Have you ever wondered why God instituted a series of festivals for those who follow Him (Leviticus 23)? What was His purpose in having us celebrate them every year? I believe that there are a number of reasons. One reason is to celebrate His awesomeness, to be constantly aware that He is God and that He is in control. Another reason is that He knew our need to be constantly reminded of what He has done in our lives. Left to our own devices, we would adopt pagan rituals (i.e. Easter - the celebration of the goddess Isthtar) and create something that didn't have anything to do with God (i.e. the Easter Bunny or Santa Claus). However, I believe there is yet another reason. The festivals reveal the complete redemption plan of God from the beginning, instituted before Adam fell, to the end, the creation of the new heaven and the new earth. It pleased God to reveal His plan to His people. He makes it quite clear so that we may be prepared in that day (Matthew 24:25). He also makes it known so that it will be obvious that it is He who has done it and not a pagan idol or false god (Isaiah 48:5).

In Leviticus 23:2 the Lord declares that these are His appointed times: He says it again in verses 4 and 37. For some reason the Constantinian Church (and the world) has come to call these "Jewish" festivals. However, Scripture shows that this is just not true. The question, then, is: If these are the appointed times of the Lord, why doesn't the Church celebrate them? Who are we making Lord? There is no answer; we are to observe them if we are making Jesus Lord.

God sanctified the seventh day and rested from all His work (Genesis 2:2-3). I believe that God had planned to spend an eternal Shabbat with man. There was no curse; God would spend time with man in the garden for eternity. However, man fell and, because of this, a curse came upon the earth. Man was spiritually separated from God. A plan of redemption was then put into place by God to redeem His creation back to Himself so that, again, He might dwell within it. The pattern for this plan of redemption is seen very clearly in the "Lord's appointed times." These are the times that He has sovereignly chosen to bring about each step in His redemptive plan.

Pesach (Passover) shows the deliverance of Israel from bondage in Egypt. Blood is the currency in the spiritual realm (Leviticus 17:11) and God used the blood of every first-born in the houses of Egypt to redeem Israel to Himself. This was a shadow of what His Son would do for the entire world on a cross outside Jerusalem 1,400 years later. Pesach reveals God's deliverance in the world.

God instructed us to not eat leavened bread for seven days after the Passover. This is in remembrance of the fact that Israel did not have time for the dough to rise in their bread when they left Egypt. In Scripture leaven represents sin. When we are called in Messiah, we are to immediately remove sin from our lives. God told Israel "whoever eats anything leavened from the first day until the seventh day, that person shall be cut off from Israel" (Exodus 12:15b). So it is with the body of Messiah: "For the wages of sin is death" (Romans 6:23).

This is the first portion of the harvest. It is to be waved before the Lord as an offering in anticipation of the forthcoming harvest. It is to give glory to God for His provision in our life. Jesus is the Father's first fruits (1 Corinthians 15:20). God raised Jesus from the dead and waved Him in front of all princes and principalities to display His redemption to all creatures in both realms (Romans 3:25).

On this day (Pentecost) two loaves of bread are waved before the Lord. These are as first fruits to the Lord: "a first sampling of your later crops" (Leviticus 23:17 [LB]). These represent the abundant harvest that is to come. The loaves of bread represent Israel and the body of Messiah, the first fruits of the harvest that is to come. It is on this festival that God chose to make His covenants with His two chosen vessels: Israel (Exodus 19:1) and the Church (Acts 2:1-4).

The beginning of the seventh month is initiated by sounding the shofar. Seven is indicative of God's completion, so the seventh month festivals indicate the completion of God's purpose. "The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord, and of His Christ; and He will reign forever and ever" (Revelation 11:15). This is the gathering of the body of Messiah, the true rapture (Matthew 24:13-14,31; 1 Corinthians 15:51-52; Revelation 11:15-19, 3:10-12, 10:7).

On Yom Kippur (Day of Atonement) the priest made atonement for Himself and all the house of Israel. Jesus was the Lamb of God and made atonement for us. "...for it is on this day that atonement shall be made for you to cleanse you; you shall be clean from all your sins before the Lord" (Leviticus 16:30). God spoke very clearly of Jesus's position; "So the Priest who is anointed and ordained to serve as priest in His Father's place shall make atonement" (Leviticus 16:32a).

On this day (Sukkot) we remember the provision God made for us in the wilderness, how He kept us and provided for us. Interestingly enough, this feast is also called the Feast of the Ingathering (Exodus 23:16). In Zechariah, we see the nations gathering against Jerusalem (14:2) which stirs the Lord to return and fight for Jerusalem (14:3-5). After this, we see the millennial reign of Messiah (14:8-11). In Zechariah 14:16 we see the celebration of the Feast of Booths! In Exodus 23:16 it says: "the Feast of the Ingathering at the end of the year when you gather in the fruit of your labors from the field."

At the end of the Feast of Booths, on the eighth day, is a sabbath (a holy convocation). This represents the final sabbath, the eternal one that the Lord had intended in the first place.

In separating itself from Israel and Torah, the Constantinian Church has missed a tremendous blessing from the Lord. The celebration of the feasts is not bondage. God does not lead us into bondage. He does, however, require us to seek Him (Matthew 7:7, Jeremiah 29:13). When we seek Him, He will reveal Himself to us and make His ways known to us (Luke 11:10). (It is interesting to note that of God's festivals, none have become big commercial successes or have been blown out of proportion; however, the celebrations created by the Church have all degenerated into the ways of the world.)