I’ve talked often about the world’s feasts…Christmas, Easter, Halloween, etc. There are plenty of sources out there to help understand their background and origins. And many believers celebrate them because of tradition passed down from previous generations. But what about Yahuah’s feasts? What are they? Are they for us today? And why would we want to keep them?
- We are told to keep these feasts forever, as an everlasting law!
There are many places in the Scriptures that tell us this, particularly in Exodus 12 and Leviticus 23.
“And this day shall become to you a remembrance. And you shall celebrate it as a festival to Yahuah throughout your generations – celebrate it as a festival. AN EVERLASTING LAW.” – Exodus 12:14
This passage is specifically about the Passover and Week of Unleavened Bread. Yahuah is speaking to Moses, giving him instructions about the feast. Several times Yah warns him to guard this feast as a law forever. Later Yahuah speaks to Moses and talks about the entirety of His feasts. These are recorded in Leviticus 23, and at least four times, He says these laws are forever.
- The Messiah is revealed and expressed in these Feasts.
Many of the major events surrounding the Messiah occur precisely on these feast dates. Yahusha (Jesus) was killed on the Passover, buried during Unleavened Bread, and rose on First Fruits. He gave the Set-Apart Spirit on Shavuot (Pentecost). The fall feasts of Yom Teruah (Trumpets), Yom Kippur (Atonement), and Sukkot (Tabernacles) are yet to be fulfilled by the Messiah. But they will be. And the first appointed time mentioned in Leviticus 23 is the weekly Sabbath, which is also a shadow of our Millennial Reign, or last 1,000 years of our future rest.
- We are reminded to do this through examples in the New Testament
What would “Jesus” do? This is a common saying in the evangelical world. Well, He would keep the feasts! This is more than enough motivation for me. Paul kept the feasts also. It would’ve been hypocritical of him to do so if they were not important for all believers.
“I have to keep this coming festival in Jerusalem by all means…” – Acts 18:21
“…for he was hurrying to be at Jerusalem, if possible, on the Day of the Festival of Shavuot.” – Acts 20:16
Paul even tells the gentile nation of Corinth how to keep the Passover.
“So then let us celebrate the festival, not with old leaven, nor with the leaven of evil and wickedness, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.” – 1 Corinthians 5:8
And in one of the most misunderstood and misapplied Scriptures in the entire Bible, Paul tells his gentile converts in Colosse to not let anyone judge them by their new lifestyle of eating and drinking according to the Scriptures, or keeping the Sabbath, or in respect of a festival or new moon (Colossians 2:16). These are not Jewish believers, but rather gentiles who had been eating unclean, celebrating pagan holidays, and not keeping the Sabbath. And those in Colosse would’ve been judging them for not following the pagan customs of that nation. These things (clean eating, feasts, Sabbaths, new moons) are a shadow of the Messiah and only the Body of the Messiah should judge.
[Side note: things that are a shadow of the Messiah are not a bad thing. If you see the shadow, you know that the real is near.]
- Scripture comes alive when you recognize the ongoing importance of the Feasts!
And you also don’t have to create man-made doctrines like Dispensationalism. “Well, those were for the Jews,” is a common saying in mainstream religion. But the Jews (tribe of Judah) were only one tribe. There were 12 tribes is Israel. And the feasts were given to all Israel (see this teaching about Israel)! The feasts did not belong to the Jews, nor to the other tribes. Rather, they are Yahuah’s feasts.
“The appointed times of Yahuah, which you are to proclaim as set-apart gatherings. MY APPOINTED TIMES are these,” – Leviticus 23:2
These appointed times (feasts) are in Scripture for a reason. Yahuah gave them to all mankind to do and to learn from. And when you practice these feasts, you get a better understanding of Scripture and the way that Messiah lived. In fact, you get the full prophetic picture of his first and second comings.
- We will be expected to do the feasts in the Millennial Kingdom.
Scripture tells us that all believers will be observing these feasts during the Millenium.
“And it shall be that from New Moon to New Moon, and from Sabbath to Sabbath, all flesh shall come to worship before me, declares Yahuah.” – Isaiah 66:23
In Zechariah 14:16, Yahuah tells the prophet that all who are left among the nations during this time, if they do not come up from year to year on the festival of Sukkot (Tabernacles), their land will receive no rain. The last chapter of Zechariah is clear and bold concerning this requirement.
So were the feasts required for only one people group? Then postponed during the “gentile dispensation,” only to be re-instated in the Millennium? Remember that Yahuah does not change (Malachi 3:6), and He is consistent throughout Scripture. Even Yahusha promised to keep the Passover with His followers when He returns (Matthew 26:29; Mark 14:25; Luke 22:18, 30).
- These are joyous times!
My family and I look forward to these feasts. They are times of rejoicing according to the Scriptures (Leviticus 23:40). They are times to learn about the Messiah and the true faith. When we celebrate them, we get a better understanding of our Messiah. They provide us the opportunity to walk even as He walked (1 John 2:6). And lastly, they are commanded by the Father to be kept forever.
The feasts are Appointed Times. These are weekly and yearly appointments that we have with the Father. Don’t miss out on them!
FAITH IN MOTION 