“The LORD said to Moses, ‘Give the following instructions to the people of Israel. These are the LORD’s appointed festivals, which you are to proclaim as official days for holy assembly.’”

Leviticus 23:1–2 (NLT)

Holidays are special times. I remember many holidays spent with family, which are some of my most treasured memories. But holidays among the Jews carried a deeper meaning than many of the holidays we celebrate in America. They literally were holy days. They were called “feasts”, but the Hebrew word means “appointed times”. Usually these were holy assemblies when the people would gather to worship God by presenting offerings. Three times during the year the men were required to come together to commemorate these holy days.

Each week they set apart the seventh day as the Sabbath, a time of complete rest when they would do no regular work. While we are not under this law in the New Testament, we certainly need rest, and resting one day out of seven is healthy physically, mentally and spiritually. Jesus said that God made the Sabbath for man (Mark 2:27). I think about this as I enjoy my day off!

In early spring they celebrated the feasts of Passover, Unleavened Bread, and Firstfruits. In summer it was Pentecost. Then in the fall they celebrated the Feast of Trumpets, Day of Atonement and Tabernacles. Some feasts looked back to commemorate a significant event (for example Passover was a memorial of the Exodus). Other feasts celebrated something that was happening in the present or near future. (Pentecost celebrated the first harvest and anticipated a greater harvest to come.) But all of the feasts pointed to Christ, who fulfilled them all (Colossians 2:16-17).

Each feast has a spiritual meaning under the New Covenant:

• Christ is our Passover Lamb. Through His death and His blood sprinkled on our hearts, judgment and death pass-over us.
• Christ is the Unleavened Bread of life. He was innocent and without any corruption. He gives us spiritual life as we feed on Him.
• Christ is the Firstfruits of those who are resurrected. He was raised from the dead on that Sunday. His resurrection is the promise that we too will be raised from the dead.
• Christ brings in the harvest of Pentecost. The church was born on Pentecost Sunday when the Holy Spirit came upon the believers as a rushing wind; they were filled with the Spirit and declared the praises of God in languages they didn’t know.

We are now in the season between summer and fall, as we wait for the Lord to return to reap His harvest of souls! The Feast of Trumpets is coming when we will soon be caught up with Him!

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