Holidays vs Biblical Holy Days

Hello fellow truth seekers! My name is Elisheva. From time to time I will be contributing some of my thoughts to the Sacred Grove Ministries blog. Today, I wanted to share something with you that has become part of my personal journey in recent years. Several years ago I attended a Christ focused Passover Feast with some friends. It was a beautiful, moving experience and I felt the Spirit abundantly during the program. That experience led me to embark on a study of the biblical feasts, or Holy Days, taught in the Old Testament (Torah) and practiced by Jesus Christ and his followers in their day. I've since begun to practice these special holidays in my own home as part of my spiritual observance, and I find joy and peace in doing so. 

My intention in sharing this with you is twofold. First, when I discover something that is beautiful and good to me, I want to share it with others. Second, I believe that the Holy Days are an important and meaningful part of a Christian lifestyle, yet few Christians even know about them. I hope my words can shed some light on this aspect of faithful observance to God’s law.

For some background on myself, I am an active, temple recommend holding member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. I see these practices as adding something to my religious observance, not deterring from it. You may ask, if we're meant to observe these biblical holidays in our day, then why doesn't the Church restore them? It is my hope that one day they will, but in the meantime, following are a few of my thoughts on the matter. 

In recent years, we've heard reference in General Conference to the "continuing restoration." I believe what Joseph Smith restored was a beginning, and that there will be further restoration and prophecy fulfilled as we near the time of Jesus Christ's Second Coming. Even Joseph himself said, "Is it not to be understood that the law of Moses will be established again with all its rites and variety of ceremonies?" (Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, p. 173). Until that day, it is left for people to discover, in their own line-upon-line journey, what the Lord would have them do, and when. 

As an example, consider the prophecies regarding a future exodus of the saints to return to Missouri (if you're unfamiliar with this, here is a great video that explains it well : https://youtu.be/yv-9qAutsgA?si=pUVRqzBsQIp6tiTO ). A mass call from the prophet to relocate to Missouri has not come. In fact, the current instruction to the body of the church is quite the opposite. Yet, those of us who've relocated to Missouri in the last 20 years or so, myself included, can attest to the fact that the Lord led us there, often kicking and screaming. It's a very common phenomenon in the wards and stakes of northwest Missouri, to hear a new family share in testimony meeting their story of being led by the Spirit, despite difficulties and misgivings, to relocate to the area. These historically significant places in Missouri, Far West, Adam-Ondi-Ahman, Liberty, and Independence areas, have grown quite significantly and rapidly in recent years, mostly due to members reluctantly relocating, with stories just like this. So, while there may not be a mass call to go to Missouri, and the church is encouraging members to "stay put" so to speak, there has been a call from the Spirit to certain families who I suspect are being led there as a preparatory force.  

In similar fashion, there is a movement of LDS church members and Christians alike to learn and embrace the observation of biblical holidays and feast days, including the traditional Shabbat (Saturday Sabbath). Whether these practices will be restored to the church as a whole or not in our lifetimes, they are now being restored to those of the House of Israel whose hearts are opened to ponder and accept the word of God in Leviticus 23, wherein he commands, “The feasts of the LORD, which you shall proclaim to be holy convocations, these are My feasts…. which you shall proclaim at their appointed times," and, "It shall be a statute forever in all your dwellings throughout your generations.” 

Finally, it's important to realize that the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints does not have exclusive knowledge of all truth. There are eternal truths in many other religions, faiths, sciences, and metaphysical or spiritual beliefs and practices, which may not at this time be common knowledge or practice among the Saints. Yet, whether we have it in our possession at the time or not, all eternal truth is inspired by God and is part of His true gospel. Thus we are encouraged by the Lord to "Seek ye out of the best books words of wisdom; seek learning, even by study, and also by faith," (D&C 88:118). Brigham Young spoke of this concept many times. Said he: 

