God's holy days reveal God's plan for the redemption and salvation of his people. Pagan Holidays: Christmas, Easter, & More - now let's take a look at today's holidays and see why God does not want us to partake in these worldly celebrations. Hanukkah - Jesus kept this memorial celebration. Should we celebrate this day as a substitute for Christmas? 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 Once we study and have a deeper understanding of God's holy days and their significance, it becomes clear that God would never want these days to fall into disuse. But Satan has much to gain by deceiving God's people into rejecting these days and accepting his counterfeit holidays in its place. 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. Let's learn more about God's holy days and see what we've been missing out on. 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 (The million dollar question here is: Were the Colossian people judging these new converts FOR NOT observing these things or FOR observing these things? Generally people judge others and look down on them because they are different. If the new converts were observing the same things that the Colossian people were observing, then the Colossian people wouldn't be judging them. So the answer comes when we know who the Colossian people were and what they observed. The Colossian people were pagans. They would have no reason to judge these new converts FOR NOT observing these things, because they didn't observe them either. Therefore, Paul was teaching the 1st century church to observe God's holy feast days, the new moons, and sabbath days. It says that these days are a shadow of things to come, that means the future. So these observances do have relevance after the cross because their fulfillments are still in the future. Also notice that the word "is" in verse 17 is in italics. That means that the translators added the word for clarification purposes. But the verse is actually only clear and true without the added word. It should read "but the body of Christ." So let know man judge you for observing these new things, except for the body of Christ. Also, the fact that these things are STILL "a shadow of things to come" shows that these things are still very much relevant with future fulfillments yet to come. It's amazing how this verse gets turned on its head by the vast majority of Christians and is used to teach the exact opposite of what it actually says when viewed in context.) 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 (This verse is also used to teach the very opposite of what it says. People use this verse to teach against the observance of God's holy feast days. But the Galatian people were pagans. Paul is warning them to not return to their pagan practices. Paul would not call God holy days "weak" and "beggarly" because Paul himself observed these days. If anything, these "days, months, times, and years" would much more appropriately be applied to christianized pagan holidays such as Christmas, Easter, New Year, Halloween, etc.) Passover/Unleavened Bread While they were eating, Jesus took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and gave it to his disciples, saying, “Take and eat; this is my body.” Then he took a cup, and when he had given thanks, he gave it to them, saying, “Drink from it, all of you. This is my blood of the new covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins. I tell you, I will not drink from this fruit of the vine from now on until that day when I drink it new with you in my Father’s kingdom.” Matt. 26:26-29 (Jesus clearly says this is the Passover. Jesus clearly says the passover cup is the blood of the new covenant. And if Jesus is going to drink of the Passover communion cup again when he returns in his Father's kingdom, why would we stop keeping it today. When Jesus drinks the cup again it will be at the wedding feast with his bride, the church. Partaking of the cup today is our acceptance of the new covenant and our betrothal to Jesus the bridegroom. The meaning and significance of the Passover feast for past, present, and future is too meaningful and too significant to do away with.) And he said to them, “I have eagerly desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer. For I tell you, I will not eat it again until it finds fulfillment in the kingdom of God.” After taking the cup, he gave thanks and said, “Take this and divide it among you. For I tell you I will not drink again from the fruit of the vine until the kingdom of God comes.” And he took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to them, saying, “This is my body given for you; do this in remembrance of me.” In the same way, after the supper he took the cup, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood, which is poured out for you. Luke 22:15-20 (Again all the same as the Matthew account. But here Jesus says, "do THIS in remembrance of me." "This" means continuing to celebrate the Passover feast, but now with the new covenant symbols. You can not separate the Lord's Supper, or communion, from the Passover celebration as most Christian churches do. You can not have one without the other. The blood of the new covenant being Christ's blood is the antitype and fulfillment of the blood of the lamb on the door posts of the Israelites on Passover. Passover was always a memorial event looking BACK to the Israelite's exodus. Today it is still a memorial looking back to Jesus as the fulfillment of the new covenant. But to remove communion from its association with Passover abolishes the fulfillment of Christ's shed blood. It no longer had a type or shadow that it fulfills.) For I received from the Lord what I also passed on to you: The Lord Jesus, on the night he was betrayed, took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and said, “This is my body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of me.” In the same way, after supper he took the cup, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood; do this, whenever you drink it, in remembrance of me.” For whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes. 1 Cor. 11:23-26 (Jesus commands us to continue to keep the Passover in remembrance of him as a memorial of his death. And if he commands us to continue to keep one of the feasts, we should keep the rest as well. The fall feasts have yet to be fulfilled. But also don't forget, as much as the Passover has been fulfilled by Jesus, it hasn't been fulfilled completely. The death angel has yet to come. And when he does, those that have Christ's blood shed for them will be passed over and they will live and be married at the marriage supper. In Luke 22, Jesus tells us that the Passover won't find its complete fulfillment until the kingdom of God.) Every year Jesus’ parents went to Jerusalem for the Festival of the Passover. When he was twelve years old, they went up to the festival, according to the custom. Luke 2:41-42 (It has been established that Jesus kept the Passover every year as a custom. This is important when it comes to understanding the verses of following him and his example.) And we sailed away from Philippi after the days of unleavened bread. Acts 20:6 (It will also be established that Paul kept all the feasts. And this too is important when it comes to following Paul's example to the gentiles as he followed the example given by Jesus.) I am the bread of life. Your ancestors ate the manna in the wilderness, yet they died. But here is the bread that comes down from heaven, which anyone may eat and not die. I am the living bread that came down from heaven. Whoever eats this bread will live forever. This bread is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world.” Then the Jews began to argue sharply among themselves, “How can this man give us his flesh to eat?” Jesus said to them, “Very truly I tell you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you.Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise them up at the last day. For my flesh is real food and my blood is real drink. Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me, and I in them. Just as the living Father sent me and I live because of the Father, so the one who feeds on me will live because of me. This is the bread that came down from heaven. Your ancestors ate manna and died, but whoever feeds on this bread will live forever.” John 6:48-58 (These verses reveal the importance of the communion in the Passover feast. We must make sure to honor Jesus by following his example just as he did it.) 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 (The apostle Paul tells the gentile Corinthians to keep the feast of Passover and Unleavened Bread. If that's not an endorsement for the feasts still being for new covenant Christian's then I don't know what is. Some claim this is an allegory. The feast itself is never what is allegorized. It is the unleavened bread within the feast that is being allegorized. The unleavened bread was always a symbolic type whether before or after the cross. Either way we must keep the festival of Passover and Unleavened Bread.) 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?) But bade them farewell, saying, I must by all means keep this feast that cometh in Jerusalem: but I will return again unto you, if God will. And he sailed from Ephesus. Acts 18:21 (Paul not only kept Pentecost, this appears to still be quite important to him a quarter century after Christ's death.) For Paul had determined to sail by Ephesus, because he would not spend the time in Asia: for he hasted, if it were possible for him, to be at Jerusalem the day of Pentecost. Acts 20:16 (Paul seems to have a sense of urgency in keeping the feast of Pentecost, which shows how important it was to him.) But I will tarry at Ephesus until Pentecost. 1 Cor. 16:8 (Paul kept the feast of Pentecost.) Atonement/Tabernacles Now when much time was spent, and when sailing was now dangerous, because the fast was now already past, Paul admonished them. Acts 27:9 (Paul observed "the fast" for the Day of Atonement.) Following The Examples of Jesus and Paul He that saith he abideth in him ought himself also so to walk, even as he walked. 1 John 2:6 (Jesus was our perfect example, and he observed all the feasts as his custom every year.) 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.) 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.) |
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