Feasts of Lord

We read that Easter and Christmas and more holidays are all from pagan practices. What are the Holy Days that God has ordained for all of us to keep? There is a list of the feast days that Jesus Christ and the Apostles kept. Also, these are the Holy Days the early Christian church and leaders such as Paul, John, Polycarp, and others kept, that followed the teachings of Jesus Christ.

John 1:1-3 states that the Word was God. Read this in your own Bible.

John 1:1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

2 The same was in the beginning with God.

3 All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made.

Then in verse 14, it states that the Word became Flesh. This is who Jesus was before his human birth to Mary.

14 And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.

In John 1:18, we find out that Jesus declared the Father to us.

18 No man hath seen God at any time; the only begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father, he hath declared him.

The next verse is very interesting. These are the words of Jesus Christ. Let’s read in your Bible, John 5:37 “And the Father himself, which hath sent me, hath borne witness of me. Ye have neither heard his voice at any time, nor seen his shape.” Notice, No one has seen or heard the Father. Then who is interacting with the people of the Old Testament? Let’s read John 6:46 “Not that any man hath seen the Father, save he which is of God, he hath seen the Father.” The only one that has seen the Father is the one that became a human, Jesus Christ. So it was Jesus who was the interface with the people of the Old Testament. It was Jesus in Genesis 1:26 that said “And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth. 27 So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them.” We are created in the image, likeness of the God kind, and not an animal kind. That is why we have “dominion over all creation.”

Now, a couple more verses to show the glory that Jesus had before becoming Human. In the REAL Lord’s prayer, that he gave before being taken and crucified in John 17:5 “And now, O Father, glorify thou me with thine own self with the glory which I had with thee before the world was.” And verse John 17:24 “Father, I will that they also, whom thou hast given me, be with me where I am; that they may behold my glory, which thou hast given me: for thou lovedst me before the foundation of the world.”

So now let’s read Leviticus 23 from the New King James. The Lord who spoke to Moses is the one who became Jesus Christ in the New Testament. So let’s see what is recorded here.

Leviticus 23 (New King James Version)

Feasts of the LORD

1 And the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, 2 “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.

Notice, these are the LORD’S feasts. They are not for any single group but to the special group called Mankind. I do believe you are part of that Mankind group if you are reading this article. We will continue to read to see what makes up the feasts of the LORD. Continue in verse 3.

The Sabbath

3 ‘Six days shall work be done, but the seventh day is a Sabbath of solemn rest, a holy convocation. You shall do no work on it; it is the Sabbath of the LORD in all your dwellings.

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary states the following about the Sabbath.

The feasts of the Lord, The Sabbath.

In this chapter we have the institution of holy times; many of which have been mentioned before. Though the yearly feasts were made more remarkable by general attendance at the sanctuary, yet these must not be observed more than the sabbath. On that day they must withdraw from all business of the world. It is a sabbath of rest, typifying spiritual rest from sin, and rest in God. God's sabbaths are to be religiously observed in every private house, by every family apart, as well as by families together, in holy assemblies. The sabbath of the Lord in our dwellings will be their beauty, strength, and safety; it will sanctify, build up, and glorify them. (Le 23:4-14)

The Sabbath is mentioned 55 times in the New Testament. Sunday is not mentioned at all. “The first day of the week” is mentioned 8 times in the New Testament. “Day of the Week” means in the Greek, using Strong’s number of 4521. sabbaton sabbaton sab’-bat-on; of Hebrew origin [07676]; the Sabbath (i.e. Shabbath), or day of weekly repose from secular avocations (also the observance or institution itself); by extension, a se’nnight, i.e. the interval between two Sabbaths; likewise the plural in all the above applications:— sabbath (day), week. The Hebrew, using Strong’s number 07676. tbv shabbath shab-bawth’; intensive from 07673; intermission, i.e. (specifically) the Sabbath:—(+every) sabbath. Greek 4521.

Let’s take a look at the creation week in Genesis 2:1-3.

1 Thus the heavens and the earth were finished, and all the host of them.

2 And on the seventh day God ended his work which he had made; and he rested on the seventh day from all his work which he had made.

3 And God blessed the seventh day, and sanctified it: because that in it he had rested from all his work which God created and made.

Notice that God, Jesus as we saw in John 1, created the Sabbath and SANCTIFIED it. This means he set a special day to worship him and to teach people of his ways. He wants people to follow his teachings, but you have a choice to follow or disobey, doing your own thing.

