The ancient Hebrew year was observed using a lunar-solar calendar with 12 and 13 months over a 19 year cycle. This was easy to observe in the sky as a new moon began a new month. Throughout the calendar year there were ritual observances of locally relevant harvests and commemorations of notable events.
The new moons were celebrated (Exodus 12:2; Deuteronomy 16:1). The seventh day was a rest and worship day (Exodus 16:23; 23:12). The Exodus was commemorated each northern spring with roast Passover lamb and the Feast of Unleavened Bread (Exodus 12-13). Fifty days later, Pentecost, the Feast of Weeks, was celebrated (Leviticus 23:15-21). As northern autumn approached, came the Feast of Trumpets (Leviticus 23:24), followed by the Day of Atonement, a day of complete fasting (Leviticus 16:29-31; 23:27-32), and then the Feast of Tabernacles (Leviticus 23:34-36) with its Last Great Day (John 7:37).
Passover/Easter
One thing needs to be noted here. The later Quartodeciman controversy centers around the date of the observance of Passover. It was not called any equivalent of Easter at that time, but Passover. What we call Easter in English, is still called the equivalent of Passover in most languages, and means Christian Passover. Would it be better to choose the original 14th of the first month, whereby the day of the week would vary from year to year, or choose a floating date, so as to preserve the same Thursday through Sunday sequence each year? Paul’s letter to the Romans would have given permission to observe either.
However, later church officials ventured into lording it over the flock, did not want Christians “judaizing” so they enforced a “romanizing” of this observance, calling those whose conscience would not allow anything but the Jewish observance, anathema. This unfortunate bullying of the flock has played out many times in church history and done great harm to the faith. The ecclesiastical decision regarding this controversy was a sad contradiction of Paul, and it caused much harm to Jewish Christians.
And the disciples did as Jesus had directed them, and they prepared the Passover. (Matthew 26:19 ESV)
The Passover meal became the basis for another celebration which sprung out of it, communion. This is variously called the Eucharist (meaning thanksgiving), the Lord’s Supper, Communion and simply the bread and wine. Along with baptism, this is one of the most important observances within Christianity.
Unleavened Bread
Leaven has become symbolic of the sin in our lives.
Clean out the old leaven so that you may be a new lump, just as you are in fact unleavened. For Christ our Passover also has been sacrificed. (1 Corinthians 5:7 NASB)
John the Baptist recognized Jesus as our Passover Lamb and because of that the leaven of sin is removed and we are in fact unleavened.
The next day, John saw Jesus coming toward him and said: Here is the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world! (John 1:29 CEV)
We are redeemed with the precious blood of our Passover Lamb, Jesus.
For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life handed down to you from your ancestors, but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect. (1 Peter 1:18-19 NIV)
Even when all our earthly struggles are over and we enter the culmination of all things, Jesus will be celebrated as the Lamb with singing.
And they sing the song of Moses the servant of God, and the song of the Lamb, saying, Great and marvellous are thy works, Lord God Almighty; just and true are thy ways, thou King of saints. (Revelation 15:3 KJV)
Unleavened bread takes on a spiritual meaning as Paul explains. The physical ritual of cleaning houses of leaven each year, becomes our spiritual cleansing from malice and wickedness, and becoming people of sincerity and truth.
Therefore let us keep the feast, not with old leaven, nor with the leaven of malice and wickedness, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth. (1 Corinthians 5:8 NKJV)
Pentecost
Pentecost took on a new spiritual meaning with the coming of the Holy Spirit in Acts 2. The law written on men’s hearts, and power for the Gospel came together in one marvellous celebration of the Holy Spirit.
First Fruits
Part of several festivals was the offering of first fruits. Pentecost was one of those festivals. In some ways, Christians are called first fruits. This gives us hope that in God’s time and mercy, others will join us.
And not only this, but also we ourselves, having the first fruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting eagerly for our adoption as sons, the redemption of our body. (Romans 8:23 NASB)
I beseech you, brethren, (ye know the house of Stephanas, that it is the firstfruits of Achaia, and that they have addicted themselves to the ministry of the saints,) (1 Corinthians 16:15 KJV)
The greatest of all first fruits is Jesus. He is the first to be resurrected, and the rest of the first fruits at His coming. What happens between now and then has been a matter of great speculation for the past two millennia.
But Christ has indeed been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. (1 Corinthians 15:20 NIV)
But each in his own order: Christ the firstfruits, then at his coming those who belong to Christ. (1 Corinthians 15:23 ESV)
Trumpets
The Festival of Trumpets is a different kind of celebration. Anciently, a trumpet was like the town alarm used today for fire, ambulance, and other emergencies. In those times it was an alarm for war and like ringing church bells, an announcement of worship. How is it used in the New Testament?
And he will send out his angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other. (Matthew 24:31 ESV)
Jesus will gather the elect to the sound of a mighty angelic trumpet blast.
It will happen in a moment, in the blink of an eye, when the last trumpet is blown. For when the trumpet sounds, those who have died will be raised to live forever. And we who are living will also be transformed. (1 Corinthians 15:52 NLT)
The resurrection will occur to the sound of a mighty trumpet.
For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. (1 Thessalonians 4:16 NASB)
Jesus’ return will be announced by a mighty last trumpet. It will be the seventh of a series of trumpet blasts, preparing for Jesus to take over from corrupt human governments.
Then the seventh angel sounded: And there were loud voices in heaven, saying, “The kingdoms of this world have become the kingdoms of our Lord and of His Christ, and He shall reign forever and ever!” (Revelation 11:15 NKJV)
Atonement
On the Day of Atonement everyone fasted from sunset to sunset. It was a total fast, with no food or water. Two goats were chosen to bear the sins of the people, and this was the only time the High Priest could enter the Holy of Holies. The basis of Atonement for Christians is that Jesus died for our sins. Paul explained this to the Corinthians.
