God has given us seven annual festivals symbolizing the work of God, the Father, and Jesus Christ in saving humanity. These annual “feasts of the Lord,” together with God’s Weekly Sabbath Day are listed in Leviticus 23, directing us to the stages of God’s plan of salvation for humanity and Christ’s pivotal role.
Much of Christianity remains oblivious to these seven holy days deeming them irrelevant, but the Bible teaches we are required to observe them, without which the knowledge of God’s master plan and our part in it is lost.
Passover
The annual Passover is the precursor to the seven festivals, directing us to the essential role Christ plays in salvation. The Passover pictures the beginning of God’s plan of redemption.—the washing away of our sins by the blood of Christ. Christ took our sins upon himself on the day of the Passover. God “made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us” (2 Corinthians 5:21).
Christians are commanded to observe the annual Passover in remembrance of Christ’s sacrifice (1 Corinthians 11:25-26). Prior to taking part in the annual Passover, we are instructed to review our spiritual progress (1 Corinthians 11:28-29; 2 Corinthians 13:5),and recommit to the covenant we made with our Heavenly Father at baptism.
Feast of Unleavened Bread
The first two of the annual Holy Days are observed at the beginning and end of the seven-day Feast of Unleavened Bread, which immediately follows the Passover observance (Leviticus 23:5-8). Historically, this festival commemorated the Israelites’ departure from Egypt and its godless ways. For a Christian living under the New Covenant, these days remind us we must leave our sinful ways and strive to overcome sin.
During this festival Jesus Christ rose from the dead, after three days and nights in the grave (1 Corinthians 15:3-4). This is key to our salvation, because without a risen Savior we would still be in our sins without hope (verses14 and 17). For this one-week period we are instructed to avoid leavening, which represents “malice and wickedness” or, in other words, sin (1 Corinthians 5:8). We are to eat unleavened bread (Exodus 12:14-20), reminding us of our need to put sin out of our lives and to live in sincerity and truth.
The Days of Unleavened Bread also picture the work of the risen Christ symbolized by the fulfillment of the firstfruits grain offering offered during this festival (Leviticus 23:9-14; 1 Corinthians 15:20-23). During the Days of Unleavened Bread Jesus ascended to the throne of God to be accepted as the beginning of God’s spiritual harvest of humanity, and began a new role as High Priest making intercession for us (Hebrews 9:12, 24-25).
Pentecost
In order to avoid sin and live by God’s standards we need the help of His Holy Spirit (2 Timothy 1:6-7). The third of the “Feasts of the Lord,” Pentecost, focusses on the spiritual transformation God’s Holy Spirit makes in the life of a repentant Christian.
Although God’s Holy Spirit was occasionally dispensed in the Old Testament, it was poured out onto the New Testament Church on the Day of Pentecost (Acts 2:38-39), fulfilling God’s promise to give His Holy Spirit “to those who obey Him” (Acts 5:32). Jesus was the firstfruits of God’s spiritual harvest of mankind, and His followers in this age are also considered firstfruits (Romans 8:23; James 1:18).
Feast Of Trumpets
The next annual Holy Day is the Feast of Trumpets, looking forward to the time when God will intervene in world affairs to save mankind (Matthew 24:21-22), establishing a 1000-year-long rule on earth, referred to in the Bible as the Millennium.
The book of Revelation tells us seven trumpets will be sounded to announce end-time events, with the seventh and last trumpet (Revelation 11:15) announcing the return of Jesus Christ to the earth to establish His Kingdom. Jesus said His chosen people will be gathered at the “great sound of a trumpet” (Matthew 24:31). At this time faithful followers of God, referred to as the “elect of God,” or “firstfruits” (Luke 18:7; Romans 8:33; Colossians 3:12; Revelation 14:4) will either be raised from the dead, or if still alive changed into spirit beings (1 Corinthians 15:51-52) to reign with Christ (Daniel 7:18-22; Zechariah 14:8-9; Matthew 19:28).
Day Of Atonement
In this age, most of humanity is not responsible for properly acknowledging and worshiping God, because the world is deceived, blinded by Satan (2 Corinthians 4:4). On the next Holy Day, the Day of Atonement, which is called “a sabbath of solemn rest” (Leviticus 23:26-32), we are to fast by going without food and drink for 24 hours.
The Day of Atonement is also mentioned in the New Testament in Acts 27:9, where it is called “the Fast,” as marginal notes in many Bibles today affirm. It was familiar to New Testament Christians as a day they still observed with fasting.
The fast of the Day of Atonement signifies Satan’s capacity to deceive will cease for 1000 years, during the Millennium (Revelation 20:1-3). Then, after one last rebellion, he will be removed forever (verse 10) and, without his deceptive influence, humanity will be more receptive to being taught God’s ways.
The Feast Of Tabernacles
The next annual festival, the seven-day Feast of Tabernacles (Leviticus 23:33-36), also referred to as the Feast of Ingathering (Exodus 23:16), with the first day observed as a Holy Day, was celebrated by the ancient Israelites with makeshift shelters, recalling their transitory dwelling when they left Egypt and made their way to the Promised Land.
This festival symbolizes the great ingathering of God’s spiritual harvest of mankind following Christ’s return, and looks forward to the time of the earthly rule of Jesus Christ. Scripture tells us that the resurrected saints will reign with Christ: “And I saw thrones, and they sat on them, and judgment was committed to them….And they lived and reigned with Christ for a thousand years” (Revelation 20:4) (See also Daniel 7:27). The wonderful truth is that when Christ returns, true Christians from this age will rule under Him as kings and priests (Revelation 5:10 and 20:6)—leading the rest of the world into God’s ways.
Jesus observed the Feast of Tabernacles during His ministry and instructed others to do so as well (John 7:8-14). The Bible also tells us the Feast of Tabernacles will also be observed by the gentile (non-Israelite) nations during Christ’s reign (Zechariah 14:9,16-18). It’s a time to evaluate the depth of our biblical understanding and how we implement it in our lives, bearing in mind we need to be able to teach its principles to others in the future.
The Eighth Day
The Eighth Day is the final Holy Day, immediately following the seven-day Feast of Tabernacles (Leviticus 23:39) and pictures the most joyful of all events yet to take place in God’s great plan. It looks forward to the resurrection to physical life of “the rest of the dead” who have never really known God the Father and His Son (Revelation 20:4-5, Ezekiel 37:1-14).
God wants to offer everyone an opportunity for salvation (2 Peter 3:9), and desires to see us all as members in His divine family. Those who died without the true knowledge of God’s plan of salvation, will be resurrected to physical life and given their first opportunity to really understand God’s plan and follow His way of life.
Revelation 20:11-15 speaks of this time to come 1,000 years after the “first resurrection” (Revelation 20:6) when “the rest of the dead” will, in a second resurrection. be restored to life (Revelation 20:5). Ezekiel 37:1-14 describes the same period when those who seemed doomed with all hope lost (verse 11) will be raised to life again. God will offer to them His Holy Spirit (verse 14) and give them the opportunity to really know for the first time just who the true God is (verse13).
God, in His great wisdom, has a plan to offer everyone who has ever lived an opportunity to inherit eternal life. He is calling some to repentance now, and the rest He will call during the millennial reign of Christ and the second resurrection period that follows.
