The Feasts of Yehovah Defined

I suggests that there are three (3) basic legs to a Yeshua-focused (ie., Yeshua-centric) lifestyle:

1. Keeping the Weekly Sabbaths;
2. Eating clean meats and foods; and
3. Keeping the Feasts of YHVH (Leviticus 23).

These Feasts are to be proclaimed as “holy convocations”–sacred; holy assemblies (LXX) unto YHVH. (The Hebrew for convocations is “miqra”). They are designated times of YHVH for us to meet with Him. These festivals are considered by YHVH to be solemn festivals (NJB) to be kept by Yah’s people, in addition to the whole of Father’s Torah (ie., those instructions of Torah that can still be kept: the spirit of Torah specifically).

These Feasts belong to the Creator. They are NOT the Feasts of the Jews as so often referred to. Furthermore, they are rehearsals that remind us of Abba’s “Plan of Salvation/Redemption” as embodied in the Spring Feasts of Passover, Unleavened Bread, First Fruits Offering and Shavuot (ie., Pentecost); and of the soon-to-come “Kingdom of YHVH.”

Why Should the Feasts Matter to us Today?

Torah required that these Feasts be kept by us throughout all our generations, regardless where we lived in the world.

Those who keep Abba’s Torah, which contain the instructions for keeping the Feasts, are viewed by Father as special: saints to be exact:

And the dragon was wroth with the woman, and went to make war with the remnant of her seed, which keep the commandments of Yah and have the testimony of Yahoshua Messiah” (Rev. 12:17; KJV, adjusted).

 

“Here is a call for the endurance of the saints, those who keep the commandments of Yah and their faith in Yahoshua” (Rev. 14:12; ESV adjusted).

 

Yeshua and His anointed and appointed apostles kept the Feasts.

Regarding the Feast of Unleavened Bread, for instance, Paul wrote to the Messianic Assembly of Believers in Corinth:

“Let us therefore celebrate the festival, not with the old leaven, the leaven of malice and evil, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth” (1 Cor. 5:8; ESV).

 

Paul seemed to structure his missionary journeys around the Feasts of Yah:

“For Paul had decided to sail past Ephesus, so that he might not have to spend time in ASia, for he was hastening to be at Jerusalem, if possible, on the day of Pentecost” (Act. 20:16; ESV).

The entirety of Y’shua’s earthly ministry was structured exclusively around the Feasts. Master’s sacrifice was embodied in the Spring Feasts in particular.

The Feasts of YHVH offer us shadows of good things to come:

“For since the law has but a shadow of the good things to come instead of the true form of these realities, it can never, by the same sacrifices that are continually offered every year, make perfect those who draw near” (Heb. 10:1; ESV).

 

When Are these Feasts?

The question of when these Feasts occur is one of identifying and understanding Father’s reckoning of time. Father’s reckoning of time is completely different than our present day, Gregorian-based calendrical-system. The Feasts are based upon the Spring and Fall harvests in the Land of Israel. The dates that these Festivals occur is delineated in Torah (specifically Leviticus 23) and occur specifically on specific dates of the Creator’s Calendar.

Father declared that the lights in the firmament of heaven were meant to separate the day from the night; and to serve as signs and for seasons and for days and for years” (Gen. 1:14; QBE). Seasons in the Hebrew text is “moed,” meaning appointed place and or time of a meeting. In this particular case, the Feasts of YHVH are considered “moedim:” set apart days of Father’s calendar year.

These Feasts are to be proclaimed at the time appointed for them by Father (Lev. 23:4).

The 8-Mandated Feasts of YHVH (Lev. 23; Deu. 16)

Passover

Passover occurs on the 14th-day of the 1st-month (Month of Aviv; aka Nisan); specifically at twilight (ie., between the two evenings) (Lev. 23:5). It is often referred to as Pesach. The first mention of Passover is found in Exodus 12 when the Hebrews were instructed to smear on the doorposts of their homes, the blood of an unblemished, yearling male lamb. When the death angel went through the land of Egypt at the last plague, it passed over the Hebrew homes where the blood of the lamb had been applied.

