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Jesus Christ and the Meaning of the Biblical Holy Days By Vince Szymkowiak Jesus Christ celebrated seven festivals every year that most Christians today can't even name, yet He is at the core of all of them. He is the reason for each of these seasons, and they have great meaning for anyone who would like to follow Him better today. What are these festivals, and what do they reveal about our Savior and King?
his October, a number of Christians will be celebrating four of the Holy Days that Christ and the early New Testament Church observed. They will be reminded of Jesus Christ's central role in the meaning of these festivals that most Christians today know little about. What are all of the biblical festivals, and what role does Jesus Christ play in each of them? For Christians today, it is crucial that we see the biblical Holy Days in the proper perspective. That perspective points to Jesus Christ. Jesus, who sits at the right hand of the Father, is central to God's plan of salvation for humanity. We all know that when Jesus came to the earth, He came to die for our sins and to pave the way to eternal salvation. He taught His followers true Christianity, both by His words and by His example. One example that we see recorded in Scripture is Him observing the Holy Days of God. For example, He kept the Sabbath (Luke 4:16), the Passover (Matthew 26:17) and the Feast of Tabernacles (John 7:2,10). Passages in the New Testament indicate that Jesus' followers also observed these same Holy Days. They saw these days as being magnified by a New Covenant setting. Paul admonished the gentile Corinthians to observe the Passover and the Days of Unleavened Bread (1 Corinthians 5:7-8). Christ our Passover sacrifice for sins Passover is commanded by God (Leviticus 23:4-5). It is mentioned no less than 28 times in the New Testament, with the majority of occurrences found in the Gospels. But what is the New Testament Passover all about? It is about the One who is so profound, so holy, so important, that without Him, there is no New Testament Passover: Jesus Christ.
Just before Jesus' last Passover, the Jewish high priest Caiaphas predicted that Jesus would "die for the people, and not that the whole nation should perish" (John 11:50). John continues with this comment: "Now this he did not say on his own authority; but being high priest that year he prophesied that Jesus would die for the nation, and not for that nation only, but also that He would gather together in one the children of God who were scattered abroad. Then, from that day on, they plotted to put Him to death" (John 11:51-53). These scriptures reveal that Jesus is our true Passover lamb. As we observe the New Testament Passover in the spring (in the northern hemisphere), we understand the central role Jesus has in the removal of our sins. "And you know that He was manifested to take away our sins, and in Him there is no sin" (1 John 3:5). Unleavened Bread: Christ in us The Days of Unleavened Bread comprise the second festival, right after Passover (Leviticus 23:6-8). In observing these days, Christians know that it is a time to focus on putting sin out of their lives. Leaven, for the purpose of the spring festival season, represents sin. Paul refers to it as "the leaven of malice and wickedness" (1 Corinthians 5:8). Other scriptures refer to leaven as hypocrisy (Luke 12:1) and false doctrine (Matthew 16:12).
As we eat unleavened bread during this festival, we are reminded that Christ is the ultimate example of sincerity and truth. We desire with all of our being to have that Holy One living in us. Observing the Days of Unleavened Bread reminds us that it is not our righteousness that causes us to overcome sins. Rather, it is the righteousness that comes as a result of Jesus living His righteous life in the hearts of His people, empowering us to conquer sin. "I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me" (Galatians 2:20). Thus the Days of Unleavened Bread are a celebration of the resurrected Christ who saves us from our sins. Pentecost: Christ empowers His Church The third of God's Holy Days is Pentecost. It was celebrated with much excitement in Israel because it signified the completion of the early firstfruit harvest from the fields. Israelites could be assured of food for their families when God's blessing was on them. In the New Testament, we see a deeper and more profound parallel to this. When Jesus was about to ascend to heaven following His resurrection, the apostles were perplexed because their risen Lord was being taken from them. But Jesus had already promised them that He would not leave them as orphans (John 14:18). He promised that both He and the Father would come to the disciples by and through the power of the Holy Spirit (John 14:16-23). Jesus repeated this promise in Luke 24:49: "Behold, I send the Promise of My Father upon you; but tarry in the city of Jerusalem until you are endued with power from on high." That power is the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit descended upon the disciples on Pentecost (Acts 2:1-4), and suddenly the disciples became the Church of God.
