Which set of Holy Days were used and kept by Jesus and His apostles in the New Testament era? All religions have some kind of Holidays or Holy Days. Did the Apostles of Jesus use the Holy Days that were clearly, already established and listed in the Bible or did they use worldly days? Did they re-label pagan days, such as the winter solstice to Christmas, and celebrate them for Christ? What about Easter and Halloween? Remember, the main author of the New Testament believed in the authenticity of the entire Old Testament.
Acts 24:13-14, (NKJV) "But this I confess to you, that according to the Way which they call a sect, so I worship the God of my fathers, believing all things which are written in the Law and in the Prophets.
Paul realized that the Holy Days were God's Days, not the days of any one tribe, like Judah. Note Lev. 23:1-4. They do not rise and fall with the sacrifices, for they were given before all the sacrifices. Note Jeremiah 7:21-23, Hebrews 10:3-6. The sacrifices came later than the Holy Days of God. Further, Jesus Himself kept the Holy Days. He observed the Passover and Days of Unleavened Bread.
Luke 2:41-42, His parents went to Jerusalem every year at the Feast of the Passover. 42 And when He was twelve years old, they went up to Jerusalem according to the custom of the feast.
Matthew 26:17, Now on the first day of the Feast of the Unleavened Bread the disciples came to Jesus, saying to Him, "Where do You want us to prepare for You to eat the Passover?"
John 7:37, On the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried out, saying, "If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and drink."
It is noteworthy that Christ attended the Feast of Tabernacles and spoke publicly even when under the threat of death, and had to travel secretly to attend. Jesus had the greatest excuse of all time to not keep a Holy Day, but He did anyway. The Bible's first Holy Day is Passover/Unleavened Bread. The sacrifice of the Passover Lamb is clearly a model with Christ being the reality
John 1:29, The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, "Behold! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!"
The Days of Unleavened Bread represent the purity of His sacrifice and Jesus' resurrection as the first of the first fruits. Secondly, this resurrection anchors the countdown to Pentecost. This starts after a fifty day Jubilee typology, to the countdown empowering of Jesus' disciples to spread the good news of the meaning of His sacrifice. It is the beginning of the New Covenant church. Those called in this age will be the cadre to help Christ in leading the vast majority into the family of God. Jesus' disciples were empowered on Pentecost (Acts 2).
1 Corinthians 6:2, Do you not know that the saints will judge the world?
Romans 8:16-19, The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, 17 and if children, then heirs--heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ, ... not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us. 19 For the earnest expectation of the creation eagerly waits for the revealing of the sons of God.
The Fall harvest is the largest and last harvest opportunity. All these Biblical Holy Days are built around the harvest seasons and the saving work of Jesus. That is why they are so important to God that he will force all nations to celebrate them joyously in the future. The Fall Days begin with the Feast of Trumpets. The last trump represents clearly the battle signal for Christ to intervene in this evil society and by force, crush all evil and bring in paradise.
1 Corinthians 15:52, In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.
1 Thessalonians 4:16-17, For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. 17 Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord.
The next Fall Holy Days revolve around Atonement and the Feast of Tabernacles. Note that these also are all about the saving work of Jesus Christ. Who atones for sins? Christ! This will begin for all the world not yet called, when Jesus returns to Earth to take power.
Romans 5:11, And not only so, but we also joy in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom we have now received the atonement.
Zechariah 14:16-18, And it shall come to pass that everyone who is left of all the nations which came against Jerusalem... and to keep the Feast of Tabernacles. 17 And it shall be that whichever of the families of the earth do not come up to Jerusalem to worship the King, the LORD of hosts,...18 ..shall receive the plague with which the LORD strikes the nations who do not come up to keep the Feast of Tabernacles.
This demonstrates how important it is now and in the future to God, to keep the Feasts of Tabernacles!
WHAT HOLY DAYS DID THE APOSTLES ACTUALLY KEEP?
If the church had celebrated Biblical days we should see it sprinkled into the letters that make up the New Testament. Naturally we do find such evidence throughout church literature.
Acts 12:3, And because he saw that it pleased the Jews, he proceeded further to seize Peter also. Now it was during the Days of Unleavened Bread.
If the church was keeping Easter it would be more likely they would say during or right before our Easter celebration. All margins will reveal that the word translated 'Easter' was 'Passover' in Acts 12:4.
Acts 20:6, But we sailed away from Philippi after the Days of Unleavened Bread, and in five days joined them at Troas, where we stayed seven days.
1 Corinthians 5:6-8 (DBY), Your boasting is not good. Do ye not know that a little leaven leavens the whole lump? 7 Purge out the old leaven, that ye may be a new lump, according as ye are unleavened...our Passover, Christ, has been sacrificed; 8 so let us celebrate the feast, with unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.
How did the Apostle Paul know with certainty that when his letter arrived during the Days of Unleavened Bread that they would actually be unleavened? Because obviously he taught them to celebrate the Passover and Days of Unleavened Bread.
1 Corinthians 16:8, But I will tarry...until Pentecost.
Under conditions of forced travel the Apostles still kept the fast or Day of Atonement.
Acts 27:9 (NKJV), Now when much time had been spent, and sailing was now dangerous because the Fast was already over, Paul advised them,
The Feast of Tabernacles was also part of their lives many years after the resurrection of Christ.
Acts 18:20-21, When they asked him to stay a longer time with them, he did not consent, 21 but took leave of them, saying, "I must by all means keep this coming feast in Jerusalem;" ... And he sailed from Ephesus.
Not surprisingly WE ACTUALLY DO FIND THE MEAINGFUL HOLY DAYS OF THE BIBLE throughout the New Testament. Further the letters reveal that the Holy Days of God are a shadow or guide to the future and the salvation plan of God. Note Colossians 2:16-17.
Colossians 2:16-17 (ASV), Let no man therefore judge you in meat, or in drink, or in respect of a feast day...17 which are a SHADOW of the things to come....
The biblical Holy Days are all about Jesus Christ past, present, and future. When we celebrate them we are celebrating the sacrifice of Christ for all mankind and His second coming to save this world from the present evil.
Discussion Question
WHY DO WORLDLY HOLIDAYS HAVE SO LITTLE SPIRITUAL MEAT?
