| (Copyright 2024) by Laura Lee (Bismarck, North Dakota) |
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| The Law of God Leviticus 23 is part of the law of God. For those who believe the law of God has been done away there is nothing much that will be said here that will change your mind, but I will try anyway. Joh 10:27 My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me: Joh 12:26 If any man serve me, let him follow me; and where I am, there shall also my servant be: if any man serve me, him will my Father honour. If you believe in Christ, you will follow Him. Christ is the one that implemented His law in the first place and while He was on earth, He kept His law perfectly. So that is what it means to “Follow Christ”. It means you keep His law. Christ and God the Father are on the same page in regard to the Law. Then there is a group of people who believe in Christ and believe the Holy Days should be kept, but if you don’t keep them all the time or you teach that it is not a salvational issue, then what you are doing is helping people to follow Satan instead of God. Yes, you heard me, you are teaching people to follow Satan. Keeping the Holy Days of God on the right days is a salvational issue because they are listed in the law of God and they are not optional. God gives you a direct command to keep them and there is no place in the Bible where it says they are done away or that you don’t have to keep them sometimes because you are busy that day and just can’t. Lev 23:1 And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, Lev 23:2 Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them, Concerning the feasts of the LORD, which ye shall proclaim to be holy convocations, even these are my feasts. The first thing you should notice about Leviticus 23:1 is that it is God who is telling Moses what to say. Many people call the law of God Moses law as if it belongs to Moses. The law belongs to God, it is His law. God used Moses to relay the law to His people, just like God uses us to teach others what the Bible says. Notice in verse two where God proclaims, “these are my feasts”. These feasts do not belong to Moses, they belong to God. These feasts are to be “holy convocations”. In other words, you are to meet with other of God’s people on these feast days and there is nothing in this wording telling you these feast days are optional because they are not optional. They are commanded assemblies. Strong’s 4744 (Convocation) mik-raw’ From H7121; something called out, that is, a public meeting (the act, the persons, or the place); also a rehearsal: – assembly, calling, convocation, reading. Seventh Day Sabbath Lev 23:3 Six days shall work be done: but the seventh day is the sabbath of rest, an holy convocation; ye shall do no work therein: it is the sabbath of the LORD in all your dwellings. The first listed of these commanded assemblies is the weekly sabbath. You may work for six days during the week, but the seventh day is the Sabbath. The Sabbath is first mentioned in Genesis: Gen 2:2 And on the seventh day God ended his work which he had made; and he rested on the seventh day from all his work which he had made. Gen 2:3 And God blessed the seventh day, and sanctified it: because that in it he had rested from all his work which God created and made. God made the seventh day of the week holy. He set it aside so we could assemble and worship God together. Those who are telling you that Sunday is the day you are to set aside to worship God are lying to you. Sunday is Satan’s day. And yes, you heard me. Sunday is Satan’s counterfeit day of worship. Passover Week and Days of Unleavened Bread Lev 23:4 These are the feasts of the LORD, even holy convocations, which ye shall proclaim in their seasons. Lev 23:5 In the fourteenth day of the first month at even is the LORD’S passover. Lev 23:6 And on the fifteenth day of the same month is the feast of unleavened bread unto the LORD: seven days ye must eat unleavened bread. Lev 23:7 In the first day ye shall have an holy convocation: ye shall do no servile work therein. Lev 23:8 But ye shall offer an offering made by fire unto the LORD seven days: in the seventh day is an holy convocation: ye shall do no servile work therein. The next Holy Day is Passover/Unleavened Bread. Passover/Unleavened Bread lasts for seven days and is the same feast. Many misunderstand this set of Holy Days. They wrongly believe that Christ changed the Passover from the 15th at even to the 14th at even. This is due to the meal that Christ ate with His apostles the night before He died. There are two scriptures which will clear