The importance of the Biblical Feasts

Our Creator's eternal plan is perfectly revealed through His Seven Feasts/Appointed Times. This is evident throughout the Tanach ("Old Testament"), and specifically outlined in Leviticus 23 which describes the whole annual cycle of special convocations; each of which was created for a reason, and each of which foreshadows Messiah Yeshua - who has so far fulfilled the first four of the seven! YHWH (Yud-Hey-Vav-Hey, or "Yahweh" - most likely pronounced, "Yahway") designed these appointed times, the mo'edim, for His people to come together to worship Him. ("His people" includes anyone who believes in YHWH and His Divine Messiah, Yeshua (whom Christians call Jesus).

Let's examine these special convocations: There are seven feasts commanded by YHWH to be celebrated each year (and these pertain to ALL believers in the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob):

Quick Overview

Feast	Date	Meaning	Status
1. Passover/Pesach	March/April	Redemption/Offering/Death of Messiah	Fulfilled
2. Unleavened Bread	March/April	Santification/Burial of Messiah/No decay	Fulfilled
3. Firstfruits/Grain Harvest	March/April	Represents the Savior as first of the harvest	Fulfilled
4. Weeks/Shavuot	May/June	Pentecost/Holy Spirit sent by YHWH	Fulfilled
5. Yom Teruah (Trumpets)/Rosh Hashana	September/October	Believers' New Year/Messiah returns to Israel ("Rapture")	Future
6. Day of Atonement/Yom Kippur	September/October	Day of Atonement/Messiah saves Israel	Future
7. Tabernacles/Sukkot	September/October	Wedding Feast/Golden Age/Messiah starts Millennium	Future

Indepth Explanation

Passover (Pesach): Passover (Nisan 14) falls in the March/April time frame on the Gregorian calendar. Leviticus 23:5 tells us: "'In the first month, on the fourteenth day of the month, between sundown and complete darkness, comes Pesach for ADONAI." This feast celebrates the deliverance of the Hebrew slaves from Egypt; a tale of redemption through the killing of the Passover Lamb whose blood was to be applied to the doorposts of their houses - an act which would spare their firstborn from the Tenth Curse against Pharoah. YHWH promised that the Angel of Death would "pass over" those houses with the blood on the doorposts, and spare the first born (Exodus 12:1-13). Foreshadowed Yeshua, who fulfilled Passover when he was crucified and willingly allowed His own blood to be shed on our behalf in order to become our redemption.
Unleavened Bread (Hag HaMatzot): Celebrated on Nisan 15, it marks the beginning of a seven day period during which the eating of leavened Bread is forbidden as leaven is a symbol of sin (I Cor. 5:6-8). Messiah Yeshua fulfilled this Feast when he was buried and became our righteousness. (Exodus 12, Deuteronomy 16:1-8, Leviticus 23:4-8, Numbers 28:16-25, Romans 6:4, II Cor. 5:21)
Firstfruits (Yom HaBikkurim): Fulfilled when Yeshua, the Firstruits of Creation, rose from the dead to be presented to YHWH as the first of the harvest (I Corinthians 15:20-23). FirstFruits is celebrated on Nisan 16 (Leviticus 23:11), and falls during the March/April timeframe. This Feast celebrates the bringing of the firstfruits of the winter harvest to the Temple - indicating there would be more to come. Please note, the first three Feasts were fulfilled through the crucifixion, burial and resurrection of Yeshua haMashiyach! Though Yeshua did not rise on Firstfruits, He is still our firstfruits, because Firstfruits don't "rise" - they are "presented" - and Yeshua was presented after 3 days/3 nights. (See Leviticus 23:9-14, Numbers 28:26-31, and 1 Corinthians 15:20.)
Feast of Weeks (Shavuot): Known by Christians as "Pentecost" the Feast of Weeks/Shavuot is celebrated during the May/June timeframe. Exodus 34:22 tells us: "Observe the festival of Shavuot with the first-gathered produce of the wheat harvest, and the festival of ingathering at the turn of the year...." Torah directs the seven-week Counting of the Omer (which begins on the second day of Passover and culminates after seven weeks, the next day being Shavuot). The counting of the days and weeks conveys anticipation of and desire for the Giving of the Torah. In other words, at Passover, the Israelites were freed from their lives of slavery in Egypt; and 50 days later on Shavuot they accepted YHWH's Torah which made them a nation committed to serving God. This Feast was fulfilled by the coming of the promised Ruach HaKodesh (Holy Spirit) on the disciples of Yeshua in the Temple. It represents the beginning of the body of Messiah on Earth, in which ALL believers, redeemed through the blood of Messiah, are lifted up before ADONAI and set apart as holy (Acts 2, John 14:15-18, Ephesians 2:11-22).
Yom Teruah (Trumpets)/Rosh Hashana: New Year; it is the Jewish Civil New Year; the creation of the world, according to tradition; the anniversary of the creation of Adam and Eve and their first actions toward the realization of man's role in the world; of the first sin that was committed and resulting repentance; a day when YHWH takes stock of all of His Creation, which includes all of humanity. It's a rehearsal for the day when the bridegroom will come to claim us, his bride, who are betrothed to Him. This Feast on Tishri 1 falls in the September/October timeframe. Leviticus 23:23-25 says: ADONAI said to Moshe, "Tell the people of Isra'el, 'In the seventh month, the first of the month is to be for you a day of complete rest for remembering, a holy convocation announced with blasts on the shofar. Do not do any kind of ordinary work, and bring an offering made by fire to ADONAI.'"

