God’s Holy Days

 

Did you know that God has His own holy days? Please do not confuse “holy days” with what we commonly call “holidays”! Holidays are manmade traditions but holy days are those days that the God of Abraham, Isaac & Jacob has chosen to be set-apart from the rest of the days . What are these days that our God has made holy unto Himself and for His people?

We read in Leviticus 23:1-2

“The Lord spoke again to Moses, saying, 2 “Speak to the sons of Israel and say to them, ‘The Lord’s appointed times (moedim) which you shall proclaim as holy convocations—My appointed times (moedim) are these:”

I want to ask 2 questions regarding these verses in Genesis 23:1-2

A.) Who is speaking here?

The Lord! God is speaking here as revealed in verse 1!

B.) Whose days are these or who do these days belong to?

These are God’s days, they belong to Him!

 

The Hebrew word that is translated as “appointed times” or in some Bible translations as “feasts” is the Hebrew word “moedim”, which literally means “appointed times, appointed meetings & sacred seasons”. These days that the Lord has made holy are days that are sacred appointments to meet with Him! The following remaining 7 appointed times of God in Leviticus chapter 23 only occur once a year and are repeated yearly, a yearly cycle.

The first appointed time (moed) given by God as listed in Leviticus chapter 23 is His Sabbath day. (the 7^th day, which comes around every 7 days, it is a weekly cycle)

I am going to primarily focus on these 7 appointed times (holy days) of the Lord that only occur once a year in this article. I will also be sharing a view that combines & parallels a picture of how these appointed times are revealed in the Exodus account when God saved the Children of Israel and a mixed multitude of people that joined with them from their slavery in Egypt and brought them out to cross the Red Sea, into the wilderness, then to Mount Sinai (the giving of His law) and then finally into the promised land to compare that to our spiritual journey with Him today. I hope you are able to see how the journey of His people then parallels the journey of faith with His people today! And how everything that happened then is also a prophetic picture of what was to come and how it relates to us today and into the future. Remember, our God does not change, He is the same yesterday, today and tomorrow! HalleluYah!

1st.) Passover/Pesach-the applying of the blood of the spotless (sinless) lamb on the doorpost and consuming the lamb along with unleavened bread and bitter herbs (to remind them and us of the bitterness of slavery). The rest from bondage/slavery to pharaoh (sin) begins. Pharaoh was a symbol and prophetic picture of the ruler of this world (2 Corinthians 4:4 & Ephesians 2:1-3). Remember to think of Egypt as a spiritual representation of the world when you read Scripture especially in the Old Testament and see how it opens up a new perspective of the Bible.

2nd.) Unleavened Bread (Chag HaMatzot)-leaving the world (Egypt) in haste, while consuming the bread of affliction (unleavened bread). The command is to not eat any bread that is “leavened”, the Hebrew word for “leavened” is the word “chamets” which can be defined as “to be sour, to be embittered, to be grieved, to be cruel, to be ruthless, to oppress, to be red which represents wrath!”. The appointed time of Unleavened Bread is a spiritual picture of removing these unclean things from our heart & mind. It truly afflicts our flesh to depart from Egypt (the world) as our flesh loves the things of this world (Deut.16:3). Preparing us and our hearts to bring forth an acceptable offering to our God as our hearts have to be cleaned and inclined toward Him first in order for any offering to be acceptable in His sight.

3rd.) First Fruits Offering (Bikkurim)-, the Hebrew word “bikkurim” which is normally translated as “first fruits” can also refer to “first born”. A spiritual picture of leaving the world behind (dying to it) and crossing over into life as we come up out of the depths of the deep (grave), the Red Sea (which is a prophetic picture of our baptism into the death, burial and resurrection of Yeshua/Jesus). The Red sea and other bodies of water in Scripture can represent the nations of the world, a picture of us coming up out of the nations as a new creation in Christ! Our baptism is a picture & proclamation that we have died to the world, become buried with Christ and resurrected with Him and through Him into this new life presenting ourselves as an acceptable offering to God with hearts that are now no longer leavened. Allowing us to come before the Lord with Yeshua as our First Fruit offering as He was the First Fruits from the dead Who is the perfect offering! (I Corinthians 15:20-23) Those who remain a faithful bride and remain in right relationship with Christ will also become a First Fruits offering unto the Lord when He returns!