this problem up for most. Eze 45:21 In the first month, in the fourteenth day of the month, ye shall have the passover, a feast of seven days; unleavened bread shall be eaten. Joh 13:1 Now before the feast of the passover, when Jesus knew that his hour was come that he should depart out of this world unto the Father, having loved his own which were in the world, he loved them unto the end. Eze. 45:21 is pretty clear. Notice John 13:1, in context this is after the meal he had with His apostles before He was crucified. Right after this scripture in context Christ is introducing the foot washing. The verse is pretty clear that this was being done before the feast of Passover. Many people in the Worldwide Church of God were taught that on the evening of the 14th which would be the evening where the 13th turned into the 14th at Sunset is the time that we were to keep the Passover, but scripture does not back that up. Worldwide also taught that on the next night as the 14th turned into the 15th, that everyone was supposed to eat a meal together in groups at different people’s houses and they called that night, “The Night to Be Much Observed”. In Leviticus 23 it does not list a Holy Day called “The Night to Be Much Observed”. The understanding of a “Night to be much observed” comes from Exodus 12:42. Read the entire chapter of Exodus 12 in context: You will see from reading that chapter that first the lamb was killed on the afternoon of the 14th, we know this because Christ was our Passover Lamb and He was crucified on the afternoon of the 14 between the two evenings or at 3:00 PM. Notice that they did not eat the lamb until it was killed. Then the meal was eaten as the 14th turned into the 15th at Sunset. This was the same evening the blood was daubed on the door posts so the death angel would pass over them. The next morning sometime after midnight they were all thrust out and had to leave. These events all took place on the latter part of the 14th and the beginning of the 15th. The meal the night of the 14th of Nisan as it turned to the 15th of Nisan was the Passover Meal. Worldwide did not have everything wrong, but they did not have it all right either. They taught that Passover was done on the early part of the 14th of Nisan, and it was not with a meal. Instead, they got together as a huge group and did only the wine, bread and the footwashing. They did the meal the next night. This was all sort of mixed up as they said that the Passover Lambs were killed after sunset on the early part of the 14th but yet Worldwide ate no meal that night and they all clearly knew that Christ was the Passover Lamb and they all knew that Christ was killed on the latter part of the 14th of Nisan. The Feast of Passover was to be seven days long and you were to eat unleavened bread every day of that seven-day feast starting with the Passover meal. Instead, if you were in Worldwide, Passover was treated as a regular workday where the only unleavened bread you had to eat was what you ate while gathered for the bread, the wine and the footwashing. After the Passover Ceremony was finished on the early part of the 14th of Nisan, you could work the next day and fill your stomach full of unleavened bread (sin) until the next day at sunset. Here’s the problem, Passover is a Holy Day and should be treated like one. There is no day between Passover and Unleavened Bread where you can fill your stomach with sin until sunset. Worldwide had a lot of things right, but this is one thing they failed on badly. If they had put the two nights together as they should have, they would have been eating an entire Passover Meal on the night of Nisan 15, with the bread, wine and footwashing. The night of Passover was the “Night to be Much Observed”. It was a memorial to be kept once a year. Those who have studied this subject for the most part have changed how they keep Passover, but others claim they have to hold fast what was once delivered to them. This belief system does not allow people to grow in grace and knowledge. It keeps them stuck in a wrong doctrine. A doctrine which will keep them from the “First Fruits Resurrection.” I realize that it can be confusing sometimes to look at scripture which sometimes seems to contradict itself. Since the word Passover is use almost a hundred times in scripture that can also become overwhelming. Take your concordance and find all the times the word Passover is used in scripture. Next divide it up into groups. For example, when it says Passover, in context is it talking about the meal, the holy day, the sacrifice or what is it talking about. Once you have