Adam and Eve did not follow the teachings they received from Jesus in the Garden of Eden. They obeyed Satan and followed his instructions instead of following the instruction from God. We find the following in Genesis 26:5 “Because that Abraham obeyed my voice, and kept my charge, my commandments, my statutes, and my laws.” Abraham obeyed the teachings he received from Jesus and kept his commandments. Jesus repeated them again to the Israelites from the Mount Sinai after He brought them out of Egypt. Please turn to Exodus 20 and read the following in your own Bibles.

1 And God spake all these words, saying,

I.

2 I am the LORD thy God, which have brought thee out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage.

3 Thou shalt have no other gods before me.

II.

4 Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth:

5 Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them: for I the LORD thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me;

6 And shewing mercy unto thousands of them that love me, and keep my commandments.

III.

7 Thou shalt not take the name of the LORD thy God in vain; for the LORD will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain.

IV.

8 Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy.

9 Six days shalt thou labour, and do all thy work:

10 But the seventh day is the sabbath of the LORD thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates:

11 For in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day: wherefore the LORD blessed the sabbath day, and hallowed it.

V.

12 Honour thy father and thy mother: that thy days may be long upon the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee.

VI.

13 Thou shalt not kill. (Notice the word kill means 07523. xur ratsach raw-tsakh’; a primitive root; properly, to dash in pieces, i.e. kill (a human being), especially to murder:— put to death, kill, (man-)slay(-er), murder(-er). So it means premeditated killing.)

VII.

14 Thou shalt not commit adultery.

VIII.

15 Thou shalt not steal.

IX.

16 Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbour.

X.

17 Thou shalt not covet thy neighbour’s house, thou shalt not covet thy neighbour’s wife, nor his manservant, nor his maidservant, nor his ox, nor his ass, nor any thing that is thy neighbour’s.

The forth commandment is to keep the Sabbath. There is NO change through out the Bible to Sunday. God did not authorize any change.

Now let’s continue in Leviticus 23 with verse 4.

The Passover and Unleavened Bread

4 ‘These are the feasts of the LORD, holy convocations which you shall proclaim at their appointed times. 5 On the fourteenth day of the first month at twilight is the LORD’s Passover. 6 And on the fifteenth day of the same month is the Feast of Unleavened Bread to the LORD; seven days you must eat unleavened bread. 7 On the first day you shall have a holy convocation; you shall do no customary work on it. 8 But you shall offer an offering made by fire to the LORD for seven days. The seventh day shall be a holy convocation; you shall do no customary work on it.’”

Passover is mentioned 71 times in the Bible. Passover is 45 times in the Old Testament and 26 times in the New Testament. Read for yourself Exodus 12 for the story of the Passover. It is best to read chapters 11 thru 13.

The next day that is mentioned is not a holy day, but it is important, because you must start a count of seven weeks plus one day or better known as 50 days. The count is started on the first Sunday or first day of the week after Passover. This is why Jesus rose after Sabbath, then went to the Father and back on the First day of the Week. He went to be accepted as the wave sheaf to the Father. Jesus told Mary Magdalene not to touch him in John 20:17 “Jesus saith unto her, Touch me not; for I am not yet ascended to my Father: but go to my brethren, and say unto them, I ascend unto my Father, and your Father; and to my God, and your God.”

The Feast of Firstfruits

9 And the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, 10 “Speak to the children of Israel, and say to them: ‘When you come into the land which I give to you, and reap its harvest, then you shall bring a sheaf of the firstfruits of your harvest to the priest. 11 He shall wave the sheaf before the LORD, to be accepted on your behalf; on the day after the Sabbath the priest shall wave it. 12 And you shall offer on that day, when you wave the sheaf, a male lamb of the first year, without blemish, as a burnt offering to the LORD. 13 Its grain offering shall be two-tenths of an ephah of fine flour mixed with oil, an offering made by fire to the LORD, for a sweet aroma; and its drink offering shall be of wine, one-fourth of a hin. 14 You shall eat neither bread nor parched grain nor fresh grain until the same day that you have brought an offering to your God; it shall be a statute forever throughout your generations in all your dwellings.

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary makes the following comments on The Passover, The offering of first-fruits.