4th.) Pentecost/Feast of Weeks (Shavuot)-making it through the trials, testings and temptations experienced in the wilderness while learning to die to our flesh to receive our Father’s law (10 commandments) with a heart that proclaims “whatever God says we will do and hear!” and the receiving of the Holy Spirit. How are His law and His Spirit connected? The Holy Spirit is known as the “Spirit of truth” and the Spirit will guide us into all “truth” (John 16:13). What is truth? If you haven’t listened to the first message shared titled “Right Relationship” I encourage you to go and read & listen to after this message. The Bible is clear on what it defines as truth, we read in Psalm 119:142 that our Heavenly Father’s law is truth! His law is referred to as truth in several other verses to confirm.

5th.) Day of Trumpets (Yom Teruah)-aka the day of the great sound/shout/alarm, blowing of the trumpet or horn as this is the meaning of the Hebrew word “Teruah”. A prophetic picture of sounding the alarm to wake up those that are sleeping or slumbering. It also is symbolic & prophetic of announcing the arrival of a king, the King of kings, the promised Messiah, the conquering King, Maschiach (Messiah) ben (son of) David as expected by the Jewish people until this day who many were and are blind to His first coming as Maschiach (Messiah) ben (son of) Joseph, the suffering servant as foretold by the Prophet Isaiah in Isaiah chapter 53 before coming as the conquering King! This day is also commonly referred to and celebrated as “Rosh Hashanah” (head of the year) by most Jewish people.

We read in 1 Thessalonians 4:16, “For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first”

6th.) Day of Atonement (Yom Kippur)-Moses interceding on Israel’s behalf for their forgiveness after the sin (idolatry) of the golden calf incident and “ascending” the mountain to God again to receive the 2nd set of tablets (10 commandments) and entering into a renewed national covenant (salvational relationship). The Day of Atonement is a picture and prophetic of a day that brings atonement (a covering of sin, not to be seen anymore) for all of Israel (God’s people) as they are gathered together as one body in one place. Whenever God establishes/re-establishes covenant with His people they are always gathered together in one place with His anointed. This is a prophetic picture of the return of “The Anointed”, our Messiah Who will gather His people together in one place and fulfill (fully establish) the terms of the New Covenant as prophesied in Jeremiah 31:31-34.

7th.) Feast of Tabernacles/Feast of Ingathering/Feast of Booths (Sukkot)-this is a prophetic picture of arriving to the promised land, living in peace and abundance, while celebrating and thanking God for the fulfilment of His promise of leading His people (us) into the promised land. And for Him leading us into His promised rest which began back in Exodus 12:31-38 and was again promised by God in Exodus 33:12-16 but was not fulfilled until they reached the promised land and lived in peace from their enemies which is also the prophetic picture of the Sabbath (complete rest and also another #7). This is when God will dwell (tabernacle) with all His people in His chosen land, and live among them. (Revelation 21:3)

 

Ok, what I am going to share with you all now next will be a teaser, I am not going to go into too much depth as I will share this understanding in a later message and spend more time then providing what I believe to be Scriptural witnesses to back it up.

Let’s read Psalm 23:1-3, The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. 2 He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside still waters. 3 He restores (shuv) my soul. He leads me in paths (mah-gawl) of righteousness for his name’s sake.

Please focus on verse 3, as I want to first point out that the Hebrew word translated as “restore” is the word “shuv”, which means “to turn back”. There is a Hebrew word known as “teshuva” te-shuv-a, which is equivalent to our English word “repentance” and means to turn away from sin and turn back to God’s law. I believe this helps to paints us a picture here and reveals to us that when we repent from our sinful path and “turn back” (shuv) to God and follow His law (paths) then the process of restoration in our lives can begin!