it divided into groups it will be easier for you to see what day Passover is really on. At the same time, you need to study what “Between the Two Evenings” means according to scripture because it is defined in scripture when you study the time of day that the sacrifices were done. The sacrifices were never done at night so that alone eliminates and early 14th of Nisan from being Passover. The morning sacrifices were always done at 9:00 AM and the evening sacrifices were always done at 3:00 in the afternoon. Also, the word even does not always mean the beginning of the day, many times it means the end of the day. So, to sum it all up, Christ and the Passover Lambs were killed between the two evenings on the 14th of Nisan. Between the two evenings is talking about the period of time between noon when the sun starts going down in the sky and when the sun actually sets in the evening. Keep in mind that there is still daylight for 45 minutes to an hour once the sun has gone down. That short period of daylight between sunset and darkness is counted as the next day because it is the sunset that divides the day according to scripture. The Passover Meal including the bread, the wine and the footwashing is to be done at the beginning of the 15th of Nisan as the 14th of Nisan turns into the 15th of Nisan at sunset. It is a Holy Day and not a workday. This is also the time that you start eating unleavened bread each day for seven days, just like Ezekiel 45:21 says to do. The meal that Christ had with His apostles the night before He was crucified was not a Passover Meal, but Christ did use that meal to introduce the new emblems for Passover, the wine, the bread and the footwashing. See John 13:1 where it clearly says “Now before the feast of the passover, when Jesus knew that his hour was come that he should depart out of this world unto the Father,” This was in context at the point where Christ introduced the footwashing. Exo 12:6 And ye shall keep it up until the fourteenth day of the same month: and the whole assembly of the congregation of Israel shall kill it in the evening. Exo 12:7 And they shall take of the blood, and strike it on the two side posts and on the upper door post of the houses, wherein they shall eat it. Exo 12:8 And they shall eat the flesh in that night, roast with fire, and unleavened bread; and with bitter herbs they shall eat it. Exo 12:14 And this day shall be unto you for a memorial; and ye shall keep it a feast to the LORD throughout your generations; ye shall keep it a feast by an ordinance for ever. Exo 12:15 Seven days shall ye eat unleavened bread; even the first day ye shall put away leaven out of your houses: for whosoever eateth leavened bread from the first day until the seventh day, that soul shall be cut off from Israel. Exo 12:16 And in the first day there shall be an holy convocation, and in the seventh day there shall be an holy convocation to you; no manner of work shall be done in them, save that which every man must eat, that only may be done of you. Exo 12:42 It is a night to be much observed unto the LORD for bringing them out from the land of Egypt: this is that night of the LORD to be observed of all the children of Israel in their generations. Exo 12:43 And the LORD said unto Moses and Aaron, This is the ordinance of the passover: There shall no stranger eat thereof: Right there it is, it is talking about the Feast of Passover which lasts for seven days and you eat unleavened bread. The Wave Sheaf Offering Lev 23:9 And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, Lev 23:10 Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them, When ye be come into the land which I give unto you, and shall reap the harvest thereof, then ye shall bring a sheaf of the firstfruits of your harvest unto the priest: Lev 23:11 And he shall wave the sheaf before the LORD, to be accepted for you: on the morrow after the sabbath the priest shall wave it. Lev 23:12 And ye shall offer that day when ye wave the sheaf an he lamb without blemish of the first year for a burnt offering unto the LORD. Lev 23:13 And the meat offering thereof shall be two tenth deals of fine flour mingled with oil, an offering made by fire unto the LORD for a sweet savour: and the drink offering thereof shall be of wine, the fourth part of an hin. Lev 23:14 And ye shall eat neither bread, nor parched corn, nor green ears, until the selfsame day that ye have brought an offering unto your God: it shall be a statute for ever throughout your generations in all your dwellings. Notice verse 9 above where it says, “When ye be come into the land which I give unto