The feast of the Passover was to continue seven days; not idle days, spent in sport, as many that are called Christians spend their holy-days. Offerings were made to the Lord at his altar; and the people were taught to employ their time in prayer, and praise, and godly meditation. The sheaf of first-fruits was typical of the Lord Jesus, who is risen from the dead as the First-fruits of them that slept. Our Lord Jesus rose from the dead on the very day that the first-fruits were offered. We are taught by this law to honour the Lord with our substance, and with the first-fruits of all our increase, Pr 3:9. They were not to eat of their new corn, till God's part was offered to him out of it; and we must always begin with God: begin every day with him, begin every meal with him, begin every affair and business with him; seek first the kingdom of God. (Le 23:15-22)

Let’s read the next section about the Feast of Weeks. This is also known as Pentecost, to count 50. Read Leviticus 23:15-22.

The Feast of Weeks

15 ‘And you shall count for yourselves from the day after the Sabbath, from the day that you brought the sheaf of the wave offering: seven Sabbaths shall be completed. 16 Count fifty days to the day after the seventh Sabbath; then you shall offer a new grain offering to the LORD. 17 You shall bring from your dwellings two wave loaves of two-tenths of an ephah. They shall be of fine flour; they shall be baked with leaven. They are the firstfruits to the LORD. 18 And you shall offer with the bread seven lambs of the first year, without blemish, one young bull, and two rams. They shall be as a burnt offering to the LORD, with their grain offering and their drink offerings, an offering made by fire for a sweet aroma to the LORD. 19 Then you shall sacrifice one kid of the goats as a sin offering, and two male lambs of the first year as a sacrifice of a peace offering. 20 The priest shall wave them with the bread of the firstfruits as a wave offering before the LORD, with the two lambs. They shall be holy to the LORD for the priest. 21 And you shall proclaim on the same day that it is a holy convocation to you. You shall do no customary work on it. It shall be a statute forever in all your dwellings throughout your generations.
22 ‘When you reap the harvest of your land, you shall not wholly reap the corners of your field when you reap, nor shall you gather any gleaning from your harvest. You shall leave them for the poor and for the stranger: I am the LORD your God.’”

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on The feast of Pentecost.

The feast of Weeks was held in remembrance of the giving of the law, fifty days after the departure from Egypt; and looked forward to the outpouring of the Holy Ghost, fifty days after Christ our Passover was sacrificed for us. On that day the apostles presented the first-fruits of the Christian church to God. To the institution of the feast of Pentecost, is added a repetition of that law, by which they were required to leave the gleanings of their fields. Those who are truly sensible of the mercy they received from God, will show mercy to the poor without grudging. (Le 23:23-32)

Acts 2, Luke writes about the day of Pentecost and the giving of the Holy Spirit upon the Disciples of Christ. They all were staying in Jerusalem until this day. This is the beginning of the Christian Church of God in this era in 31AD.

The next feast mentioned in Leviticus 23 is called Trumpets.

The Feast of Trumpets

23 Then the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, 24 “Speak to the children of Israel, saying: ‘In the seventh month, on the first day of the month, you shall have a sabbath-rest, a memorial of blowing of trumpets, a holy convocation. 25 You shall do no customary work on it; and you shall offer an offering made by fire to the LORD.’”

This day pictures the return of Jesus Christ as it is talked about in Revelation. The trumpet is used also as a warning or call to gather. There are 104 times that trumpet is mentioned in the Bible. Here is the list of trumpet in Revelation.

Revelation 1:10 I was in the Spirit on the Lord’s day, and heard behind me a great voice, as of a trumpet,

Revelation 4:1 After this I looked, and, behold, a door was opened in heaven: and the first voice which I heard was as it were of a trumpet talking with me; which said, Come up hither, and I will shew thee things which must be hereafter.

The seven last trumpets of Revelation. When the last Trumpet sounds, Jesus returns with his army of saints and will set up the Kingdom of God here on earth. Jesus will be King of Kings, Lord of Lords. The whole world will be governed by God’s saints.

Revelation 8:2 And I saw the seven angels which stood before God; and to them were given seven trumpets.

Revelation 8:6 And the seven angels which had the seven trumpets prepared themselves to sound.

Revelation 8:13 And I beheld, and heard an angel flying through the midst of heaven, saying with a loud voice, Woe, woe, woe, to the inhabiters of the earth by reason of the other voices of the trumpet of the three angels, which are yet to sound!

Revelation 9:14 Saying to the sixth angel which had the trumpet, Loose the four angels which are bound in the great river Euphrates.

Now let’s look at the next Feast of the Lord.