What are His “paths”? The Hebrew word translated as “paths” in Psalm 23:3 in the English is the Hebrew word “mah-gawl”, which is defined as an entrenchment, track, circumvallation (circular). As in going around in a continual circle (cycle). Think of the battle of Jericho and how many times did the people go around Jericho before the walls fell down and they conquered the enemy upon entering Canaan (promised land). 7! How many appointed times did our Heavenly Father gives His people? 7 and another repeating cycle of 7 days that is a sign between His people and Him being the Creator of everything and their God. That sign being the Sabbath day, the 7^th day. The Number 7 is all throughout Joshua Chapter 6 during the battle at Jericho. I believe the “paths of righteousness” stated in Psalm 23:3 is referring to our Heavenly Father’s appointed times which are a repeating cycle that when followed through love and faith lead us closer to Him, His heart and to be more like Yeshua (Jesus), our righteousness!

 

God’s Appointed Times (His holy days), are instructional cyclical paths and a prophetic picture of our walk of faith with Him. Beginning at Passover (Pesach), the applying of the blood of the spotless Lamb onto the doorposts of our hearts and being freed from the bondage of sin, then onto following the cloud (Holy Spirit) leaving the worldly things in haste & affliction (which is a picture of Unleavened Bread). Coming out of Egypt (the world) and going down into the depths of the Red Sea where we are baptized into the death, burial and resurrection of Yeshua and becoming new creations raised from death (a picture of First Fruits). Then on into the wilderness to be tested by God and tempted by the enemy to see if we have enough faith and trust in His provisions in order to die to our flesh and obey the instructions of our Heavenly Father as He provides for our every need to strengthen our faith which leads to a heart filled with thanksgiving and love. At this point we are ready to receive His law ( a picture of Pentecost) and enter into a national covenant (as all Israel did and will do again). We will then overcome the enemy and his armies on our way to entering into the promised land with a great shout (a picture of Day of Trumpets), signifying and announcing the return of Yeshua and the walls that keep us from taking the promised land falling down as Yeshua (Jesus) intercedes (a picture of the Day of Atonement) to bring about forgiveness for His people (Israel) as a whole and leads us into the promised land so that we can dwell with our God and King in peace and safety celebrating His faithfulness and abundance and take part in the wedding feast of the Bridegroom and His bride! (a picture of the Feast of Tabernacles) And the fulfillment of the promised rest (a picture of the Sabbath day), our complete rest! HalleluYah!

 

Did you know that His holy days were on His mind and included in His creation?! We read in Genesis 1:14-17

“14 And God said, “Let there be lights in the expanse of the heavens to separate the day from the night. And let them be for signs and for seasons, and for days and years, 15 and let them be lights in the expanse of the heavens to give light upon the earth.” And it was so. 16 And God made the two great lights—the greater light to rule the day and the lesser light to rule the night—and the stars. 17 And God set them in the expanse of the heavens to give light on the earth, 18to rule over the day and over the night, and to separate the light from the darkness. And God saw that it was good.”

The word “seasons” in verse 14 is the translation of the Hebrew word “moedim”. Remember that word? God’s “appointed times”, His holy days! They are so important to Him that He made the lights in the heavens (the sun, the moon and the stars) in order to establish them! He also made them to separate the light from the darkness!

As you learn more about our Heavenly Father’s holy days as set out in Leviticus chapter 23 you will see in Scripture that every major move of our Father falls on His holy days, His appointed times! It makes sense that He would choose the days that He has set-apart to bring about His awesome moves of love, mercy, grace and even His judgment!

We read in I Thessalonians 5:1-8

“1 Now concerning the times and the seasons, brothers you have no need to have anything written to you. 2 For you yourselves are fully aware that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night. 3 While people are saying, “There is peace and security,” then sudden destruction will come upon them as labor pains come upon a pregnant woman, and they will not escape. 4 But you are not in darkness, brothers, for that day to surprise you like a thief. 5 For you are all children of light, children of the day. We are not of the night or of the darkness. 6 So then let us not sleep, as others do, but let us keep awake and be sober. 7 For those who sleep, sleep at night, and those who get drunk, are drunk at night. 8 But since we belong to the day, let us be sober, having put on the breastplate of faith and love, and for a helmet the hope of salvation.” Amen!