you, and shall reap the harvest thereof, then ye shall bring a sheaf of the firstfruits of your harvest unto the priest:” Notice also Lev. verse 11 where it says the wave sheaf is to be done the day after the sabbath and that day is the high day sabbath of Passover. (See Jos. 5:10-11) Jos 5:10 And the children of Israel encamped in Gilgal, and kept the passover on the fourteenth day of the month at even in the plains of Jericho. Jos 5:11 And they did eat of the old corn of the land on the morrow after the passover, unleavened cakes, and parched corn in the selfsame day. The wave sheaf offering takes place on the day after Passover known as Nisan 16. The wave sheaf offering does not represent Christ. The wave sheaf offering represents the First Fruits. See verse 11 above. The wave sheaf offering does not represent Christ. Christ was accepted by the Father the minute He died for us which is why it was dark from noon until about 3 PM when Christ died, and the vale was ripped. Mat 27:51 And, behold, the veil of the temple was rent in twain from the top to the bottom; and the earth did quake, and the rocks rent. The wave sheaf represents the ecclesia. Read Albert Edersheim: . . . They [delegates from the Sanhedrin] cut down barley to the amount of one ephah, or ten omers, or three seahs, which is equal to about three pecks and three pints of our English measure. The ears were brought into the Court of the Temple, and thrashed out with canes or stalks, so as not to injure the corn; then ‘parched’ on a pan perforated with holes, so that each grain might be touched by the fire, and finally exposed to the wind. The corn thus prepared was ground in a barley mill, which left the hulls whole. According to some, the flour was always successfully passed through thirteen sieves, each closer than the other. The statement of a rival authority, however, seems more rational – that it was only done till the flour was sufficiently fine (Men. vi. 6, 7), which was ascertained by one of the ‘Gizbarim’ (treasurers) plunging his hands into it, the sifting process being continued so long as any of the flour adhered to the hands (Men. viii. 2). Though one ephah, or ten omers, of barley was cut down, only one omer of flour, or about 5.1 pints of our measure, was offered in the Temple on the second Paschal, or 16th day of Nisan. The rest of the flour might be redeemed and used for any purpose. The omer of flour was mixed with a ‘log,’ or very nearly three-fourths of a pint of oil, and a handful of frankincense put upon it, then waved before the Lord, and a handful taken out and burned on the altar. The remainder belonged to the priest. This was what is popularly, though not very correctly, called ‘the presentation of the first or wave-sheaf’ on the second day of the Passover-feast, or the 16th of Nisan. (pp. 204-205, The Temple: Its Ministry and Services, updated edition) The wave sheaf requires going through fire and being refined which is exactly what is happening right now to the first fruits. In temple times (at the time of Christ) the wave sheaf was always done on the 16th of Nisan or the day after the Passover. Passover and the First Day of Unleavened Bread are on the same day. Christ was crucified and died on the afternoon of the 14th of Nisan between the two evenings or about 3 PM. The Bible tells us that the wave offering is for those who give service to God, in other words, the First Fruits. Num 8:11 And Aaron shall offer the Levites before the LORD for an offering of the children of Israel, that they may execute the service of the LORD. Num 8:12 And the Levites shall lay their hands upon the heads of the bullocks: and thou shalt offer the one for a sin offering, and the other for a burnt offering, unto the LORD, to make an atonement for the Levites. Num 8:13 And thou shalt set the Levites before Aaron, and before his sons, and offer them for an offering unto the LORD. Num 8:14 Thus shalt thou separate the Levites from among the children of Israel: and the Levites shall be mine. Num 8:15 And after that shall the Levites go in to do the service of the tabernacle of the congregation: and thou shalt cleanse them and offer them for an offering. Jamieson, Fausset and Brown Commentary Numbers 8:11-13 And Aaron shall offer the Levites — Hebrew, “as a wave offering”; and it has been thought probable that the high priest, in bringing the Levites one by one to the altar, directed them to make some simple movements of their persons, analogous to what was done at the presentation of the wave offerings before the Lord. Thus were they first devoted as an offering to God, and by Him