"“Mormonism,” so-called, embraces every principle pertaining to life and salvation, for time and eternity. ... The truth and sound doctrine possessed by the sectarian world, and they have a great deal, all belong to this Church. As for their morality, many of them are, morally, just as good as we are. All that is good, lovely, and praiseworthy belongs to this Church and Kingdom. “Mormonism” includes all truth. ... It is our duty and calling, as ministers of the same salvation and Gospel, to gather every item of truth and reject every error. Whether a truth be found with... any other of the various and numerous different sects and parties, all of whom have more or less truth, it is the business of the Elders of this Church...to gather up all the truths in the world pertaining to life and salvation, to the Gospel we preach, … to the sciences, and to philosophy, wherever it may be found in every nation, kindred, tongue, and people and bring it to Zion. ... “Be willing to receive the truth, let it come from whom it may... Our religion measures, weighs, and circumscribes all the wisdom in the world—all that God has ever revealed to man. God has revealed all the truth that is now in the possession of the world, whether it be scientific or religious. The whole world are under obligation to him for what they know and enjoy; they are indebted to him for it all, and I acknowledge him in all things,” (Doctrines of Brigham Young).

Below I've pasted an article I found that explains well the reasons why I think the Holy Days matter, what they represent, and why I personally have chosen to observe them. Read on for a more complete understanding. That being said, please don't mistake my sharing as pressure to believe or act as I choose to do. Your spiritual journey may not look like mine, and that's ok. One's spiritual journey is a very personal and individual process. For me, observance of the Holy Days is currently part of my path to God. There may be a "straight and narrow path" to the Love of God, but I believe there are many routes that lead to that path. Ultimately, coming to know God and be filled with His love is the most important thing, however we get there. After all, it is this love in our hearts that will identify us as His at His coming. That being said, I personally believe these Holy Days are important and well worth your consideration.

Coming up this week is the first of several Holy Days happening in October this year. The Feast of Trumpets, which is the Hebrew New Year, represents "the Day of the Lord, described in the book of Revelation—the year preceding the return of Jesus Christ, during which the seventh seal will be opened and the seven trumpets of God will be blown (Revelation 6:17; 8:1–13; 9:1–21; 11:15; Isaiah 34:8; 63:4)." If, after reading the article* below, you do have an interest in learning more about celebrating the Holy Days, then look for future blog posts on Sacred Grove Ministries that will share guides on how to observe a Feast Day service in your own home.

The New Testament Church Kept the Holy Days of the Bible

Many are surprised when they discover that the New Testament commands Christians to keep God’s seven annual Holy Days. God uses these special days every year to teach us about His great plan of salvation and His love for all of mankind. Explore these ancient biblical Festivals and learn their profound meaning.

The Biblical Holy Days found in Leviticus 23 are not a part of the modern, mainstream Christian tradition. Instead, they have been replaced with the holidays most are more familiar with, like Christmas and Easter. Most ministers and churches will say, “Whatever we do is fine, as long as we do it to worship Jesus.”

But what does God say? What does He expect His people to do? As followers of Christ, should we observe the biblical Festivals, or traditional holidays? In this article, we’ll examine the days God commanded to be kept Holy, see from Scripture that Jesus Christ and the New Testament Church observed those days, and briefly examine how these biblical Festivals reveal the incredible plan of God.

What Are the Biblical Festivals Commanded by God?

The biblical Festivals, or Holy Days, are specific days of the year that God commanded to be kept as Holy. There are seven of them, and each one has profound meaning, which we’ll explore later in this article. These days are listed in order in Leviticus 23. Some have called these days, “Jewish Feasts,” but we see in Leviticus 23 that God calls them His Feasts. “The feasts of the LORD, which you shall proclaim to be holy convocations, these are My feasts…. These are the feasts of the LORD, holy convocations which you shall proclaim at their appointed times” (Leviticus 23:2–4). The rest of the chapter goes on to list them and explain when in the year each one is to be observed.

