

However, when you read the Bible, you won’t find the days Smith talks about on God’s calendar. Even the one mention of Easter in the KJV is a mistranslation of pascha, or Passover (Acts 12:4, Strong’s G3957). Rather, we find the church from the Torah to Revelation on a calendar even more unique than the one Smith claims for Christians. I know it puzzles many Christians that I would keep the “Jewish holidays,” but I find it equally puzzling that they would continue a tradition of co-opting pagan holidays and attaching them to Biblical events God gave no instructions to observe. When we search the scriptures looking for God’s version of liturgical rhythms, we find a worship pattern far more richly layered and deeply rooted in God’s plan than what man has invented.

Weeks and Months

The observance of time in the Bible begins at Creation. On the fourth day, God said, ““Let there be lights in the expanse of the sky to divide the day from the night; and let them be for signs to mark seasons, days, and years” (Gen 1:14, WEB). On the seventh day God rested “from all his work which he had done.God blessed the seventh day, and made it holy, because he rested in it from all his work of creation which he had done” (Gen. 2:2-3, WEB; see also Ex. 20:11; 31:17).

From the very beginning, God set up a world that allowed for marking time in weekly, monthly, and yearly rhythms. The Sabbath was established from the foundation of the world, and there’s no scriptural evidence that it was ever moved from the seventh to the first day (click here for my Sabbath post). The other holy days were set in place as God revealed His plan and established His covenants, but the Sabbath was there since the beginning and will be with us forever (Is. 56:2-7; 66:22-23; Mark 2:27-28; Heb. 4:9).

The months were marked by new moons, making the Hebrew calendar lunar (which is why the holy days “move around” on the Gregorian calendar). Exodus establishes which month begins the year (Ex. 12:2) and calls it Abib (Ex. 13:4). The new moons aren’t counted as Sabbaths and we know very little about how they were observed. We’re told there was trumpet blowing and offerings (Num. 10:10; 28:11-15), we read about people gathering together (1 Sam. 20:5, 18, 24, 27; 2 King. 4:22-23), observance is mentioned in a Millennial setting (Is. 66:23), and once they’re mentioned in the New Testament alongside holy days and Sabbaths (Col. 2:16-17). Most of us aren’t sure what to do with them today and ignore them, and I confess I’m guilty of that as well.

Image of hands folded on a Bible, overlaid with text from Exodus 31:16-17, WEB version: "Therefore the children of Israel shall keep the Sabbath, to observe the Sabbath throughout their generations, for a perpetual covenant. It is a sign between me and the children of Israel forever; for in six days Yahweh made heaven and earth, and on the seventh day he rested, and was refreshed.” — Image by Jantanee from Lightstock

Remembering Our Savior

The first month, Abib, begins the holy day cycle with Passover on the 14th. Originally, the Passover (Pesach in Hebrew) was kept as a memorial of God rescuing Israel from Egypt and sparing their firstborn by passing His vengeance over the houses covered by the blood of a lamb. Jesus Christ fulfilled what was pictured here when He died as our Passover lamb, and He up-dated Passover observance for His new church.

Many churches today keep the Passover, but in many Christian denominations it has been replaced with Easter and the ceremony Jesus instituted on His last Passover is done regularly as Communion. However, Jesus never tells us to mark His resurrection day with a yearly observance. Rather, He says during the Passover ceremony, “Do this in remembrance of me” (Luke 22:19, NET). Even if we did remember Him in communion throughout the year (there are some scriptures you could use to support that practice), it would not eliminate the need to observe Passover the way that Christ did. The resurrection was incredibly important, but Jesus didn’t want us to stop keeping Passover and replace it with Easter.

In his book Surprised by Hope, N.T. Wright laments how little time is spent in celebrating Easter and argues “it ought to be an eight day festival” (p. 256). If he were to step back from Easter and take another look at Passover, he would see God did indeed set up eight days of observance. Passover starts things off, then the following day begins the seven-day festival of Unleavened Bread (Chag HaMatzot). If we look at a timeline of Jesus’ death and resurrection, we find that He rose from the dead when the sun set on Saturday, ending the weekly Sabbath and starting the first day of the week. He ascended to His father the following Sunday morning (John 20:1-17), which corresponds to a special ceremony outlined in Leviticus 23:9-15 called the Wave Sheaf or First Fruits. This ceremony marked the beginning of a 50-day count to Pentecost.