surrendered to the priests to be employed in His service. The consecration ceremonial was repeated in the case of every Levite who was taken (as was done at a later period) to assist the priests in the tabernacle and temple. (See on 2Ch_29:34). Joseph Benson Commentary Numbers 8:11 Aaron shall offer — Hebrew, Shall wave the Levites for a wave- offering; not that Aaron did so wave them, which he could not do, but it is probable that he lifted up his hands, and turned to all quarters of the heavens, as he did when he offered a wave-offering; and that he caused them to imitate his motions, and to wave themselves toward the several parts of the world; in order that they might hereby signify their readiness to serve God, according to their capacity, wheresoever they should be. End Quote In other words, the wave sheaf represents the First Fruits not just because they are being put through the fire now, but because they are in service to God now and in the future. The wave sheaf offering represents the First Fruits, those who will be and are serving God. Part of the wave sheaf offering was discarded. Many are called but few are chosen. So just because you are called does not mean you will be chosen to be one of the “firstfruits” it depends on your loyalty to God and His Law and whether you will let the Holy Spirit work in you to lead you into all truth-+ . The Feast of Weeks (First Fruits) Lev 23:15 And ye shall count unto you from the morrow after the sabbath, from the day that ye brought the sheaf of the wave offering; seven sabbaths shall be complete: Lev 23:16 Even unto the morrow after the seventh sabbath shall ye number fifty days; and ye shall offer a new meat offering unto the LORD. Lev 23:17 Ye shall bring out of your habitations two wave loaves of two tenth deals: they shall be of fine flour; they shall be baken with leaven; they are the firstfruits unto the LORD. Lev 23:18 And ye shall offer with the bread seven lambs without blemish of the first year, and one young bullock, and two rams: they shall be for a burnt offering unto the LORD, with their meat offering, and their drink offerings, even an offering made by fire, of sweet savour unto the LORD. Lev 23:19 Then ye shall sacrifice one kid of the goats for a sin offering, and two lambs of the first year for a sacrifice of peace offerings. Lev 23:20 And the priest shall wave them with the bread of the firstfruits for a wave offering before the LORD, with the two lambs: they shall be holy to the LORD for the priest. Lev 23:21 And ye shall proclaim on the selfsame day, that it may be an holy convocation unto you: ye shall do no servile work therein: it shall be a statute for ever in all your dwellings throughout your generations. Lev 23:22 And when ye reap the harvest of your land, thou shalt not make clean riddance of the corners of thy field when thou reapest, neither shalt thou gather any gleaning of thy harvest: thou shalt leave them unto the poor, and to the stranger: I am the LORD your God. Where to begin. This is another Holy Day which the Worldwide Church of God taught wrongly. At first Herbert W. Armstrong taught a Sivan 6 Pentecost, which was the right one. Then he taught a Monday Pentecost and then a Sunday Pentecost. Apparently, he was a little mixed up in regard to what day to keep Pentecost which is why there are within the Church of God today, three groups all keeping a different day. And they all believe they are right, but who is right on this topic? Anciently and on the Hebrew Calendar the day being kept was Sivan 6. And scripture backs this date up. Exo 19:1 In the third month, when the children of Israel were gone forth out of the land of Egypt, the same day came they into the wilderness of Sinai. Exo 19:2 For they were departed from Rephidim, and were come to the desert of Sinai, and had pitched in the wilderness; and there Israel camped before the mount. Exo 19:3 And Moses went up unto God, and the LORD called unto him out of the mountain, saying, Thus shalt thou say to the house of Jacob, and tell the children of Israel; Exo 19:4 Ye have seen what I did unto the Egyptians, and how I bare you on eagles’ wings, and brought you unto myself. Exo 19:5 Now therefore, if ye will obey my voice indeed, and keep my covenant, then ye shall be a peculiar treasure unto me above all people: for all the earth is mine: Exo 19:6 And ye shall be unto me a kingdom of priests, and an holy nation. These are the words which thou shalt speak unto the children of Israel. Exo 19:7 And Moses came and called for the elders of the people, and laid before their faces all these words which the LORD commanded