Should we (Jesus followers) be observing the Jewish festivals? Should Jews? Should Any one?
Yes! It proves Yeshua (Jesus) is "real", it proves the Bible is trustworthy, it proves prophecy, we will need it to recognize future prophecy.
Read: Isiah 29:13 Mark 7: 6-9
After reading that, learn about origins of: Birthdays, Christmas, Easter, communion, Halloween, compared to the 7 commanded feasts.
We've replaced Passover with Easter (fertility goddess (bunnies, eggs). We've replaced communicating with the Holy spirit on Pentecost with communicating with the dead on Halloween. We've replaced celebrating Jesus coming to live with us "Tabernacle" in the past , present and future and removing our sin (which is all celebrated in the fall feasts) with the birth of the sun gods on December 25th. We've replaced all these harvest celebration feasts with Thanksgiving.
Amos 5: 21-27 This is talking about celebrating feasts to God but in their own religious way which God hates. VS. 26 says "star of your god" This is also repeated in Acts 7:43 (please read surrounding verses too) Google search the many names for the god that has been worshiped for thousands of years on December 25 as the birthday of the sun god. Names: "star of your god, Saturnalia, Sakkuth, Kaiwan, Molek, Rephan, Ra." Also click the links above for American Holidays which will bring you to the Church of Satan website where they explain that Christians stole this holiday from them. Keep reading all of Amos 5, and Acts 7, until we realize what we have done! This should bring us to tears when we realize what we are doing.
Exodus 34 This is the chapter that actually mentions stone tablets and 10 commandments....Read it! It has the feasts mixed in the middle of the 10 commandments.
Read: Exodus 23 If you read Exodus 20 it gives the 10 commandments and then continues to list other commandments with the festivals listed in Exodus 23 right in the middle of other commandments. The Feasts are part of the commandments.
Read: Leviticus 23 Notice, these feasts are listed with all the other commandments and notice what it says about the feasts: "This is to be a lasting ordinance for the generations to come, wherever you live." So, YES, for sure Jews are supposed to be celebrating the 7 Feasts forever.
Read: 2 Kings 23 Notice, after finding the book of the law, after tearing down idols and obeying the law, they celebrated passover verses 21-23, Proving its part of the law to be observed.
Read 1 Chronicles 23 :31 Lists the jobs of the Levites to .......appointed festivals.......prescribed to them
Matthew 23:30-36 Yeshua yelling at Pharisees and Jews for Killing prophets and telling them to finish what they started by killing Yeshua too. (predicting his death at passover.)
Read: Luke 23: Notice, Yeshua (Jesus) is the fulfilment of the law and the prophecy. Meaning he fulfilled the passover, we aren't supposed to celebrate communion in memory of him, we are supposed to celebrate passover in memory of him.
Notice above 5 readings are all the 23rd chapters. (easy for remembering this proof) I recommend reading surrounding chapters for full stories. (Is that coincidence or extra proof for the entire Bible?) The most famous 23rd chapter is Psalm, so I read it and didn't think it was relevant or it was at least stretching. HOWEVER. I re-read it and did a little research. Yeshua was anointed with oil 6 days before crucifixion, (same time as passover lamb). He was anointed again with oil 2 days before crucifixion, (same as passover lamb). Now read Psalm 23 Read it as if you were Yeshua when he rode into Jerusalem on a donkey and then when he reclined at the last supper. It's not a stretch, this 23rd chapter fits perfectly into the prophecy of Passover throughout the entire Bible. Yeshua is the sheep led to slaughter! Who is the shepherd?! "The Lord"!!! That Psalm wasn't about David, it is a prophecy about Yeshua at Passover!!
Again, please read surrounding chapters....Like Psalm 22 Look how much prophecy there is in Psalms. Yeshua quoted so much of Psalms during his life.
The same thing that happened in 2 Kings, also happened in Nehemiah 8, They read the book of the law and then celebrated feast of tabernacles.
Ezra 3: Celebrated festival of tabernacles as required under the book of the law of Moses.