The Day of Atonement

26 And the LORD spoke to Moses, saying: 27 “Also the tenth day of this seventh month shall be the Day of Atonement. It shall be a holy convocation for you; you shall afflict your souls, and offer an offering made by fire to the LORD. 28 And you shall do no work on that same day, for it is the Day of Atonement, to make atonement for you before the LORD your God. 29 For any person who is not afflicted in soul on that same day shall be cut off from his people. 30 And any person who does any work on that same day, that person I will destroy from among his people. 31 You shall do no manner of work; it shall be a statute forever throughout your generations in all your dwellings. 32 It shall be to you a sabbath of solemn rest, and you shall afflict your souls; on the ninth day of the month at evening, from evening to evening, you shall celebrate your sabbath.”

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on The feast of Trumpets, The day of atonement.

The blowing of trumpets represented the preaching of the gospel, by which men are called to repent of sin, and to accept the salvation of Christ, which was signified by the day of atonement. Also it invited to rejoice in God, and become strangers and pilgrims on earth, which was denoted by the feast of Tabernacles, observed in the same month. At the beginning of the year, they were called by this sound of trumpet to shake off spiritual drowsiness, to search and try their ways, and to amend them.

The day of atonement was the ninth day after this; thus they were awakened to prepare for that day, by sincere and serious repentance, that it might indeed be to them a day of atonement. The humbling of our souls for sin, and the making our peace with God, is work that requires the whole man, and the closest application of mind. On that day God spake peace to his people, and to his saints; therefore they must lay aside all their wordly business, that they might the more clearly hear that voice of joy and gladness. (Le 23:33-44)

The last set of Holy Days is next. This is the vacation time for the whole family. This feast is why there was no room in Jerusalem at the time of Jesus human birth to Mary. The people were gathering for this feast.

Zechariah speaks of this feast during the millennium. Let’s read it in your Bible in Zechariah 14:16.

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.

20 In that day shall there be upon the bells of the horses, HOLINESS UNTO THE LORD; and the pots in the LORD’S house shall be like the bowls before the altar.

21 Yea, every pot in Jerusalem and in Judah shall be holiness unto the LORD of hosts: and all they that sacrifice shall come and take of them, and seethe therein: and in that day there shall be no more the Canaanite in the house of the LORD of hosts.

Ok, please turn to Leviticus 23 and verse 33 and read about this time that all will be keeping this feast or have no rain.

The Feast of Tabernacles

33 Then the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, 34 “Speak to the children of Israel, saying: ‘The fifteenth day of this seventh month shall be the Feast of Tabernacles for seven days to the LORD. 35 On the first day there shall be a holy convocation. You shall do no customary work on it. 36 For seven days you shall offer an offering made by fire to the LORD…

Now the last Holy Day of the Lord that we must keep is the eighth day of the feast of Tabernacles or as it is called in John 7:37 “In the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried, saying, If any man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink.” This is a very important day in that it represents the last stage of God’s plan for mankind. This possibly will be 100 years when all of mankind from the return of Jesus back to Adam, will have the opportunity to learn the purpose of mankind. That is to build righteous character so that God can allow mankind to be in His family for eternity. Please continue to read in verse 36.

…On the eighth day you shall have a holy convocation, and you shall offer an offering made by fire to the LORD. It is a sacred assembly, and you shall do no customary work on it.
37 ‘These are the feasts of the LORD which you shall proclaim to be holy convocations, to offer an offering made by fire to the LORD, a burnt offering and a grain offering, a sacrifice and drink offerings, everything on its day— 38 besides the Sabbaths of the LORD, besides your gifts, besides all your vows, and besides all your freewill offerings which you give to the LORD.
39 ‘Also on the fifteenth day of the seventh month, when you have gathered in the fruit of the land, you shall keep the feast of the LORD for seven days; on the first day there shall be a sabbath-rest, and on the eighth day a sabbath-rest. 40 And you shall take for yourselves on the first day the fruit of beautiful trees, branches of palm trees, the boughs of leafy trees, and willows of the brook; and you shall rejoice before the LORD your God for seven days. 41 You shall keep it as a feast to the LORD for seven days in the year. It shall be a statute forever in your generations. You shall celebrate it in the seventh month. 42 You shall dwell in booths for seven days. All who are native Israelites shall dwell in booths, 43 that your generations may know that I made the children of Israel dwell in booths when I brought them out of the land of Egypt: I am the LORD your God.’”
44 So Moses declared to the children of Israel the feasts of the LORD.

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on The feast of Tabernacles.

