The 7 feasts in the bible
WHY KEEP THE 7 FEASTS IN THE BIBLE
Even though we as a family do not celebrate Christmas, and this article is not about Christmas, I want to bring it up as an example.
Something happens to our senses, when we think about Christmas time, We remember the lovely scents, the lights in the dark time, family and friends meeting, the gifts, the preparations, the expectations, the warm living room and maybe the snow outside, the food and the coziness. What’s not to like about Christmas?
If you just take a look at what takes up most of our calendar year after year, over and over again, then Christmas shines with all its glory. However, it is not a biblical feast, and Jesus did not keep it, it is in all its roots, a pagan festival that Christians chose to participate in and make many things symbolize the Christian message. Lots of lovely memories and traditions are associated with Christmas. We can’t wait to make each other happy and laugh together.
All of this is of course fantastically lovely, but also a little sad that it has become The highlight of the year. I would like to bring some thoughts to life and reveal some truths that can be covered by all of the other pagan holidays that have become a normal part of our modern society, commercials, shopping business and habits that are just followed without recognizing what is actually being celebrated.
Ready let’s go!
God´s Feasts
Do you know them?
God´s Feasts:
It is basically the whole Bible story, divided into 7 different feasts of remembrance.
In this way and by remembering the feasts, we get the whole story and full picture of the Bible! It is made and put together by our God! With very vivid pictures and colorful illustrations, when we read about them and get to remember these Bible stories in our homes!
I was really surprised by people’s reaction to the 7 feasts, when we started to keep them and it is also understandable when these holidays had been put in the oblivion box for especially the pagans for almost 2000 years and that there were an incredible number of boring attitudes towards them, most people only knew 2 or 3 of the 7 feasts, just like us before getting to know them. Therefore the rest of the 7 feasts became really strange to bring up or mention as God´s feasts. As long we only talked about Passover or Pentecost it was ok, but the rest which are really important to God, were not so popular to mention.
After all, they are in the Old Testament, so what are we going to do with them, it sounded a bit off?
But in short, the Bible is 66 books with a story that cannot be divided, even though it is called the Old Testament and the New Testament, they are together 1 story that leads us to Jesus!
Many people just haven’t seen the other feasts in the New Testament and therefore of course not so accepted. We hope this website can bring some clarity to all of the feasts!
When we started to study the 7 biblical feasts that are in the Bible, it dawns on us more and more how important they are for a Christian to know. I repeat; it is basically the whole Bible story, divided into 7 different feasts of remembrance. There is a cycle in the Bible and in our lives that goes through the 7 feasts in the Bible. In the meaning of each one and the connection between them.
Just as these stories tell about another people group at another time, we are to identify with them, and see our own journey in life through these stories, our sinful nature and need of a savior. But also who we are in Christ and our new identity. Who God is, becomes very beautifully portrayed, when we study the feasts.
When we die from our selves and selfish ambitions and let his word minister to us we are transformed by his Spirit in us! When people don’t know the word of God themselves, but are relying on other peoples sermons/ food, that is like eating second hand food. By getting the word directly into our own homes, we eat the same food, God´s food.
Together and in the order the Feasts are put, they tell one story, a story about God and his sinful people who gave and redeemed us through Jesus our Savior, made us a new creation and filled us with his Holy Spirit, still waiting for the Messiah to return again, a reunion between the bride and bridegroom, God and his redeemed people in the new Creation.
Most importantly it is a story of our Lord and Savior Jesus! We were so surprised to see that Jesus is the fulfillment of all these feasts, and how much the New Testament talked about them through the life of Jesus! All of Jesus fulfillments in the New Testament happened on a feast day!
The feasts are a story that is told and starts on page 1 of the Bible, in the creation story and continues all the way to the last page of the Bible.
The moon cycle which the Bible follows, tells a story every year, it is set by God almighty to remind us of the 7 festivals, things we see in the natural are given to us, so that we can understand the spiritual. The earthly things, reflect the spiritual here on earth.
As in heaven, so also on earth.
SHOULD A CHRISTIAN FOLLOW THE JEWISH HOLIDAYS?
But they are from the Old Testament
For many hundreds of years the church has not taken the feasts seriously, but has exchanged them with so called “Christian” and pagan festivals instead.
I think it is important to notice that the 7 feasts are not the Jews Feasts but Gods Feasts, they are for, and to the Lord, just as it is continuously said in Gods word.