Set back in the context of the Biblical holy days, our remembrance of Christ’s Passover sacrifice kicks-off a week long festival where we remember that because “Christ, our Passover, has been sacrificed in our place” we are being made into a people untainted by the yeast of sin (1 Cor. 5:6-8). It should be a time of rejoicing and appreciation for all that’s pictured in His sacrifice and in His resurrection. When we mark the Wave Sheaf as the day He ascended to His Father following His resurrection and start counting to Pentecost (Shavuot), we have a reminder built into God’s holy calendar that without the resurrection of Jesus the church wouldn’t have the holy spirit. And so we celebrate Pentecost, the day God poured His spirit out on the New Testament church (Acts 2:1-4) as a direct result of the resurrection of Jesus Christ and the work He’s currently doing in and with His church to make us firstfruits.

Image of unleavened bread and wine on a table, overlaid with text from 1 Corinthians 11:23-25, WEB version: “the Lord Jesus on the night in which he was betrayed took bread. When he had given thanks, he broke it and said, ‘Take, eat. This is my body, which is broken for you. Do this in memory of me.’ In the same way he also took the cup, after supper, saying, ‘This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this, as often as you drink, in memory of me.’” — Image by Jeff Jacobs from Pixabay

Looking To The Future

On the first day of the seventh Hebrew month, the Lord commanded Israel, “you must have a complete rest, a memorial announced by loud horn blasts, a holy assembly” (Lev. 23:24, NET). Many interpret this day as picturing the return of Jesus Christ because “the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel and with God’s trumpet” (1 Thes. 4:16, NET). In Jewish tradition, trumpets were blown the entire month leading up to the Feast of Trumpets (Yom Teruah). Messianic rabbis teach the trumpet calls proclaim, “The Bridegroom is coming! get ready to meet Him.” What could be more relevant for the church today as we draw ever closer to Jesus’ second coming?

Ten days after Trumpets, we cycle through to a solemn, serious holy day called the Day of Atonement (Yom Kippur). This day is marked by fasting, prayer, and a complete Sabbath rest from all work. Judging by the amount of scripture space devoted to its observance (Lev. 16:1-34; 23:26-32, and others), this day was very important to God, and it still is. Atonement was called an “everlasting statute” and Paul was still marking it in the New Testament (Acts 27:9). Unfortunately, it’s been so stereotyped as a Jewish holiday that most Christians don’t even consider the depth and meaning this day takes on following Christ’s atoning sacrifice, His resurrection, and His exaltation to the role of High Priest. Instead, they’re distracted during the fall season of the year by thoroughly pagan Halloween and non-scriptural All Saints and All Souls days.

The holy day cycle, like the plan of God, culminates in a celebration. Every weekly Sabbath looks forward to the time when Christ will reign on this earth as present, powerful, King of kings and Lord of lords, but the Feast of Tabernacles (Sukkot) takes the picture further. We dwell in temporary shelters as a reminder that we are sojourners here on this earth awaiting the return of our Lord and looking forward to a time when His kingdom will be here on earth. Sukkot also looks back, at the children of Israel who God made to live in tabernacles, or “temporary shelters,” when He “brought them out of the land of Egypt” (Lev. 23:42-4 3, WEB). Jesus kept this Feast (John 7:2-10, 14, 37) and it will be kept in God’s future kingdom (Zech. 14:16). We can’t argue it’s irrelevant to the church today; it hasn’t even been fulfilled yet by God’s Millennial Kingdom. Wrapping up the holy day cycle, the Feast ends with an eighth day, the Last Great Day, pointing to the final judgement day and the New Jerusalem (Revelation chapters 20-22).

Image of a young woman sitting by a tiger, overlaid with text from Isaiah 11:6 and 9, WEB version: “The wolf will live with the lamb, and the leopard will lie down with the young goat, the calf, the young lion, and the fattened calf together; and a little child will lead them. ... They will not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain; for the earth will be full of the knowledge of Yahweh, as the waters cover the sea.”

Aligned With The Lord

So why aren’t all the Christian churches on God’s calendar? I’ll be honest, this is something I really don’t understand. To be clear, I under stand why people who never learned about God’s holy days and who are members of churches that dismiss these days don’t keep them. Unless you study God’s holy days for yourself, you’re unlikely to hear about them in most churches. But I don’t understand how Bible teachers justify the omission. Why distance yourself from the rhythms of worship God says belong to Him? In Leviticus, before outlining all the holy days, God says, “These are the Lord’s appointed times which you must proclaim as holy assemblies—my appointed times” (Lev. 23:1-2, NET). They are days Holy to our great God, not something just for a specific group or time. So why abandon them for days with observances rooted in pagan holidays like the worship of Ishtar/Astarte (for Easter) and mid-winter Saturnalia (for Christmas)?