In the feast of Tabernacles there was a remembrance of their dwelling in tents, or booths, in the wilderness, as well as their fathers dwelling in tents in Canaan; to remind them of their origin and their deliverance. Christ's tabernacling on earth in human nature, might also be prefigured. And it represents the believer's life on earth: a stranger and pilgrim here below, his home and heart are above with his Saviour. They would the more value the comforts and conveniences of their own houses, when they had been seven days dwelling in the booths. It is good for those who have ease and plenty, sometimes to learn what it is to endure hardness. The joy of harvest ought to be improved for the furtherance of our joy in God. The earth is the Lord's, and the fullness thereof; therefore whatever we have the comfort of, he must have the glory of, especially when any mercy is perfected. God appointed these feasts, to Beside the sabbaths and your free-will offerings. to Calls to extraordinary services will not excuse from constant and stated ones.

Now you have a choice to make! Are you willing to obey the teachings of Jesus or are you going to follow the teachings of man. Please choose to obey Jesus and be a true Christian.

Here is more information on the calendar for the Holy Days of God. By the way, the Jewish religion does keep these days but they add extra days to each set of Holy Days except Atonement. Why not make Atonement two days also? God only requires you to keep what he has declared in Leviticus 23.

Holy Day Calendar

Read more about God's Holy Days!

Choose A Year: | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 | 2011

* Begins evening before
++ Observed evening before

Roman Year : 2008 Date Passover *++ April 19 Days of Unleavened Bread * April 20-26 Pentecost* June 8 Feast of Trumpets* September 30 Day of Atonement* October 9 Feast of Tabernacles* October 14-20 Last Great Day* October 21

Roman Year : 2009 Date Passover *++ April 8 Days of Unleavened Bread * April 9-15 Pentecost* May 31 Feast of Trumpets* September 19 Day of Atonement* September 28 Feast of Tabernacles* October 3-9 Last Great Day* October 10

Roman Year : 2010 Date Passover *++ March 29 Days of Unleavened Bread * March 30-April 5 Pentecost* May 23 Feast of Trumpets* September 9 Day of Atonement* September 18 Feast of Tabernacles* September 23-29 Last Great Day* September 30

Roman Year : 2011 Date Passover *++ April 18 Days of Unleavened Bread * April 19 - 25 Pentecost* June 12 Feast of Trumpets* September 29 Day of Atonement* October 8 Feast of Tabernacles* October 13-19 Last Great Day* October 20

You can get more information about these Holy Days of God from the following links.

God's Holy Day Plan

The seven annual Holy Days are annual Sabbaths. They are holy convocations, or commanded assemblies, of God's people. These days are holy because they are sanctified (set apart) by God. He commands His people to assemble for worship and to learn about Him and His plan. His command goes further than worship only; it includes fellowshipping and rejoicing together (Leviticus 23:1-4; Deuteronomy 14:23-26; Nehemiah 8:1-12).

The New Testament record shows the continuity of observance of these days by Jesus Christ and the Church. Jesus observed these festivals, and we as His followers are told to walk as He walked (John 7:8-14; 1 John 2:6). The New Testament Church began on an annual festival—the Day of Pentecost (Acts 2:1-4). The apostles and disciples of the early Church continued to observe these festivals long after Jesus' death and resurrection (Acts 18:21; 20:16; 27:9; 1 Corinthians 5:8). Paul upholds their observance and presents them as continuing "shadows" or outlines of the great events in God's plan of salvation that are yet to be fulfilled (Colossians 2:16-17). He also instructed the congregation in Corinth, "Let us keep the feast" (1 Corinthians 5:8).

Through the observance of these feasts, God's people focus on and are reminded throughout the year of the work of Jesus the Messiah. It is through preaching the gospel of the Kingdom of God and the divine calling to a new way of life (John 6:44) that we see the building up of the Church as the family of God. Through Christ as our focal point, we begin to understand the special meaning behind the annual feasts.

During the course of the seven annual festivals are seven Holy Days, which are annual Sabbaths. These Holy Days are the first and last days of Unleavened Bread, the Feast of Pentecost, the Feast of Trumpets, the Day of Atonement, the first day of the Feast of Tabernacles and the Last Great Day. Although the Passover is a festival, it is not an annual Sabbath.

The plan of salvation as revealed in the Holy Scriptures is pictured in the meaning of these seven annual festivals.

The Passover teaches us that Jesus Christ was sinless and, as the true Lamb of God, gave His life so that the sins of humanity could be forgiven and the death penalty removed (1 Corinthians 5:7; 1 Peter 1:18-20; Romans 3:25). Passover, although not observed as a Holy Day, is the first festival of the year.