The commanded biblical festivals are:

The Passover (Pesach) (v. 5)
The Days of Unleavened Bread (Chag HaMatzot) (vv. 6–8)
The Feast of Weeks, called the Day of Pentecost in the New Testament (Shavuot) (vv. 15–22)
The Feast of Trumpets (Rosh Hashanah) (vv. 23–25)
The Day of Atonement (Yom Kippur) (vv. 26–32)
The Feast of Tabernacles (Sukkot) (vv. 33–39)
The Eighth Day Feast, called the Last Great Day in the New Testament (Shemini Atzeret & Simchat Torah) (v. 39)

But these days weren’t only to be kept by ancient Israel or the Jews—all of God’s people throughout history were to keep them. He states in Leviticus 23:21, “It shall be a statute forever in all your dwellings throughout your generations.” These days are to be observed by all who worship the true God. That is why Jesus Christ observed them.

Jesus Christ and the Early Church Observed the 7 Annual Holy Days

It is not disputed among those who know their Bible that Jesus kept the biblical Festivals described in Leviticus. The record shows that He kept these days from an early age. “His parents went to Jerusalem every year at the Feast of the Passover. And when He was twelve years old, they went up to Jerusalem according to the custom of the feast” (Luke 2:41–42). Of course, He not only observed the Passover with His family in His youth; He continued to keep it until His death, even teaching His disciples to observe it with new symbols (John 13:1–7; Luke 22:14–23). It is also recorded that they observed the Days of Unleavened Bread (Matthew 26:17; Mark 14:1, 12; Luke 22:1, 7), the Feast of Tabernacles (John 7:1–24), and the Last Great Day (John 7:37–39). But observance of these Feasts did not stop when Jesus died.

The book of Acts and the letters written by the apostles of the first-century Church leave us a record showing that they continued to keep the biblical Feasts for decades after Jesus’ death and resurrection. In the letter to the Corinthians, Paul reiterated instructions regarding how to keep the Passover with wine and unleavened bread (1 Corinthians 11:17–34). In the same letter, speaking of the Days of Unleavened Bread, he commanded the congregation, “let us keep the feast” (1 Corinthians 5:8), and went on to help them understand the meaning of those days. This was over 20 years after Jesus died, and the Church at Corinth was largely made of Gentiles, not Jews.

Act 2 records the first Day of Pentecost after Jesus died. Here we see Peter, after receiving the Holy Spirit, giving a message on the meaning of that day (Acts 2:1–39), causing many to come to repentance, be baptized, and receive the Holy Spirit. While this was only a few weeks after Jesus died, we also see that Paul was still talking about and observing Pentecost—even among Gentile congregations—more than 25 years later (Acts 20:16; 1 Corinthians 16:8). We see a reference to the Day of Atonement (Acts 27:9). Finally, we read Paul’s words in Acts 18:21, “I must by all means keep this coming feast in Jerusalem….” The biblical record is clear: The biblical Feasts were still kept by the Church of God well after Jesus died and were an active part of the Church’s culture, for both Jews and Gentiles.

It is also revealing that the Bible shows that the Holy Days will be observed during the future millennial reign of Jesus Christ. “And it shall come to pass that everyone who is left of all the nations which came against Jerusalem shall go up from year to year to worship the King, the LORD of hosts, and to keep the Feast of Tabernacles. 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, on them there will be no rain. If the family of Egypt will not come up… they shall have no rain…. This shall be the punishment of Egypt and the punishment of all the nations that do not come up to keep the Feast of Tabernacles” (Zechariah 14:16–19).

It is clear that the Bible shows that these days are to be kept—but what do they mean?

The Holy Days Reveal God’s Incredible Plan for Mankind

While these days were kept by ancient Israel and the Jews, for millennia their meaning was not fully revealed until Jesus Christ Himself preached on these days and the Holy Spirit was given to those in His Church on the Day of Pentecost in 31 AD. Here is a very brief overview of the meaning of each of these Festivals and some associated passages, of which Jesus Christ is the focal point. Together, they illustrate, in order, the steps in God’s plan of salvation for humanity.

1. Passover points to the sacrifice of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins (1 Corinthians 11:23–34; Luke 22:14–23).
   
   
2. The Days of Unleavened Bread point to removing sin and pride from our lives and taking on the obedience and mind of Jesus Christ (1 Corinthians 5:6–8; John 6:4, 31–58).
   