According to tradition, during this time YHWH's people are to concentrate all their efforts into making amends with their brethren and apologizing for past offenses. Judging by the fact that Y'shua has so far fulfilled the first four feasts in sequence, Yom Teruah/Trumpets will be the next one to be fulfilled, because when the trumpets sound, those who have accepted YHWH as their God and His Divine Messiah, will be gathered/resurrected (I Thess. 4:13-18, I Cor. 15:50-54).
Day of Atonement (Yom Kippur): "Yom Kippur" is the "Day of Atonement." It is a Shabbat/High Holy Day on which we fast, repent and bare our souls to YHWH, asking Him to forgive us anything we may have done throughout the year that was not pleasing to Him: This solemn day represents the need for the sacrifice/sin offering that must be made for the sins of the nation.

Yeshua, of course, WAS that "Sacrifice" (actually, "Offering" is a better word, because no one "sacrificed" him; he martyred himself), and he will be recognized for it at the Marriage Supper of the Lamb which may (judging by how close together the Fall Festivals are) take place immediately after Rosh Hashana/Trumpets/the "catching-up of YHWH's people" just BEFORE we all return with him, to fulfill the next Feast (Tabernacles), wherein Yeshua will "tabernacle" among us for the next thousand years!

Celebrated on Tishri 10, this mo'ed falls in the September/October time frame. Leviticus 16:29 tells us: "It is to be a permanent regulation for you that on the tenth day of the seventh month you are to deny yourselves and not to do any kind of work, both the citizen and the foreigner living with you. For on this day, atonement will be made for you to purify you; you will be clean before ADONAI from all your sins. It is a Shabbat of complete rest for you, and you are to deny yourselves. This is a permanent regulation."

This Festival represents the need for the sacrifice/sin offering that must be made for the sins of the nation. As the Bible tells us, Messiah shall descend to put to an end the sins of Israel. (Remember, "Israel" includes ALL who believe in and follow the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob!)

At that time the Jews will mourn for the "One who was pierced" and FINALLY recognize that Yeshua was the Messiah, all along! This day will be fulfilled upon the Second Coming of Messiah to the Earth (Matt. 23:37-39, Hos. 5:15 thru 6:1-3, Zech. 13:8,9 Zech. 12:10, Zech. 13:1, Ezek. 16:61-63).

This mo'ed signals the call for repentance, for the time is short and Judgment is coming upon the Earth - whether people are ready, or not! (See the Books of Daniel and Revelation.)
Feast of Tabernacles (Sukkot): As seen in Leviticus 23: 33-37, Sukkot is celebrated five days after Yom Kippur. This Appointed Time not only reminds us of the hardships of Israel's 40 years in the wilderness but also with insight into the correct birth date of our awesome Messiah, Yeshua, who was born on the first day of Sukkot (not on the 25th of December, which is a Christian myth!), and circumcised on the eighth day. Both the first and last days are High Holy Days, where no ordinary work is to be done.

Because there was no room at the inn due to the census (Luke 2:7), Miriam and Yosef (Mary and Josef) ended up in a "sukkah" - a temporary dwelling in Bethlehem - approximately 5 miles from Jerusalem. The name Bethlehem means "House Of Bread". And as we all know, Y'shua is the Bread of Life" (see John 6:43-51).