The Feast of Unleavened Bread teaches us that we have been called to reject lawlessness and repent of sin. We are to live by every word of God and according to the teachings of Jesus Christ (1 Corinthians 5:8; Matthew 4:4). During this festival, leaven symbolizes sin and, as such, is removed from our homes for the seven days of the festival (1 Corinthians 5:7-8; Exodus 12:19). By eating unleavened bread we picture living a life of sincerity and truth, free from sin.

The Feast of Pentecost, or firstfruits, teaches us that Jesus Christ came to build His Church. This festival pictures the coming of the Holy Spirit and the establishment of the Church. The firstfruits are those who will be given salvation at the return of Christ. They have been empowered with the Holy Spirit, which creates in each one a new heart and nature to live by the commandments of God (Exodus 23:16; Acts 2:1-4, 37-39; 5:32; James 1:18).

The Feast of Trumpets teaches us that Jesus Christ will visibly return to the earth at the end of this age. At that time He will resurrect the saints who are no longer living and instantly change those saints who are still alive to immortal spirit beings (Matthew 24:31; 1 Corinthians 15:52-53; 1 Thessalonians 4:13-17). This festival commemorates the blowing of the trumpets that will precede His return. Seven angels with seven trumpets are described in Revelation 8-10. Christ will return with the blowing of the seventh trumpet (Revelation 11:15).

The Day of Atonement teaches us that Jesus Christ gave His life to atone for the sins of all mankind. It also points to the time when Satan will be bound for 1,000 years (Leviticus 16:29-30, 20-22; Revelation 20:1-3). This Holy Day pictures our High Priest, Jesus Christ, making atonement for our sins, which allows us to be reconciled to God and enter into the "holiest of all" (Hebrews 9:8-14; 10:19-20). By fasting on this day, we draw closer to God and picture the reconciliation of mankind to God. Christ is essential in this process as our High Priest (Hebrews 4:14-15; 5:4-5, 10) and as our eternal sacrifice for sin (Hebrews 9:26-28).

The Feast of Tabernacles teaches us that when Jesus Christ returns, a new society will be established with Christ as King of Kings and Lord of Lords. Christ, assisted by the resurrected saints, will set up His government on the earth for 1,000 years (Revelation 19:11-16; 20:4; Leviticus 23:39-43; Matthew 17:1-4; Hebrews 11:8-9). Rule under His laws will spread from Jerusalem throughout the world to usher in an unprecedented period of peace and prosperity (Isaiah 2:2-4; Daniel 2:35, 44; 7:13-14).

The Last Great Day, or eighth day, teaches us that Jesus Christ will complete His harvest of humans by raising from the dead and extending salvation to all human beings who have died in the past and have never been given a full opportunity for salvation (Ezekiel 37:1-14; Romans 11:25-27; Luke 11:31-32; Revelation 20:11-13).

The annual cycle of the celebration of the festivals and Holy Days reminds Christ's disciples that He is working out His plan of extending salvation from sin and death and offering the gift of eternal life in the family of God to all humanity—past, present and future.

For more details, request or read online God's Holy Day Plan: The Promise of Hope for All Mankind.

These Holy Days are observed by United Church of God congregations around the world. To see if there is a United Church of God congregation in your area, please visit the United States or international congregation listing Webpages.

Further Reading...

Are God's Holy Days Relevant Today?

Are the Biblical Holy Days Christian Festivals?

The Biblical Festivals That Reveal Christ's Role in God's Plan

The Biblical Festivals That Show How God Will Bring World Peace

Should You Keep the Festivals Jesus Observed?

God's Harvest Feasts: His Assurance of Hope for Mankind

God's Festivals: Keys to Humanity's Future

The Passover Season: the Death and Life of Jesus Christ

How Should Christians Celebrate the Passover?

Preparing for Passover: A Seasonal and Yearlong Process

Passover and Unleavened Bread...True Freedom: A Passover Season Lesson

Passover and The Feast of Unleavened Bread Means a Transformation

What Does the Feast of Unleavened Bread Mean for Christians?

Q&A: Looking for Leavening

The Beautiful Process of Becoming a Saint

The Feast of Pentecost: The Firstfruits of God's Harvest

The Lesson of the Feast of Firstfruits

Pentecost Speaks to the "Heart" of Being Firstfruits

The Biblical Feast of Trumpets: Foretelling 'the Day of the Lord'

The Azazel Goat and Atonement

The Feast of Prosperity

The Feast of Tabernacles: Jesus Christ Reigns Over All the Earth

Knowing God for the First Time

Holidays or Holy Days: Does It Matter Which Days We Observe?

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