| The Biblical Holy Days and God's Plan of Salvation | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Day | Ancient Israel Old Covenant |
Life of Jesus | Christian Life | Kingdom of God New Covenant |
| Commanded in OT Observed by Jesus |
"these are my feasts" Lev 23:2 | "the things concerning himself" Luke 24:27 | "All things written for our admonition" I Cor 10:11, 1 Peter 2:21, "walk as he walked" I John 2:6 | "the shadow of things to come" Col 2:17 "a shadow of good things to come" Heb 10:1 |
| Sabbath | Memorial of Creation Gen 2:1-3 Memorial of Exodus Deut 5:15 Day of rest and blessing Isa 56:2 Sign of identity as God's people Exod 31 |
Jesus completes God's creation Brings spiritual rest |
God's continuing concern for our spiritual well-being Mark 2:27. Sign of identity Exod 31 |
Millennial Rest Heb 4:9 Identified as God's people by spiritual resurrection |
| Nisan/Abib 1 | Beginning of months Exod. 12:2 (Scheduled by availability of lambs for Passover - Talmud, extra month might be intercalated) |
Jesus "sets face towards Jerusalem" Start of final atoning work |
We are called - the start of our contact with God | "Before the creation of the world" God begins the plan of salvation |
| Nisan/Abib 10th | Passover lamb chosen Crossing over Jordan Josh 4:19 |
"Palm (Sunday) Friday" Jesus chosen King-Messiah, makes critical decision to enter Jerusalem | God chooses us to be Kings and Priests Rev 1:6 | Jesus is takes on the role of the lamb with his incarnation |
| Lord's Supper: Nisan 13-14 Passover: Nisan 14-15 Redemption |
God intervenes a) People must take action and be protected by the blood of the lamb for death to "Passover" them, and for them to start the new life. Exod 12 b) The blood of the Lamb symbolizes God "hovering" (passing) over to protect his people. Isa 31:5 Start of OT Church |
Jesus institutes "Last Supper" Betrayed Symbols of foot-washing, bread, wine. Also a reminder that Jesus will return as King |
Repentance - acknowledgement that we want to leave "spiritual" Egypt Heb 11:25, and slavery to sin Rom 6:16 Christ - Our Passover I Cor 11: God intervenes in individual's life through JC's sacrifice - God grants repentance. Blood: redemption from sin. Matt 26:28 Bread: partaking of healed, eternal life. John 6, 1 Pet 2:24 Partaking of these unites us to Christ and one another I Cor 10:16-17 |
Jesus takes form of a servant, John 13:12-17,: starts atoning work JC crucified as Passover lamb sacrifice I Cor 5:7 |
| Feast of Unleavened Bread Nisan 15 "translation" |
Leaving Egypt Exod 12-14 | JC's life of overcoming sin and imbibing righteousness JC called "Out of Egypt" Matt 2:15 |
Life of putting out evil and taking in righteousness I Cor.5:6-8 escape from "pleasures of sin" Heb 11:25 |
Judgment now on household of God 1 Pet 4:17 |
| Last Day of Unleavened Bread Nisan 21 |
Crossing through Red Sea pursued by Pharaoh's army Exod 14 | JC Baptized by John JC's triumph over sin Heb 4:15 |
Baptism, and the escape from the power of sin I Cor 10:1-2 | We are delivered by the the grace of God |
| Wave Sheaf Offering: Pharisees - Nisan 16 Sadducees - after Sabbath during ULB |
Acceptance of new harvest, and blessing of it by God. Start of Barley Harvest. (Precise day not clear: scheduled according to availability of sheaf?) |
JC's acceptance by the Father: first of first fruits John 20:17, I Cor 15:20. (Precise day after ULB weekly Sabbath - Christian tradition) | Acceptance of new individual and blessing by God (Precise day when person will be called not clear) |
(Precise day of Christ's 1st and 2nd comings not clear) |
| Pentecost (Gk. 50th) (Feast of Sabbaths-Weeks) (Harvest of Firstfruits) 50 days after Wavesheaf Consecration |
Probable day of Ratification of Old Covenant Exod 24:3 Giving of law Start of nation of Israel Start of wheat harvest Offering of 2 leavened loaves "4 months to the Fall harvest" "Weeks"=Shabuot ="Oaths"/"Swearing"/"covenants" (Book of Jubilees) Noah's, Abraham's |
Sending of laborers into the harvest. John 4:25 | Receiving of Holy Spirit by laying on of hands. Induction into church Rom 8:23 |
Ratification of New Covenant giving of Holy Spirit Start of Church Acts 2 2 loaves = Jews + Gentiles? or = OT + NT churches? |
| Feast of Trumpets Tishri/Ethanim 1 Tishri from Nippur: "seru" = begin Calendar computation: Molaad of Tishri |
Extra month might be intercalated if necessary Creation of Adam Gen 1:? Start of civil year ? Everyone's "birthday" ? Trumpets of judgement on Israel Psa 81:3 Start of period of spiritual judgement? Psa 82 |