YHWH commanded this yearly festival to be kept by His people. (Remember, "His people" refers not only to the Jews, but to ALL who accept Him as their God.) For further info on "how to celebrate" this awesome Appointed Time, check out our website's article.

Leviticus 23: 33 ADONAI said to Moshe, 34 "Tell the people of Isra'el, 'On the fifteenth day of this seventh month is the feast of Sukkot for seven days to ADONAI. 35 On the first day there is to be a holy convocation; do not do any kind of ordinary work. 36 For seven days you are to bring an offering made by fire to ADONAI; on the eighth day you are to have a holy convocation and bring an offering made by fire to ADONAI ; it is a day of public assembly; do not do any kind of ordinary work. 37 "'These are the designated times of ADONAI that you are to proclaim as holy convocations and bring an offering made by fire to ADONAI -a burnt offering, a grain offering, a sacrifice and drink offerings, each on its own day - 38 besides the Shabbats of ADONAI, your gifts, all your vows and all your voluntary offerings that you give to ADONAI.

In Deuteronomy 16:13 - 15, YHWH tells the Israelites: "You are to keep the festival of Sukkot for seven days after you have gathered the produce of your threshing-floor and winepress. Rejoice at your festival - you, your sons and daughters, your male and female slaves, the L'vi'im (Levites), and the foreigners, orphans and widows living among you. Seven days you are to keep the festival for ADONAI your God in the place ADONAI your God will choose, because ADONAI your God will bless you in all your crops and in all your work, so you are to be full of joy!

PLEASE NOTE that the first three major events for believers in Yeshua - His death, burial and resurrection - exactly represent the first three feasts, and the symbolism of the feasts appears to be beyond coincidence:

While Passover was being celebrated - which included the slaying of an unblemished Lamb - Yeshua was being slain on the cross (1 Cor 5:7).
The feast that followed, Unleavened Bread, is a picture of sanctification, as Yeshua was buried. Leaven is representative of sin, of which Yeshua had none.
And then the feast of Firstfruits, which is a presentation of the "firstfruits of the crop" following the feast of Unleavened Bread (Lev 23:10-11). Yeshua, "presented" on our behalf, is our Firstfruits. See 1 Cor 15:20-23 "But now the Mashiyach has risen from the dead, and become the first-fruits of them that slept. And as by a man came death, so also by a man came the resurrection of the dead. For as it was by Adam that all men die, so also by the Mashiyach they all live: Everyone in his order; the Mashiyach was the first-fruits; afterwards, they that are the Mashiyach's, at his coming."
Even more interesting, the next big event for believers was the coming of the Holy Spirit. And it fell EXACTLY on the next feast 50 days later, upon completion of the counting of the Omer (Leviticus 23:15-16), on Shavuot (what Christians call Pentecost). On that day the Ruach haKodesh decended on the believers, see Acts 2:1. The symbolism is again obvious as two loaves of bread are offered - another "firstfruits" (Leviticus 23:17) - which become "holy" (Leviticus 23:20) and we become eligible to receive the Ruach haKodesh when we repent, see Acts 2:38.

Since Yeshua has fulfilled the first four Biblical feasts, we can probably assume that the next big event - the so-called "Rapture" - could fall on the next scheduled feast day, Rosh Hashanah ("Jewish Civil New Year"/Feast of Trumpets), when YHWH calls his people together. Rosh Hashanah is the first day of the month of Tishrei, the seventh month of the Hebrew religious calendar as ordained in the Torah, in Leviticus 23:24. It is the first of the High Holy Days or Yamim Noraim ("Days of Awe"), or Asseret Yemei Teshuva (The Ten Days of Repentance) which are days specifically set aside to focus on repentance that conclude with the holiday of Yom Kippur (Day of Atonement - when we become "at-one" with YHWH).

Rosh Hashanah is the start of the civil year in the Hebrew calendar which was instituted by YHWH Himself in Exodus 12:2. Rosh Hashanah is observed as a day of rest (Leviticus 23:24) and is characterized by the blowing of the shofar, a trumpet made from a ram's horn, intended to awaken the listener from his or her "slumber" and alert them to the coming judgment.

The Final Feast to be fulfilled is Sukkot/Tabernacles, when Yeshua will once again come to "tabernacle" among His people!

There is, of course, much more to YHWH's feasts, but the bottom line is: Judging from the importance that HE placed on His Biblical feasts, why would anyone think "Jesus abolished them"?