him. Exo 19:8 And all the people answered together, and said, All that the LORD hath spoken we will do. And Moses returned the words of the people unto the LORD. Exo 19:9 And the LORD said unto Moses, Lo, I come unto thee in a thick cloud, that the people may hear when I speak with thee, and believe thee for ever. And Moses told the words of the people unto the LORD. Exo 19:10 And the LORD said unto Moses, Go unto the people, and sanctify them to day and to morrow, and let them wash their clothes, Exo 19:11 And be ready against the third day: for the third day the LORD will come down in the sight of all the people upon mount Sinai. In context Exodus 19 is not only telling us when the law was given to those who came out of Egypt, but it is also giving us the date of Pentecost. They arrived in the third month on the third day of the month. Later, in verses 10 and 11 it shows they had two days of preparation which would be the 4th and 5th of Sivan and they were to be ready against the third day which was when they would receive the law. And that day was Sivan 6. So, the count to Pentecost began on Nisan 16 the day after Passover. When you count from Nisan 16, the count will always end on Sivan 6. The reason we count from Nisan 16 to Pentecost on Sivan 6 is because a bride always counts to the day of her wedding. Also, in the New Testament the Holy Spirit was given on the day of Pentecost. This is important because the Holy Spirit is what writes the law of God into our heart (mind) and helps us keep the law of God. Act 2:1 And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. Act 2:2 And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting. Act 2:3 And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them. Act 2:4 And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance. In the future the elect of God will be resurrected or changed on Pentecost and be taken to the sea of glass in heaven where they will attend the “Wedding Supper of the Lamb.” After that they will be instructed and trained in their duties for ruling with Christ for a thousand years. This time period between the Feast of Firstfruits (Pentecost) and the Feast of Trumpets will be when the bowls of wrath are poured out on the earth. The Feast of Trumpets Lev 23:23 And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, Lev 23:24 Speak unto the children of Israel, saying, In the seventh month, in the first day of the month, shall ye have a sabbath, a memorial of blowing of trumpets, an holy convocation. Lev 23:25 Ye shall do no servile work therein: but ye shall offer an offering made by fire unto the LORD. This is the day the Hebrew Calendar is set by. This day can slide up to two days one way or the other in order to get the full moon to show up on Passover and again on the Feast of Tabernacles (Booths). This is also the day that Christ will return to earth with His 144,000 Saints to set up the Kingdom of God on earth. Rev 14:3 And they sung as it were a new song before the throne, and before the four beasts, and the elders: and no man could learn that song but the hundred and forty and four thousand, which were redeemed from the earth. Rev 14:1 And I looked, and, lo, a Lamb stood on the mount Sion, and with him an hundred forty and four thousand, having his Father’s name written in their foreheads. The Day of Atonement Lev 23:26 And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, Lev 23:27 Also on the tenth day of this seventh month there shall be a day of atonement: it shall be an holy convocation unto you; and ye shall afflict your souls, and offer an offering made by fire unto the LORD. Lev 23:28 And ye shall do no work in that same day: for it is a day of atonement, to make an atonement for you before the LORD your God. Lev 23:29 For whatsoever soul it be that shall not be afflicted in that same day, he shall be cut off from among his people. Lev 23:30 And whatsoever soul it be that doeth any work in that same day, the same soul will I destroy from among his people. Lev 23:31 Ye shall do no manner of work: it shall be a statute for ever throughout your generations in all your dwellings. Lev 23:32 It shall be unto you a sabbath of rest, and ye shall afflict your souls: in the ninth day of the month at even, from even unto even, shall ye celebrate your sabbath. For those who have doubts that days should be kept from sunset to sunset, here is the proof you need to show that days were kept from sunset to sunset. Some believe that only the daytime period is a Holy Day and others add parts of days to this and call it pre-atonement. Neither of those are correct. This is pretty