Is it possible that the Apostle Paul is referring to the same “times and seasons” (appointed times/moedim) that were written about in Genesis 1:14-17? I certainly believe so, our Heavenly Father’s seasons (appointed times), just as the sun, the moon and the stars were made to “separate light from the darkness” so were His holy days!

“children of light”, shouldn’t we know what His Word proclaims as “light” to confirm that we truly are children of His light? Proverbs 6:23 testifies to us that our Heavenly Father’s “law is light”! Are you a child of light?

 

As we are coming to the end of this message I would like for us to read some verses that are found in Zechariah 14:1-19. I am not going to read this entire section of Scripture as I just want to establish correct context so we understand who it is prophesying about and what period of time this is prophesying about. (Please read the verses highlighted in bold print, which should be verses 1 and part of 2, verses 3 and part of 4, last part of verse 5, verses 8 and 9, and finally verses 16 thru 19)

“14 Behold, a day is coming for the Lord, when the spoil taken from you will be divided in your midst. 2 For I will gather all the nations against Jerusalem to battle, and the city shall be taken and the houses plundered and the women raped. Half of the city shall go out into exile, but the rest of the people shall not be cut off from the city. 3 Then the Lord will go out and fight against those nations as when he fights on a day of battle. 4 On that day his feet shall stand on the Mount of Olives that lies before Jerusalem on the east, and the Mount of Olives shall be split in two from east to west by a very wide valley, so that one half of the Mount shall move northward, and the other half southward. 5 And you shall flee to the valley of my mountains, for the valley of the mountains shall reach to Azal. And you shall flee as you fled from the earthquake in the days of Uzziah king of Judah. Then the Lord my God will come, and all the holy ones with him. 6 On that day there shall be no light, cold, or frost. 7 And there shall be a unique day, which is known to the Lord, neither day nor night, but at evening time there shall be light. 8 On that day living waters shall flow out from Jerusalem, half of them to the eastern sea and half of them to the western sea. It shall continue in summer as in winter. 9 And the Lord will be king over all the earth. On that day the Lord will be one and his name one. 10 The whole land shall be turned into a plain from Geba to Rimmon south of Jerusalem. But Jerusalem shall remain aloft on its site from the Gate of Benjamin to the place of the former gate, to the Corner Gate, and from the Tower of Hananel to the king’s winepresses. 11 And it shall be inhabited, for there shall never again be a decree of utter destruction. Jerusalem shall dwell in security. 12 And this shall be the plague with which the Lord will strike all the peoples that wage war against Jerusalem: their flesh will rot while they are still standing on their feet, their eyes will rot in their sockets, and their tongues will rot in their mouths.13 And on that day a great panic from the Lord shall fall on them, so that each will seize the hand of another, and the hand of the one will be raised against the hand of the other. 14 Even Judah will fight at Jerusalem. And the wealth of all the surrounding nations shall be collected, gold, silver, and garments in great abundance. 15 And a plague like this plague shall fall on the horses, the mules, the camels, the donkeys, and whatever beasts may be in those camps.16 Then everyone who survives of all the nations that have come against Jerusalem shall go up year after year to worship the King, the Lord of hosts, and to keep the Feast of Tabernacles. 17 And if any of the families of the earth do not go up to Jerusalem to worship the King, the Lord of hosts, there will be no rain on them. 18 And if the family of Egypt does not go up and present themselves, then on them there shall be no rain; there shall be the plague with which the Lord afflicts the nations that do not go up to keep the Feast of Tabernacles. 19 This shall be the punishment to Egypt and the punishment to all the nations that do not go up to keep the Feast of Tabernacles.

This is the “day of the Lord” (as we read in 1 Thessalonians 5:2), the second coming of Yeshua (Jesus)! The only days in the Bible that are referred to as “the Lord’s day” are His holy days and the return of Yeshua which I absolutely believe will happen on one of His holy days, most likely the Day of Trumpets.