I’m not just talking about Christian leaders today. This substitution of man’s days for God’s days goes back centuries–so far that Easter and Christmas are called “Christian” traditions and the days Christ Himself kept are a distant memory. It’s time for the church to ask itself some tough questions. Is God pleased when we use pagan holidays to “worship” Him, even after we pretty them up and associate them with events in the Bible? Or would God be more pleased if we value the holy days He set aside for His people from the establishment of His covenants? The way we live our lives matters to God, and He’s watching to see whether we’ll cling to traditions of men or whether we’ll cling to His word, His kingdom, and His plan.

I hope no one feels like I’m attacking them or their beliefs. I’ve thought long over how to phrase this post, and even debated whether or not to share it. I truly feel, though, that the closer we align ourselves with God’s word, the more He will reveal of His plan and the closer our relationships will be with Him. May God’s blessing rest on you all, my friends.

Featured image by José Roberto Roquel from Lightstock

Song Recommendation: “Is He Worthy?” by Andrew Peterson

Click here to learn more about these books or to order a copy.

Pointing To Christ

10 October, 20159 October, 2015Marissa

Sukkot/the Feast of Tabernacles is over for another year. We kept the Feast on the East Coast this year, and I’ve come back with collections of new friends, sea shells, and blog pot topics mined from messages we heard.

The Feast pictures Christ’s Millennial reign described in Revelation 20:4 and other prophecies. In this verse, the saints are said to “live and reign with Christ for a thousand years.” Revelation 1:6 and 5:10 describe our role as “kings and priests.” There’s quite a bit of responsibility contained in those roles, but it boils down to one simple task. In the words of a gentleman who spoke on the second day of the Feast, “kings and priests point others to Christ.”

Kings

When Israel asked for a king, God called it a rejection of Him because they preferred having a physical ruler and military commander to trusting in Him (1 Sam. 8:7, 19-20). This request wasn’t unexpected, though, and God already had guidelines for kings in place. Only a native Israelite could rule (Deut. 17:15), he wasn’t allowed to amass a huge army, or take the people back to Egypt, or marry many wives (Deut. 17:16-17), and he had to write a copy of the law (Deut. 17:18).

And it shall be with him, and he shall read it all the days of his life, that he may learn to fear the Lord his God and be careful to observe all the words of this law and these statutes, that his heart may not be lifted above his brethren, that he may not turn aside from the commandment to the right hand or to the left, and that he may prolong his days in his kingdom, he and his children in the midst of Israel. (Deut. 17:19-20)

Knowledge of God, reverence for Him, obedience, and humility are key qualifications for kingship. The first king, Saul, was chosen because he could lead armies and was humble (1 Sam. 9:16, 21). When he lost that humility and stopped obeying God, he was rejected as king (1 Sam. 15:11, 17).

And when He had removed him, He raised up for them David as king, to whom also He gave testimony and said, ‘I have found David the son of Jesse, a man after My own heart, who will do all My will.’ (Acts 13:22)

To become kings, we must have a heart like the King of kings. God won’t let people rule in His family if they aren’t on the same page as Him. There’s a psalm David apparently wrote for his successor, Solomon, that talks about this. Psalm 72 points to Messiah’s reign and describes God as a great King, whose example of righteous judgement and commitment to His people lesser rulers would do well to imitate. Kings are supposed to model what Jesus Christ is like, and point to Him by their example.

Priests

When there was a tabernacle or temple standing, priests were always there. Their job was to minister before the Lord and “to bless in His name” (Deut. 10:8). They were also involved in settling judicial disputes, especially in the time before the kings (Deut. 21:5).

One of the primary ministerial responsibilities of the priests involved offering sacrifices. People couldn’t just sacrifice to God anywhere — they had to come to the temple and have a priest present it on their behalf. Today, Christ fills that role of intermediary between believers and God. He has helpers, though, just as the High Priest did in the Old Testament.

you also, as living stones, are being built up a spiritual house, a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. (1 Pet. 2:5)

We’re already becoming a priesthood today, and we’ll be doing even more in the future. As priests, we serve and point others to our High Priest, Jesus Christ (Heb. 4:14-5:10). The quallifications for this type of service are very similar to those for a king.

Then I will raise up for Myself a faithful priest who shall do according to what is in My heart and in My mind. I will build him a sure house, and he shall walk before My anointed forever. (1 Sam. 2:35)

To walk before God’s Anointed, the Messiah, forever, we must tune-in to His heart and mind. We have to follow His lead, teaching others about Him and pointing to the High Priest. Everything we do in any sort of leadership role — now or in the future — is done in service to the King of kings and Priest above all priests. Pointing others to Him is the best thing we can do for the people we’re called to serve.