- God's Holydays Vs Today's Holidays


God's holy days also have important prophetic significance for the future.
God's holy days reveal God's plan for the redemption and salvation of his people. 

What is Idolatry - Idolatry is one of the least understood sins in the Bible, yet it is probably the most talked about sin and the sin most severely punished as well. And how does this involve holidays?

Learning About The Feasts Of God

God's holy days not only consist of the weekly Sabbath, but also the annual Sabbaths. The annual Sabbaths consist of Passover, Feast of Unleavened Bread, Sheaf of Firstfruits, Pentecost, Feast of Trumpets, Day of Atonement, Feast of Tabernacles, and the Eighth Day Feast. Click on the following links to learn more about each feast and the rich meanings within each of them. As you will see the feasts are all about Jesus and how God redeems his people back to himself.

Passover - Jesus dies for our sins.

Unleavened Bread - Jesus sustains us as our unleavened bread free of sin and false doctrine.

Sheaf Of Firstfruits - Jesus is resurrected as first of the Firstfruits.

Pentecost - Jesus redeems the Firstfruits of God in the 1st resurrection of the saints.

Feast Of Trumpets - Jesus returns.

Day Of Atonement - Jesus reigns as king in the millennium and Satan is bound 1000 years.

Festival Of Tabernacles - Mankind tabernacles in fleshly bodies for 7 days which all points to the 8th day, which is the new heaven and new earth in which God tabernacles with mankind for eternity.

Are The Feasts For New Covenant Christians?

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: Which are a shadow of things to come; but the body is of Christ. Col. 2:16-17 (... )

Howbeit then, when ye knew not God, ye did service unto them which by nature are no gods. But now, after that ye have known God, or rather are known of God, how turn ye again to the weak and beggarly elements, whereunto ye desire again to be in bondage? Ye observe days, and months, and times, and years. I am afraid of you, lest I have bestowed upon you labour in vain. Brethren, I beseech you, be as I am; for I am as ye are. Gal. 4:8-12 (...)

Passover/Unleavened
Your glorying is not good. Know ye not that a little leaven leaveneth the whole lump? Purge out therefore the old leaven, that ye may be a new lump, as ye are unleavened. For even Christ our passover is sacrificed for us: Therefore let us keep the feast, not with old leaven, neither with the leaven of malice and wickedness; but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth. 1 Cor. 5:6-8 (....)

Pentecost
And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. Acts 2:1 (The apostles were told to keep this very day by Jesus himself, and this was to be done after his death. Jesus said to keep it. He did not say to abolish it after his death. If it was abolished at the cross, then why would Jesus tell them to keep it after the cross? Not only that, but God himself seems to give his stamp of approval on this 1st Pentecost after Jesus's death as the Holy Spirit was poured out on this day. Why would that have happened if the Jews just merely couldn't let old habits go?)

Following The Examples of Jesus and Paul

Follow my example, as I follow the example of Christ. I praise you for remembering me in everything and for holding to the traditions just as I passed them on to you. 1 Cor. 11:1-2 (Paul also said to follow his example just he followed the example Jesus gave him. We've also seen that Paul kept all the feasts. Paul even refers to the "traditions" that he passed on. So this isn't just talking about their behavior, as Christ gave a perfect behavioral example, but Paul could not as a sinner. So the example has to do with traditions, or observances, which would include the feasts. We also see that Paul is speaking to the gentiles in Corinth.)

For you, brothers and sisters, became imitators of God’s churches in Judea, which are in Christ Jesus. 1 Thess. 2:14 (Paul is praising the gentile church in Thessalonica because they are imitating the churches in Judea. Who were the people in Judea? They were converted messianic Jews just like Paul and the Apostles who kept the feasts.)

Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you. Matt. 28:19-20 (All nations includes gentiles. This also shows that gentiles and Jews should have the same holidays and observances. And what did Jesus teach to observe? Yes, the feasts of God.)

Then the survivors from all the nations that have attacked Jerusalem will go up year after year to worship the King, the Lord Almighty, and to celebrate the Festival of Tabernacles. If any of the peoples of the earth do not go up to Jerusalem to worship the King, the Lord Almighty, they will have no rain. If the Egyptian people do not go up and take part, they will have no rain. The Lord will bring on them the plague he inflicts on the nations that do not go up to celebrate the Festival of Tabernacles. This will be the punishment of Egypt and the punishment of all the nations that do not go up to celebrate the Festival of Tabernacles. Zech. 14:16-19 (All nations and peoples of the earth will celebrate the Festival of Tabernacles in the millennial reign of Christ every year. Why would God want us to observe the feast every year then, but not now? The reasons given for abolishing the feasts prohibit any possibility of reinstating then in the future. So this is a very problematic verse for them. And although all other feasts will continue to be kept as memorials, the reason this on gets special mention is because it is the only one left still not completely fulfilled while still living in the millennium.)