The people celebrating them in the Old Testament are called jews, and just by saying jews there can be a multiple of reactions and thoughts toward that people group. But they were chosen by God and he wanted them to have a close relationship with him, so the feasts are a constant reminder and pointer towards theirs and our Savior.
Here I want to share with you why it is so important to know the 7 feasts in the Bible.
At the very beginning in the story of creation on page 1 vers 14 it says that God put the sun, the moon and the stars in the sky, he put them there to separate day from night, they must serve to determine feast times /moed in plural Moedim ), days and years and they must be light in the firmament to light the earth.
The Hebrew word used here is Moed or Moedim is the word used for the feast days and means: Appointed time, place of meeting. it is a time or place of meeting together!
The feasts are mentioned here and set in motion even before man or a Jewish nation is even created.
Leviticus 23 talks about all 7 feasts, and how they are to be remembered.
These are the appointed times / feasts days of the Lord, these are the appointed 7 feasts the Lord has set.
Notice that these words appear when you read Leviticus 23.
The Lord spoke to Moses and said; These are my feasts, the Lord’s feasts.
These are the feasts of the Lord, the holy convocations, which you shall proclaim at the appointed time.
All the feasts are the Lord’s feasts, for the Lord.
WHAT DOES IT MEAN?
The Hebrew word for feasts is moedim, (the last im in the word moed-im just makes it plural) Moedim means meeting, set time, or appointed time in English, we read about it when Moses wanted to go out and meet with God in the tent of meeting / revelation, known as (Hebrew) ohel moed, the meeting tent, or tent of meeting.
Another ohel moed is the tabernacle, tent of meeting, dwelling place.
So just as the tent is a time and a place where you meet with God, and hear God’s voice, God has given us times during the year when he wants to meet with us.
We live in a hectic world where we can easily forget things, the Israelites were challenged to harvest their grain at the appointed times and when they came to the threshing floor, idols were set up which were very tempting to put their trust in, God wanted their focus to be on Him who is their provider in all areas of life and not what various idols could offer them.
The feasts kept Gods people focused on him, at a time when all the pagan Gods also were worshipped. The 7 feasts are the appointed feasts of the Lord. They are not only important for what he has done in the past, but they are important for what he does in the future.
They are an invitation for all of us to enter into our full heritage as Christians, to know and understand the ways of the Lord. We are transformed, and just like Jesus celebrated all the 7 feasts and the disciples celebrated them, just like Paul celebrated them, when we understand them, it transforms us, it transforms our families, it is not something you lawfully must do, but it is a blessing ! A huge blessing you don’t want to miss.
All the great events in Jesus’ life were on a feast day!
Here are a list of the 7 Feasts in the Bible.
Spring Feasts / Moedim
1. Pesach – Passover
2. The feast of unleavened bread
3. Yom habickurim – Feast of first fruits
4. Shavuot – Pentecost
Autumn Feasts / Moedim
5. Yom Teruah / Rosh Hashanah
6. Yom Kippur – Day of Atonement
7. Sukkot/ Feast of Tabernacles
There are 8 feasts mentioned in Leviticus 23, as the Sabbath is referred to as the very first meeting / feast.
There is a certain feeling associated with the parties we hold during the year, as described in the intro, but do you know and have you tasted the ones that God has asked us to remember every year.
I hope you will now be curious to take a little reading travel through the feasts.
Shalom!
How we keep the 7 biblical feasts
So of course we are not celebrating the feasts as described in the Old Testament 🙂
Jesus has given us a new and living way 🙂 But the Old Testament is a shadow of what was to come, they were pictures to remember and prepare his people of the reality that was to come ( Jesus )
We have the real deal so to speak, but as we study the Old Testament and the pictures God has put there, it only enhances and enlightens our understanding of who Jesus really is. It is truly an amazing journey of revelations!
So what we do is; Speak about the word of God, we normally don’t use rabbinic traditions, but we can talk about them, and look at some of they’re illustrativ enactments. We manly use lots of biblical illustrations and decorations in our home to remember what the stories are about, and how they point us to Jesus.
We also don’t feel obliged to keep the feasts days on the exact day of the Israeli calendar or the same length of days, but we keep them around that time. So we don’t lawfully celebrate them, but they are talked about for days, sometimes weeks as we prepare for the feast. During School work, devotion or study time we are focused around the feasts that are coming!
It is all about Jesus!
God bless!
