Why Are the Holy Days Important To Us Today?

This is a question that every one of us who claim to be Believers in the Messiah and in the True Message that He brought – and not hearers only, but DOERS, should ask ourselves. He was, after all, our Example. He left us not only a code of conduct, but a life-pattern that we should copy, live by and preserve.

Maybe the question should be put a different way – ARE the Holy Days important to us today? – if so, why? If not, why not? Since almost all Christians reject much of the Old Testament, while supposedly holding to the New, we will concentrate this study on the New Testament only, with only two exceptions. With that thought in mind, let us get right to it. Our first Scripture will be the very first occurrence of the makings of a calendar, put in the sky by Yahweh Himself on the fourth day of creation week.

Gen. 1:14, “And Elohim said, Let there be lights in the firmament of the heaven to divide the day from the night; and let them be for signs, and for seasons, and for days, and years:

The next verses show that this refers to the sun and the moon and their role in the sky. Checking the Hebrew words translated “signs” and “seasons,” we find that “signs” means, according to Strong’s Hebrew Dictionary, 226. 'owth, oth; prob. from H225 (in the sense of appearing); a signal (lit. or fig.), as a flag, beacon, monument, omen, prodigy, evidence, etc.:--mark, miracle, (en-) sign, token.

And the word “seasons” means, from the same source: 4150. mow'ed, mo-ade'; or  mo'ed mo-ade'; or (fem.)  mow'adah (H2 Chron. 8 : 13), mo-aw-daw'; from H3259; prop. an appointment, i.e. a fixed time or season; spec. a festival; conventionally a year; by implication, an assembly (as convened for a definite purpose); technically the congregation; by extension, the place of meeting; also a signal (as appointed beforehand):--appointed (sign, time), (place of, solemn) assembly, congregation, (set, solemn) feast, (appointed, due) season, solemn (-ity), synagogue, (set) time (appointed).

I have put in boldface type the relevant meanings of these words for this article because these factors determine the basis for Yahweh’s Sacred Calendar, and Holy Days it identifies sets in motion His Plan for Man, even before man was created.

The other OT Scripture I want to refer to, is Leviticus 23, where all the Sabbaths are listed, both weekly and annual. They are called “Mowed” or plural “Mowadah,” in this chapter and throughout the OT. What does this mean? These days are Holy Appointments with the Creator of the Universe, Yahweh El Shaddai, and His Son, Yahshua the Messiah.

Yahweh put His calendar in the sky for a very definite purpose. The sun determines the 24-hour day, the four seasons of spring equinox, summer solstice, autumn equinox, winter solstice, AND the year. The moon determines the months. In fact, the word “month” comes from the word “moon.”

The moon also sets the annual High Sabbaths once we are in the right season. Yahweh’s annual festivals are based on the agricultural growing seasons in Israel – the Spring Holy Days coincide with the barley harvest at Passover time, and with the wheat harvest at Pentecost. 

The fall festivals coincide with the latter harvests of grapes, figs, etc., when they are safely harvested and stored.

All this is well and good, the nay-sayers say, but all that changed when Yahshua died on the stake. True, some things did change, such as the Levitical priesthood being transferred back to the Melchisedek; the Temple rituals and animal sacrifices being stopped; and the Holy Kodesh Spirit becoming available to all who repent of their law-breaking and accept Yahshua’s sacrifice to pay a debt, something He paid for us that we could not pay except by dying eternally  – that of the death penalty hanging over our heads because of our past sins. That was the wages we earned (Rom. 6:23), and He stepped up and said, “Put his debt on My tab. I will pay it for him.”

So, were these Holy Days kept and taught in the New Testament? What did Yahshua do? What did the Apostles do? What did the early Assembly Fathers do? What should WE do? Let’s see:

Although Yahshua obviously kept them all, it is recorded that He kept the Passover from a child (Luke 2:41, 22:8-11, John 2:23); and the Feast of Tabernacles (John 7:2-37).

Paul said Yahshua IS our Passover, and told us to “keep the Feast” (1 Cor. 5:7-8). He was referring to Passover and Unleavened Bread. He quotes Yahshua’s own words in 1 Cor. 11:23-24, telling us how and when to keep Passover, the commemoration of His death. Luke mentions the days of unleavened bread in Acts 12:3. Again in Acts 20:6, he says they sailed from Philippi  “after the days of unleavened bread.” It is obvious they were keeping these days.

Acts 20:16 finds Paul getting in a hurry to try to be at Jerusalem for Pentecost. Then in another time and place, he wrote to the Corinthian Believers that he would wait at Ephesus until Pentecost (1 Cor. 16:8).

Acts 18:20-21: “When they desired him to tarry longer time with them, he consented not; but bade them farewell saying, ”I must by all means keep this Feast that cometh at Jerusalem: but I will return again unto you, if Yahweh will.” And he sailed from Ephesus.

Again, Luke marks time in Acts 27:9 by noting that “the Fast was now already past…” meaning the Day of Atone-ment, which comes in autumn – a dangerous time to be sailing on the Mediterranean sea. Luke was a Gentile writing to a Gentile (Theophilus). If these days were Jewish or done away, he would not have mentioned them.

One more Scriptural reference – Colossians 2:14-17. Note that Paul said these things he mentioned ARE a shadow of things to come. They portray Yahweh’s Holy Day plan for all of mankind, and by keeping these days we are acting out and remembering His great plan for our salvation. We come to understand them by keeping them. I have said for years and I say again – if you are not keeping Yahweh’s Appointments (His Festivals) you don’t understand future events - His plan for us and the rest of  mankind.

To understand in more detail, write for my free booklet, “Yahweh’s Holy Days vs. Man’s Holidays,” and “Truth About Judgment.”

May Yahweh bless your mind with understanding ~~ fb