Can Christians Celebrate Christmas and Easter?

And all the people brake off the golden earrings which were in their ears, and brought them unto Aaron. And he received them at their hand, and fashioned it with a graving tool, after he had made it a molten calf: and they said, These be thy gods, O Israel, which brought thee up out of the land of Egypt. And when Aaron saw it, he built an altar before it; and Aaron made proclamation, and said, To morrow is a feast to the LORD. Ex. 32:3-5 (Can we worship God with pagan customs today? God condemned the Israelites for worshipping him in the same way pagans worshiped their gods. The problem with this is solved in understanding the laws of separation that God had in place under the old covenant. ALL of these laws of separation are fulfilled in Christ. In the new covenant we are no longer sanctified in our deeds and observances. We are sanctified IN Christ alone. That is the fulfillment of all the laws of separation. We have freedom in Christ and we are free to worship him in faith with a clean conscience.)

When the LORD thy God shall cut off the nations from before thee, whither thou goest to possess them, and thou succeedest them, and dwellest in their land; Take heed to thyself that thou be not snared by following them, after that they be destroyed from before thee; and that thou enquire not after their gods, saying, How did these nations serve their gods? even so will I do likewise. Thou shalt not do so unto the LORD thy God: for every abomination to the LORD, which he hateth, have they done unto their gods; Deut. 12:29-31 (Again this is solved by understanding that all the laws of separation are fulfilled in Christ by faith. In the new covenant, God wants our hearts. Salvation is by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone.) 

And ye shall not walk in the manners of the nation, which I cast out before you: for they committed all these things, and therefore I abhorred them. Lev. 20:23 (This is a law of separation. Today we are separated and sanctified IN Christ alone, not by our observances.)





Howbeit then, when ye knew not God, ye did service unto them which by nature are no gods. But now, after that ye have known God, or rather are known of God, how turn ye again to the weak and beggarly elements, whereunto ye desire again to be in bondage? Ye observe days, and months, and times, and years. I am afraid of you, lest I have bestowed upon you labour in vain. Gal. 4:8-11 (.......) 
There shall not be found among you any one that maketh his son or his daughter to pass through the fire, or that useth divination, or an observer of times, or an enchanter, or a witch,… For these nations, which thou shalt possess, hearkened unto observers of times, and unto diviners: but as for thee, the LORD thy God hath not suffered thee so to do. Deut. 18:10,14 Ye shall not eat any thing with the blood: neither shall ye use enchantment, nor observe times. Lev. 19:26




I hate, I despise your feast days, and I will not smell in your solemn assemblies. Amos 5:21 (....)

Stop bringing meaningless offerings! Your incense is detestable to me. New Moons, Sabbaths and convocations—I cannot bear your evil assemblies. Your New Moon festivals and your appointed feasts my soul hates. They have become a burden to me; I am weary of bearing them. Is. 1:13-14 (...)

Consider the people of Israel: Do not those who eat the sacrifices participate in the altar? Do I mean then that food sacrificed to an idol is anything, or that an idol is anything? No, but the sacrifices of pagans are offered to demons, not to God, and I do not want you to be participants with demons. You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons too; you cannot have a part in both the Lord’s table and the table of demons. Are we trying to arouse the Lord’s jealousy? Are we stronger than he? 1 Cor. 10:18-22

One man esteemeth one day above another: another esteemeth every day alike. Let every man be fully persuaded in his own mind. Rom. 14:5 (...)

Can Christians Celebrate Hanukkah?

Hanukkah is also known as the Feast of Dedication, or Feast of Lights. In John 10:22 we see Jesus in the temple during the Feast of Dedication, or Hanukkah. Along with the fact that Jesus was Jewish, I believe this is sufficient evidence to show that Jesus himself celebrated Hanukkah. Hanukkah is never said to be a required celebration for God's people, but we can see that God's people, and even Christ himself, celebrated this feast.

Hanukkah celebrates the cleansing and re dedication of the temple back to God. God preserved the Jewish people from their pagan enemies that persecuted them and sought to destroy the Jewish culture and people. But God had plans to bring forth the Messiah through the Jewish people, and therefore preserved them and conquered their enemies. The new covenant significance of Hanukkah is revealed in the fact that God's temple is no longer a building, but is within our bodies. Satan has sought to destroy the new covenant temple as well, but Christ cleanses our bodies and frees us from sin as we re dedicate our bodies and our lives to God, or back to God. The menorah lights have a new covenant significance in that Jesus is the light of the world and our lights shine when we allow God to live within us and lead our lives. Hanukkah also displays the sovereignty of God in that he always accomplishes his purposes. The miraculous power of God is also featured in Hanukkah in that the candles were allowed to remain lit for 8 days off of 1 days worth of oil. This allowed them enough time to acquire more oil before they ran out and this is also the reason why the Hanukkah celebration lasts for 8 days.