We will now briefly cover each of the next four Holy Days, which come in the fall of the year. As we examine them, we will again notice the pivotal role Jesus Christ has in fulfilling each of these days. Trumpets: announcing Christ's return The Feast of Trumpets is observed in the early fall, September or October on the Western calendar and the first day of the seventh month on the Hebrew calendar (Leviticus 23:24-25). Trumpets are used in the Bible for several purposes. They were used to call the people of God to assembly (Numbers 10:1-10). They were used to announce the beginning of this first fall Holy Day (Leviticus 23:24). Trumpets were also used to announce the coronation of a king (1 Kings 1:39-40). All of these purposes find their ultimate fulfillment in the New Testament teaching that Jesus Christ will return to the earth as King and assemble His people together at the sound of the seventh trumpet.
A key scripture is Revelation 11:15: "Then the seventh angel sounded [his trumpet]: 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!'" Atonement: Christ sends Satan away The Day of Atonement is the most unusual of the Holy Days. It is a day on which God's people fast (Leviticus 23:26-32; Acts 27:9). Atonement is also the day on which the Israelites sacrificed one goat as a sin offering (Leviticus16:9) and released a second goat, the scapegoat (Hebrew, Azazel), into the uninhabited wilderness (Leviticus 16:10). The scapegoat is representative of Satan, the one who departed from God and who is responsible for the temptations of humanity. Satan is the one Jesus called a "liar" and a "murderer from the beginning" (John 8:44). After Christ returns to the earth, He will commission an angel to banish Satan into the bottomless pit (Revelation 20:1-3). Satan will not be allowed to deceive the nations for a thousand years. This world will not know true peace until Satan, the ultimate deceiver, is put away. Our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, the One who has crushed the head of the serpent (Genesis 3:15, New International Version) is central to the ultimate fulfillment of this day. Tabernacles: Christ's millennial rule Jesus is also central to the understanding of the Feast of Tabernacles. He observed the Feast while He was on the earth, and told His disciples to observe the Feast as well (John 7:2-14). In Old Testament times, the Israelites would gather in Jerusalem and dwell in small huts or booths made from the leafy branches of trees, and rejoice in the worship of the Lord (Leviticus 23:40). The Old Testament links the reign of Jesus Christ on the earth with the observance of the Feast of Tabernacles (Zechariah 14:16-21). After Jesus returns, there will be a 1,000-year period of peace and prosperity (Revelation 20:1-6). The earth will be changed, not through the achievement of mankind, but through the power of God.
These scriptures will be literally fulfilled when the One who sits at the right hand of the Father, Jesus Christ, returns to the earth. Last Great Day: Jesus offers salvation to all Following the Feast of Tabernacles is a final feast day (Leviticus 23:36). This festival has an ultimate and profound meaning in the plan of God. Many today worry about loved ones who died without receiving salvation through Jesus Christ. They worry about loved ones who died before they repented and were baptized in faith. Their concern is that their loved ones are lost, doomed forever in an ever-burning hell fire. But God is a God of love. He will never allow any human being to be lost without first being given a fair opportunity to hear the gospel. He will save even those who have gone to their graves without the knowledge of God.
Ezekiel 37 tells us that there is a time coming when those who died without the full knowledge of God will be given an opportunity for salvation. They will finally recognize Christ for who He really is, our Lord and our Savior. Non-Christians who lived their entire lives without ever hearing His name will be given the opportunity to both accept His sacrifice as payment for their sins and to receive the Spirit. This wonderful truth is the point of Jesus' sermon recorded in John 7:37-38: "If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and drink. He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water." The meaning of this Last Great Day is that there is a time yet coming in God's timetable in which those who never had the opportunity to accept Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior will be raised from their graves and given an opportunity to hear the truth. The Last Great Day is not for those who presently are called and who know the Lord's will. We know that our time of judgment is right now, and that we must be busy serving God today. But those who have never known the truth will someday come to know God and understand His great plan. The meaning of the Last Great Day is that it will not ultimately be only the few who will be given an opportunity for salvation, but the many. God "desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth" (1 Timothy 2:4). The Holy Days of God give us an overview of God's great plan of salvation. The fulfillment of these days is dependent upon the One who became a man, who died for our sins and who now sits at the right hand of the Father. His name is Jesus Christ. Recommended reading To find out more about the importance of these days, please see our free booklet . This comprehensive booklet goes into greater depth about the fundamental significance of each of God's Holy Days and how they relate to His plan of salvation for all mankind. Many people profess to be Christians and yet know little about how Jesus Christ truly lived. For more information about His fascinating life, death and resurrection, please see . In this booklet, you'll find out how He lived, what He taught, what Holy Days He observed and what significance all of this has for your life today. Copyright 2005 by United Church of God, an International Association All rights reserved. |
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