Why Celebrate the Biblical
Holidays
To every thing there is a season, and a time
to every purpose under the heaven. (Eccl. 3:1).
How much would you know about the Pilgrims without
the celebration of Thanksgiving? Think about it.
Would you remember Plymouth Rock, the Indians,
the Mayflower? God gave us instructions to learn
about His Story (History) through fun celebrations!
Paul wrote to the Gentile believers in Colossians
2:16-17 that the holidays are a shadow of things
to come. Each of the spring holidays is a picture
of Christ's first coming. Jesus was sacrificed
for our sins on Passover, buried on Unleavened
Bread, and arose on Firstfruits. The fall holidays
are a picture of His second coming and the beginning
of the Messianic reign.
Blueprints
The Festivals of God are blueprints for the plan
of God. When you look at a set of blueprints for
a house that is to be built, it is difficult to
visualize what the house will look like when it
is finished. It is hard to imagine all the details
as a whole. But if you look at the blueprints
for a house you are familiar with, perhaps the
house you live in, then you can relate those plans
to your own experience. You can fully visualize
the whole of its completion, and the blueprints
will help you see where the foundation is laid,
where the pipes and cables run, and how the structure
supports itself. It is the same with the Holidays
of God. When we look at the spring festivals,
we can look back at the first century and see
how the prophetic elements of those festivals
were fulfilled. We can see how the plan of God
was carried out in perfection (Lancaster 1995).
Each of the biblical Jewish holidays teaches
us about our wonderful relationship with God.
His whole redemption story is portrayed for us
in these festivals. Passover pictures salvation
or deliverance from Egypt (flesh or sin). Unleavened
Bread shows us that God saved us in order that
we may be holy and set apart for Him by putting
off the old sin nature. Firstfruits teaches us
the purpose of salvation: fruitfulness in the
Kingdom of God (John 15:1-5) and putting on the
new man, the nature of God (Eph. 4:24). The Feast
of Weeks instructs us further concerning the kind
of fruit we must bear spiritual fruit (Gal. 5:22-23)
through the power of the Holy Spirit.
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Holidays
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