What is also revealed here in Zechariah chapter 14 is that God’s holy days known as the Feast of Tabernacles is being celebrated and required of all those left on earth to observe or be punished after Yeshua returns! Which means God still takes His holy days seriously and expects everyone to take them seriously as well!

 

The fall holy days (which are the last 3 appointed times of God this year, which are Day of Trumpets, Day of Atonement and Feast of Tabernacles) are beginning soon and as we have learned are a prophetic plan of what is yet to come! The first of these 3 fall holy days is Yom Teruah (Day of Trumpets) which is being celebrating today! Do you remember what this day represents? If not, please go back and read again! I hope this message has atleast challenged if not changed and deepened your understanding of our Heavenly Father’s holy days which point to and are all about our Messiah, they reveal more of His character and His heart for His people and will guide us to walk as He walked!

I want to end this message with a fervent prayer from my heart that is filled with love for all my brothers and sisters in Christ. I pray that all of our Heavenly Father’s people be awakened from their sleep and slumber, that they be removed from any darkness and brought into the fullness of His light, and become vigilant in their watch as they prepare the way and proclaim and sound the alarm of the coming of our King with a shout of great anticipation! I pray this in the holy and blessed name of our Lord and Savior, Amen!

Until next time, the Lord bless you and guard you!

 

 

 

Scripture References 

“The god of this world has blinded the minds of unbelievers so they cannot see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.” (2 Corinthians 4:4)

“1And you were dead in the trespasses and sins 2in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience— 3among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the bodya and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind.” (Ephesians 2:1-3)

“You shall eat no leavened bread with it. Seven days you shall eat it with unleavened bread, the bread of affliction—for you came out of the land of Egypt in haste—that all the days of your life you may remember the day when you came out of the land of Egypt.” (Deuteronomy 16:3)

“Your righteousness is an everlasting righteousness, And Your law is truth” (Psalm 119:142)

“31 Then he summoned Moses and Aaron by night and said, “Up, go out from among my people, both you and the people of Israel; and go, serve the Lord, as you have said. 32 Take your flocks and your herds, as you have said, and be gone, and bless me also!” 33 The Egyptians were urgent with the people to send them out of the land in haste. For they said, “We shall all be dead.” 34 So the people took their dough before it was leavened, their kneading bowls being bound up in their cloaks on their shoulders. 35 The people of Israel had also done as Moses told them, for they had asked the Egyptians for silver and gold jewelry and for clothing. 36 And the Lord had given the people favor in the sight of the Egyptians, so that they let them have what they asked. Thus they plundered the Egyptians. 37 And the people of Israel journeyed from Rameses to Succoth, about six hundred thousand men on foot, besides women and children. 38 A mixed multitude also went up with them, and very much livestock, both flocks and herds.” (Exodus 12:31-38)

“12 Moses said to the Lord, “See, you say to me, ‘Bring up this people,’ but you have not let me know whom you will send with me. Yet you have said, ‘I know you by name, and you have also found favor in my sight.’ 13 Now therefore, if I have found favor in your sight, please show me now your ways, that I may know you in order to find favor in your sight. Consider too that this nation is your people.” 14 And he said, “My presence will go with you, and I will give you rest.” 15 And he said to him, “If your presence will not go with me, do not bring us up from here. 16 For how shall it be known that I have found favor in your sight, I and your people? Is it not in your going with us, so that we are distinct, I and your people, from every other people on the face of the earth?” (Exodus 33:12-16)

‘31 “Behold, the days are coming, declares the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and the house of Judah, 32 not like the covenant that I made with their fathers on the day when I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt, my covenant that they broke, though I was their husband, declares the Lord. 33 For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, declares the Lord: I will put my law within them, and I will write it on their hearts. And I will be their God, and they shall be my people. 34 And no longer shall each one teach his neighbor and each his brother, saying, ‘Know the Lord,’ for they shall all know me, from the least of them to the greatest, declares the Lord. For I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more.”’ (Jeremiah 31:31-34)

“And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell (tabernacle) with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God.” (Revelation 21:3)

“For the commandment is a lamp, and the Law is light. Reproofs of instruction are the way of life” (Proverbs 6:23)