For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, (1 Corinthians 15:3 ESV)
Part of the Atonement message for Christians is reconciliation between God and humanity.
For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life. (Romans 5:10 KJV)
Part of the meaning of the Atonement is spiritual and physical healing. In scripture, sin is often spoken of as being like a disease, a deadly malady, a sickness of the soul.
Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed. (1 Peter 2:24 KJV)
The meaning here is Jesus’ marks on His body from being whipped. Part of the meaning of the Atonement is also seeking and saving the lost. This is explained in several parables such as a lost sheep, a lost coin, and a foolish lost son (Luke 15). The analogy also applies to lost Israel being restored (Ezekiel 34:11-31).
For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost. (Luke 19:10 ESV)
Part of the meaning of Atonement too must be like payment of a ransom, the price paid for deliverance of a captive man’s life. We were captive to sin which has caused so much suffering in the world.
just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many. (Matthew 20:28 NIV)
For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many. (Mark 10:45 NKJV)
Part of the meaning of Atonement surely must also be that He bore our pain, griefs and sorrows.
He suffered and endured great pain for us, but we thought his suffering was punishment from God. (Isaiah 53:4 CEV)
Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. (KJV)
As we can see, the meaning of the Day of Atonement for Christians goes far deeper than merely taking a day off work and fasting for 24 hours. It goes into the very purpose of Jesus’ suffering and death for us.
Tabernacles
Of the three Pilgrim Feasts, Passover (Easter), Pentecost and Tabernacles, the Feast of Tabernacles is one that may be the least familiar to most Christians. Yet, in many ways Christmas carries some of the same spiritual meanings.
As the tabernacle was called the tabernacle of testimony or witness, so too ought Christians carry their testimony or witness of Christ with them. The tabernacle was called so because it housed the ark of testimony (Exodus 25:22) containing the tables of stone with the Ten Commandments, God’s testimony of His will, as well as Aaron’s rod and the pot of manna. Here in the tabernacle, they also witnessed God’s presence.
Our fathers had the tabernacle [or tent] of witness in the wilderness, as He appointed, instructing Moses to make it according to the pattern that he had seen (Acts 7:44 NKJV)
A hallmark of Christianity is the belief in a literal resurrection of Jesus.
And with great power the apostles were giving testimony to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and abundant grace was upon them all. (Acts 4:33 NASB)
We live in a world where we will be mocked, imprisoned and in some countries even murdered for our Christian testimony. Never be ashamed of the testimony of Jesus.
So do not be ashamed of the testimony about our Lord or of me his prisoner. Rather, join with me in suffering for the gospel, by the power of God. (2 Timothy 1:8 NIV)
Christmas celebrates God the Son tabernacling or tenting with us in the flesh.
And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt [tabernacled] among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth. (John 1:14 KJV)
And at the same time celebrating His first coming, we have an opportunity to celebrate His second coming and all that eventually entails.
And I heard a loud voice from the throne, saying, “Behold, the tabernacle of God is among the people, and He will dwell among them, and they shall be His people, and God Himself will be among them (Revelation 21:3 NASB)
So for a Christian, the ancient feast of tabernacles carries with it a lot of deep meaning, of God with us (Matthew 1:23), of the resurrection and return of our Lord.
School Teacher
Some Christians still observe part or all of these days in a manner approaching the letter of the law, but what does the New Testament teach us about the spirit of these laws? Paul was inspired to make an interesting comment about the law being like a school teacher.
Before the coming of this faith, we were held in custody under the law, locked up until the faith that was to come would be revealed. So the law was our guardian [tutor or schoolmaster] until Christ came that we might be justified by faith. Now that this faith has come, we are no longer under a guardian [tutor or schoolmaster]. (Galatians 3:23-25 NIV)
When we were in school we learned to spell and count. The purpose of our times tables and our writing lessons was NOT to continue reciting ABC and 123 the rest of our lives, but to put those lessons to practical use while shopping, doing business, and reading things way more advanced than ABC lessons. When the Christian Church began, people asked, How can we celebrate the events of the New Testament in a manner learned from the celebration of Old Testament events? In other words, what has the tutor taught us about celebrations that we can now apply to our Christian experience?
The first question is, do we have permission to do this, or must we stick strictly observing only the festivals of Leviticus 23? Paul explains that we have permission in his letter to the Romans.
In the same way, some think one day is more holy than another day, while others think every day is alike. You should each be fully convinced that whichever day you choose is acceptable. Those who worship the Lord on a special day do it to honor him. Those who eat any kind of food do so to honor the Lord, since they give thanks to God before eating. And those who refuse to eat certain foods also want to please the Lord and give thanks to God. (Romans 14:5-6 NLT)
There were two issues for the early church mentioned here, dietary regulations and worship days. Here Paul is giving clear permission to observe the days of our choice. Some may have observed the Jewish days. Others may have gone along with the growing sentiment for specific days to celebrate events of Jesus’ life and ministry.
Paul’s permission was given long before Nicea, where the church acted like a bully and forbade Jewish observances. Yet, the church also established worthwhile festivals celebrating biblical events all throughout the year. Sadly, our Protestantism has abandoned all but the main celebrations, making room for many alternative observances that have little or nothing to do with Christianity.
Whatever we observe, let us ignore the worldliness and materialism that drowns out the name of Christ. Let us keep our chosen festivals to worship and honor the Lord.