Time line of 3 spring feasts and Yeshua If we follow Yeshua, then we are required to celebrate these 3 feasts in honor and remembrance of him.
PENTECOST
Read: Exodus 32:28 SIDE NOTE: If you read all of Exodus 32, notice the golden calf is a representation of the God that took them out of Egypt. (not a new god), it's a graven image of THE God. So what is the cross on our steeples or around our necks? Is it a graven image of our God? What about the crosses with Jesus on it? Is that? Link to a study on the cross / golden calf.
Any way, back to the subject of Feasts. Notice in Leviticus 23 Feast of weeks / Pentecost (because it's 50 days after Passover). If you do some Jewish research, you will find that the Jews celebrate this feast as the giving of the Torah (1st 5 books of Moses) This is when Moses came down from mount Sinai with the law. 3000 souls were killed that day. (because of golden calf)
Read: Acts 2:41 Notice on the same day (Pentecost) they were together celebrating this feast, and 3,000 souls were added. Keep in mind this feast is 50 days after Jesus rose from dead, 10 days after he ascended into heaven. So Yeshua is physically gone and promised to send YHWH's (God's) Holy Spirit (helper) to be with them. This proves the feasts are still relevant through the end of times.
3 fall feasts:
Feast of Trumpets- My theory / I have NO proof: Yeshua born on this day, or announced with the star on this day, and then born 1-2 days later. 8 days later Yeshua circumcised on Day of Atonement (removing the sin, becoming part of the people,) Jews were and still are typically baptised on this day to start the new year fresh forgiven of sin, not a 1 time join the club ritual. Then Feast of Tabernacles is basically a 1 week celebration camping in temporary structures.....Yeshua born in a manger (temporary structure). NO where in history time or anywhere in the world is it OK to let a pregnant woman give birth out doors in a manger. Yeshua is documented in the Bible attending the Jewish feasts. So I believe he was born in to fulfilling and observing these feasts. We have no documents or proof, however there is lots of research proving he was actually born sometime in the late summer or fall NOT winter Christmas time.
Most researchers believe and I also believe Yeshua will fulfill the last 3 feasts when he returns. Feast of Trumpets 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 Feast of Atonement Acts 17:29-31 Feast of Tabernacles Revelation 21: (all new testament verses) Zechariah 14: 16-19 (old testament prophecy about Jesus second coming and ruling from Jerusalem)
This study only works if you read all the links to articles and Bible verses. It is meant to stir your curiosity. Now that you have the seed.......Has it landed in weeds? rocks? or good soil? Are you going to celebrate and teach others about these? There are many books digging deeply in to each feast. Lots of stuff online to search and learn more.
I believe as Yeshua taught: "The Kingdom of Heaven is like a wedding feast" You have been invited to 7 feasts, are you going to join them, or are you busy with business? Matthew 22 You are invited to the feasts (Kingdom of Heaven) But notice at the end, the ones that aren't dressed correctly are thrown out. Throughout the Bible this refers to "Clothe yourself in righteousness" Isaiah 61:10 Galatians 3:27
By the way, we are not the invited guests that didn't show in Matthew 22, those are the Jews. We are the bums that were gathered by the kings servants, are we cleaning up our sins and clothing ourselves in righteousness so we aren't thrown back out of the Kingdom of Heaven?
Feasts: Old Testament New Testament Future
2019 FEASTS SCHEDULE:
After reading these, you can see: Matthew 11:25-30 It was God's pleasure to hide this from wise and learned and reveal to children. When I taught this to my kids, they decided to quit Christmas immediately and were very willing to celebrate these feasts. When I try to teach adults especially long term Christians, they block it out very quickly.
Those verses also remind us how easy these feasts are. If you are tired from your work. OBEY GOD and follow these feasts, they are all designed to give you freedom and rest.
OTHER REQUIRED FEASTS:
Sabbath once a week: Gathering, rest, Also a required weekly feast / festival.
Great website explaining feasts and all other Jewish teachings.
1 Year long devotional to put the feasts in to practice.