   
3. The Day of Pentecost points to the giving of the Holy Spirit to the Church of God (Acts 2).
   
   
4. The Feast of Trumpets points to the Day of the Lord described in the book of Revelation—the year preceding the return of Jesus Christ, during which the seventh seal will be opened and the seven trumpets of God will be blown (Revelation 6:17; 8:1–13; 9:1–21; 11:15; Isaiah 34:8; 63:4).
   
   
5. The Day of Atonement points to the day when Satan the devil will be imprisoned for 1,000 years and no longer able to influence mankind (Leviticus 16:6–10, 21–26; Revelation 20:1–3).
   
   
6. The Feast of Tabernacles pictures the 1,000 year reign of Jesus Christ and His saints on planet Earth (Revelation 20:4–6; Zechariah 14:16–21; Isaiah 11:1–16).
   
   
7. The Last Great Day pictures the Great White Throne Judgment that will occur after the Millennium, when all of those who have ever lived and died without knowing the truth will be given their first genuine opportunity to know Him and practice His way of life (John 7:37–39; Revelation 20:11–13; Matthew 11:21–24; 12:41–42).

The above passages are just a small handful of many, many more that expound in incredible detail the meaning of these days. God not only provided His word to mankind; He also provided these annual Festivals, which are meant to remind His Church, each and every year, of His plan—the big picture from His perspective.

The Record and Meaning of Traditional Holidays

Simply put, most of the traditional holidays we’re familiar with, such Christmas, Lent, and Easter, are not in the Bible. These holidays can’t be found in the Bible (besides one mistranslation in the King James Version using the word “Easter,” which scholars recognize should have been “Passover” as shown in other translations). Additionally, it is not a secret that these days have never been rooted in Scripture. Rather, they are rooted in pagan customs and the worship of pagan gods. You can prove this with your Bible.

Professing Christians began keeping these holidays instead of God’s Holy Days because they were instituted by the Roman church, often hundreds of years after Jesus established His Church. This was done in an effort to make it easier for pagan worshipers to “come into the fold,” since it did not require them to change their ways of worship—only the name of the god. In other words, God’s form of worship was abolished, while pagan worship was adopted and called “Christian.”

The meanings of the traditional holidays are deceptive. They do sound good, because they claim to be about our Savior. It is claimed that Christmas is about His birth and Easter is about His resurrection. However, the reality is that these ancient days of worship were originally designated for the sun god, in the case of Christmas, and the ancient fertility goddess called Ishtar, in the case of Easter. Any apparent “Christian” meaning exists only because the leaders of the Roman church attached the name of Jesus Christ to these pagan days, long after the record given in the book of Acts.

What Does This Mean for the Church of God?

Many ministers and churches will argue that holidays originating in paganism are okay “because now we do it to worship Jesus.” They can believe that—but we’ll believe the warning God gave to His people when they came out of Egypt and were about to take over the Promised Land: “Do not inquire after their gods, saying, ‘How did these nations serve their gods? I also will do likewise.’ You shall not worship the LORD your God in that way…. Whatever I command you, be careful to observe it: you shall not add to it nor take away from it” (Deuteronomy 12:30–32). Later, the prophet Jeremiah warned, “Thus says the LORD, ‘Do not learn the way of the Gentile’” (Jeremiah 10:2). Additionally, Jesus said, “This people honors Me with their lips, but their heart is far from Me. And in vain they worship Me, teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.’ For laying aside the commandment of God, you hold the tradition of men” (Mark 7:6-8). True followers of Jesus Christ, have the opportunity to obey the God of Heaven and worship Him the way He prescribed, as is recorded in the book of Acts and the entire New Testament.

In fact, both the weekly Sabbath and the annual Holy Days are a sign between God and His people. “I also gave them My Sabbaths [plural], to be a sign between them and Me, that they might know that I am the LORD who sanctifies them… hallow My Sabbaths [plural], and they will be a sign between Me and you, that you may know that I am the LORD your God” (Ezekiel 20:12, 20). In other words, observance of the weekly Sabbath and annual Holy Days is one of the signs of God's people, who genuinely seek to obey Him.

What does this mean for you?

In Shalom, Elisheva ishah Raphael

*From the Restored Church of God website