Our Master was actually crucified on Passover day. He is our Passover (1 Cor. 5:7; 1 Pet. 1:19) who takes away the sins of the world (Joh. 1:29, 36).

It should be noted that Passover day is not considered a holy convocation day.

Feast of Unleavened Bread

The Feast of Unleavened Bread is often referred to as the Feast or Festival of Matzah as well as simply, Passover.

It is a 7-day, pilgrimage feast, the first and last day of which are holy convocations where no servile work may be done. The first day occurs on the 15th-day of the first month (ie., Aviv or Nisan).

For 7-days we are commanded to eat matzah (ie., unleavened bread) (Lev. 23:6).

Each day during this 7-day feast the priest would offer burnt offerings.

This feast symbolizes the aspect of the Plan of Salvation in which sin is eliminated from our lives.

Day of First Fruits Offering

This single day observance is not considered by YHVH necessarily as a sacred, holy convocational day. However, it is held on the day after the single weekly Sabbath that falls during the Feast of Unleavened week (Lev. 23:11).

On this day, the Hebrews would bring a sheaf of barley to the priests at the Tent of Meeting/Sanctuary/Temple to be waved before and accepted by YHVH: and acknowledgement of the bountiful harvests they received and to offer thanskgiving to Yah.

In addition, the priests offered an unblemished, yearling male lamb, a grain-offering and a drink-offering unto YHVH (Lev. 23:13; cf. Exo. 29:40).

It should be noted that the harvested barley could not be eaten by the nation until the presentation of the First Fruits offering was made (Lev. 23:14).

The very next day, we begin a count of 7-full weeks (ie., 50-days) that leads up to the Feast known as Shavuot or Pentecost. This 50-day counting period is famously referred to as the “counting of the omer,” which by the way is not a biblical concept. But it remains a tradition none the same.

This day symbolized those of us who are the first of the harvest to receive Father’s gift of eternal life and to become Father’s elect. Some contend that this was manifested in Yahoshua’s resurrection and the resurrection of those saints who had died prior to Master’s crucifixion, but who were raised to life when Yeshua arose from His grave.

Feast of Weeks

 The Feast of Weeks is also known as Shavuot, but more famously, Pentecost. Interestingly, it is also known as First Fruits (different of course from the Day of First Fruits Offering that took place 50-days prior.

Like it’s granddaddy, Pentecost is a pilgrimage feast (Deu. 16:16). 

We are commanded to declare the day as holy and to proclaim a holy convocation. On the day, no servile (ie., no occupational) work can be done. Furthermore, it is to be a perpetual law to be observed, regardless where we may reside upon the earth.

Originally, the Hebrew brought unto the priests two (2)-loaves of leavened wheat bread to represent the first fruits of their harvest. Those loaves would be waved by the priests before YHVH (Lev. 23:17).

These loaves of wheat, leavened bread would be offered alongside animal burnt, grain and drink offerings, in addition to sin and communion or peace offerings unto YHVH (Lev. 23:18,19). These offerings would too would be waved unto YHVH by the priests (Lev. 23:20).

This feast foreshadowed the giving of the holy Spirit to those who the Father has chosen. And we saw this famously manifested through the story of the Pentecost disciples who were filled with the Holy Spirit on the Temple Mount just 50-days after the resurrection of our Master. Those disciples spoke in tongues before the attending international Jewish multitude, prompting what has famously been called the birth of the Church. 

Traditionally, Pentecost is believed to be the day that Father gave Torah to the Hebrew while they were gathered at the base of Mount Sinai.

Feast of Trumpets

 Also known as Yom Teruah or the Day of the Blowing of Shofars/Trumpets, this feast takes place on the first-day of the 7th-biblical month (aka Tishri) according to Leviticus 23:24. 

This feast is also to be a solemn day of rest that is proclaimed with the blast of trumpets. We are commanded by YHVH to convene a holy convocation whereby no servile work can be done (cf. Num. 10:10). 