Jesus as God's trumpet-sounding messenger, announces judgment | Christ ruling in our lives Spreading the Gospel, as a trumpet call of alarm, to others Ezek 33:1-16 Judgment now on Israel of God |
Start of judgment John 5:27-29 Start of new age Return of JC, as King of Kings First Resurrection Rev 11:15, I Thess 4:16, I Cor 15:52 |
| Tishri 1-10 Overlap between new calendar year and old solar year |
Period of introspection: closing account on old year , while living in new. Lunar year: 354, solar=365. In Jubilee, 10 days of Feasting for freed slaves, but could not go home. |
Jesus warns and prononuces judgment, e.g., on Capernaum | Freed from bondage of sin, but not yet able to go home to family of God. | Jesus, as King of Kings judges the nations with a rod of iron |
| Day of Atonement (Heb. Day of Purification) Yom Kippur (The Fast) Tishri 10 |
Annual purification (expulsion of goat - Heb. Azazel=Removal) and reconciliation with God (execution of goat) Lev 16 Yom Kippur="Washday" Day of Fasting Hunger before Manna Deut 8:3 Only day High Priest went into Holy of Holies: Start of Jubilee Year Lev 25:9 Children of Israel all died in wilderness - Cleansing of Israel, only new entered promised land Joshua 5:4 Moses descended with glowing skin (Exod 34 esp. v.9) - Jewish tradition |
JC as God's legal agent pays off national debt of sin 2 Cor 5:17-19, making us all "new creatures", eligible for the blessings. Symbolism: J.C. = slain goat (Heb.) Satan = escapegoat 2P 2:4 J.C. = escapegoat Ep.Barn Both goats "from cong." = our two natures High Priest = Jesus Goats=his work. |
Reconciliation of physical and spiritual, through JC as high priest, continually before the Father. Heb 9: Expulsion of evil. "Washed in blood of lamb" Rev 7:14 Washed in water of baptism Purge yourself 2 Tim 2:21 We must forgive one another: Col. 3:13 Atonement requires: 1) Offering: Matt. 5:23-24,26, Matt.6:14 2) forgiveness by God 3) reconciliation among believers Matt. 18:23-25 "charity cover the multitude of sins" 1 Pet 4:8 |
God blots out Israel's transgressions: Isa. 44:21-23 JC purifies earth from sin, expulsion of Satan. Rev 20:1-3 Reunion of physical and spiritual thru JC's sacrifice Ezek. 40:1 start of millennial age |
| Feast of Tabernacles Feast of Booths Feast of Ingathering Tishri 15-21 "kingdom" |
Wandering in the wilderness in temporary dwellings (booths made of trees. Lev. 23:43- lit by the pillar of fire 70 sacrifices = table of 70 nations = for all people? Water ceremony (Water gate): Former rains Candles by night - Harvest moon Deut 8:1 Second tithe Deut 12-14 Harvest festival Lev 23:9 Jews wandering among the nations (Diaspora) |
JC tabernacled on Earth with men John 1:18? JC light of the world JC water of life JC born today? |
Tabernacling on earth as strangers and pilgrims 2 Pet 1:13 We are to be lights, wandering in the wilderness of sin To humble us & prove us Deut 8:2 |
Millennium: Rev 20: Trees for healing of nations? Water ceremony: spirit poured out on all flesh? John 7:37 No night there? Zech 14:7 No feast => not rain, but plague Zech 14:8 Royal Feast: Solomon |
| Last Great Day Shemini Atseret Tishri 22 |
Crossing over Jordan Entering into promised land (actually on 10th day of 1st month: Josh 4:19) Jews returning to permanent home in Israel |
Ascension? 40 days after resurrection JC circumcised today? |
End of this life - transition to the next Entering eternal rest John 9: spiritual blindness removed: wash=baptized "Come unto me" - judgment, justice, mercy for all |
Great White Throne Judgement: General Resurrection Rev 20:11-15 Salvation offered to all - a first chance 100 years Isa 65:20 Entering age beyond Rev 21: |
| New Moon | Basis of calendar by observation All months 29 or 30 days long. |
JC arrives in God's own time | God calls us on his own timetable | God has his own timetable of events Isa 66:23 |
| Sabbatical (Rest) Year (Starts Rosh Hashana) |
Land rests Lev 25:4 All eat freely of increase Debts removed |
Jesus provides rest for those who are heavy laden | Forgiveness | Millennium |
| Jubilee (trumpet) Year 50th pre-exile? 49th post-exile Trumpet blown on Atonement |
Slaves go free - property returned: all things restored physically Lev 25:10 | Jesus announces the "Year of Release" at the start of his ministry | We are "sold under sin" "sold into slavery" - await Jubilee to go free Reconciliation |
All things restored spiritually |
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