clear that we are to keep atonement from sunset on the 9th until sunset on the 10th. Atonement is a picture of reconciliation between man and God and should be kept as a fast day. That means no food and no water from sunset on the 9th until sunset on the 10th. There has in the past also been a conflict over who the two goats represent. Both goats represent Christ. Lev 16:21 And Aaron shall lay both his hands upon the head of the live goat, and confess over him all the iniquities of the children of Israel, and all their transgressions in all their sins, putting them upon the head of the goat, and shall send him away by the hand of a fit man into the wilderness: Lev 16:22 And the goat shall bear upon him all their iniquities unto a land not inhabited: and he shall let go the goat in the wilderness. The first goat is a sin offering which was sacrificed just as Christ sacrificed His life for us. The second goat, the live goat also represents Christ in that in a future age all of our sins are put on Christ and taken away not to be remembered again. The Feast of Tabernacles (Booths) and the Eighth Day Lev 23:33 And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, Lev 23:34 Speak unto the children of Israel, saying, The fifteenth day of this seventh month shall be the feast of tabernacles for seven days unto the LORD. Lev 23:35 On the first day shall be an holy convocation: ye shall do no servile work therein. Lev 23:36 Seven days ye shall offer an offering made by fire unto the LORD: on the eighth day shall be an holy convocation unto you; and ye shall offer an offering made by fire unto the LORD: it is a solemn assembly; and ye shall do no servile work therein. Lev 23:37 These are the feasts of the LORD, which ye shall proclaim to be holy convocations, to offer an offering made by fire unto the LORD, a burnt offering, and a meat offering, a sacrifice, and drink offerings, every thing upon his day: Lev 23:38 Beside the sabbaths of the LORD, and beside your gifts, and beside all your vows, and beside all your freewill offerings, which ye give unto the LORD. Lev 23:39 Also in the fifteenth day of the seventh month, when ye have gathered in the fruit of the land, ye shall keep a feast unto the LORD seven days: on the first day shall be a sabbath, and on the eighth day shall be a sabbath. Lev 23:40 And ye shall take you on the first day the boughs of goodly trees, branches of palm trees, and the boughs of thick trees, and willows of the brook; and ye shall rejoice before the LORD your God seven days. Lev 23:41 And ye shall keep it a feast unto the LORD seven days in the year. It shall be a statute for ever in your generations: ye shall celebrate it in the seventh month. Lev 23:42 Ye shall dwell in booths seven days; all that are Israelites born shall dwell in booths: Lev 23:43 That your generations may know that I made the children of Israel to dwell in booths, when I brought them out of the land of Egypt: I am the LORD your God. Lev 23:44 And Moses declared unto the children of Israel the feasts of the LORD. This feast represents what most people are looking forward to, the Kingdom of God on earth, the 1000-year millennial reign of Christ. This is the time period when the 144,000 elect of God will be ruling with Christ and teaching mankind how to live. The eighth day is when the rest of the dead are resurrected to life or to death. Conclusion As you can see, all Annual Holy Days are to be kept once a year, in certain months (seasons) and on certain days. The Hebrew Calendar as preserved by the Jewish People is the calendar, we should all use until such time that Christ tells us differently. Through the years many people have been trying to lead God’s people in a different direction, for example moon sightings or barley sightings. Neither of those are backed up in scripture. The moon sightings don’t work because some figure the dark moon and some the crescent moon which cannot be seen with the natural eye and even scientists are not accurate in sighting the moon even with their vast array of instruments. As for the barley, it will ripen in different parts of Israel at different times. The best reason to use the Hebrew Calendar is because it was the calendar that was used at the time of Christ and all the Holy Day dates listed on it can be found and proven from scripture. ——————————————————————————————————————- See Laura Lee’s other articles at: Lee, Laura – The “New” Church of God Messenger (church-of-god-bismarck.org) Web Site: https://church-of-god-bismarck.org/ ——————————————————————————————————————- |
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