Back in the day, a burnt offering was made by the priests (Lev. 23:25).

This day foreshadowed the birth of our Master Y’shua Messiah, as well as it foreshadows the future gathering of the saints on the sea of fire and glass just before the start of the Great Tribulation and the subsequent establishing of our Master’s millennial kingdom here on earth.

Day of Atonement

 The Day of Atonement, considered the most solemn and holy day of YHVH’s biblical calendar year, is known most prominently as Yom Kippur. 

It takes place on the 10th-day of the 7th-biblical month (aka Tishri).

Yom Kippur is to be proclaimed as a holy convocation where we “afflict or deny our souls.” To afflict or deny one’s soul” is generally accepted in Hebrew Roots and Jewish circles to mean we experience a full fast for that 24-hour period of the feast day. The day is also know as an expiation day NJB as recorded in Lev. 23:27). 

Back in the day the priests, as with the other holy days, presented unto YHVH an expiation sacrifice and burnt offering (Lev. 23:27).

It is a day where absolutely NO work of any kind can be performed (Lev. 23:28). Since there’s no consuming of food on the day, there is no need even to clean up or prepare meals. It is truly a complete day of rest unto YHVH. 

Most importantly, the day symbolized a day for the making of atonement for the nation before YHVH. 

This feast is a perpetual statute to be observed and kept in all our dwellings (Lev. 23:31).

Yom Kippur is described by Father as a Sabbath of solemn rest whereby we afflict ourselves for an entire 24-hour period (Lev. 23:32). 

The Day of Atonement foreshadows the Great Tribulation that will be poured out upon the earth and its inhabitants by a just and righteous God. As well as it foreshadows the day in which hasatan (ie., Lucifer) will be locked away and tossed into the Great Abyss/Bottomless Pit for 1,000-years (Rev. 20). 

Feast of Tabernacles

The last feast of the fall season, this feast occurs on the 15th-day of the 7th-biblical month (aka Tishri), and is a 7-day feast (Lev. 23:34). 

This feast is often referred to as the Festival or Feast of Booths, the Feast of Ingathering, and Sukkot. 

It too is a pilgrimage feast.

The first day of Sukkot is a holy day whereby we proclaim a convocation. No servile work can be done on the day (Lev. 23:35). 

Back in the day, the priests offered burnt offerings unto YHVH for the entire 7-days (Lev. 23: 36).

What sets this feast apart from the others is that this festival was more of a celebration than anything else. We find in Leviticus 23:40 where YHVH commanded us to rejoice before Him at the place He so designated the feast to occur. 

The other interesting aspect of this feast is that we were commanded to dwell in booths (ie., temporary abodes; makeshift dwellings) for the 7-day celebration period (Lev. 23:42). Some folks make sukkahs (temporary dwelling structures) on their properties, while others choose to convocate with other like-minded disciples at campsites and convention centers around the world for the 7-day celebration. 

Sukkot foreshadows the soon coming millennial reign of our Master Yeshua Messiah here on earth, to be headquartered in Jerusalem. 

Shemini (Atzeret)

This final feast, which is typically attached onto the 7-day long Feast of Tabernacles,  is better known as The Last Great Day. 

It of course takes place on the 8th-day of the Feast of Tabernacles and is also considered a holy day whereby we proclaim and convene a holy convocation (Lev. 23:36; cf. Num. 29:35). No servile work can be done on the day. 

Back in the day, burnt, grain and drink offerings were presented unto YHVH by the priests on this day (Num. 29:36). 

This end to the sacred calendar year’s feast cycle foreshadows the New Heaven and new Earth that will appear at the end of the millennial reign of Messiah (Rev. 21). 

Clarion Call to Action

1. Let us learn about the Feast. Study and understand what and when these special, set apart and sacred days are all about and when they occur. 

2. Let us plan ahead of time to keep the feasts. 

3. Let us keep the feast with passion, love, hope, faith, praise, worship and grace. 

Faithfully,

Rod