The Mo’edim are the appointed times YHWH gave to Israel, (If you are a believer in Yeshua you have been grafted into Israel, more on this to come in a future post). They are not Jewish holidays, they are Biblical holidays and serve a profound purpose. It may come as a shocker to many of you, but Christmas and Easter are not a part of the Mo’edim, they are pagan in origin and still are, regardless of what the Church says. We do not have the authority to “Christianize” pagan holidays, even though the Catholic Church believes it does. That’s like saying we have the power to “Christianize” adultery, theft, lying, stealing, murdering, and so on.
What does YHWH think about our holidays like Christmas and Easter? Holidays derived from pagan religions.
“I have hated, I have despised your festivals, and I am not pleased with your assemblies. “Though you offer Me ascending offerings and your grain offerings, I do not accept them, nor do I look on your fattened peace offerings. “Take away from Me the noise of your songs, for I do not hear the sound of your stringed instruments.” (Amos 5:21-23)
He hates them plain and simple, he doesn’t want anything to do with pagan holidays. Even if it is in His name, even if we sing songs to Him, He will not listen. With that in mind let’s learn what His appointed times are and what we should do on those days.
Passover, Feast of Unleavened Bread, and the Firstfruits
“These are the appointed times of יהוה, set-apart gatherings which you are to proclaim at their appointed times. ‘In the first new moon, on the fourteenth day of the new moon, between the evenings, is the Pĕsaḥ (Passover) to יהוה. ‘And on the fifteenth day of this new moon is the Festival of Matzot (unleavened bread) to יהוה – seven days you eat unleavened bread. ‘On the first day you have a set-apart gathering, you do no servile work. ‘And you shall bring an offering made by fire to יהוה for seven days. On the seventh day is a set-apart gathering, you do no servile work.’ ”And יהוה spoke to Mosheh (Moses), saying, “Speak to the children of Yisra’ĕl (Israel), and you shall say to them, ‘When you come into the land which I give you, and shall reap its harvest, then you shall bring a sheaf of the first-fruits of your harvest to the priest. ‘And he shall wave the sheaf before יהוה, for your acceptance. On the morrow after the Sabbath the priest waves it. ‘And on that day when you wave the sheaf, you shall prepare a male lamb a year old, a perfect one, as an ascending offering to יהוה, and its grain offering: two-tenths of an ĕphah of fine flour mixed with oil, an offering made by fire to יהוה, a sweet fragrance, and its drink offering: one-fourth of a hin of wine. ‘And you do not eat bread or roasted grain or fresh grain until the same day that you have brought an offering to your Elohim – a law forever throughout your generations in all your dwellings.” (Leviticus 23:4-14)
Passover is symbolic for two reasons, from the Old Testament we remember when the Israelites spread lambs’ blood over their doorpost so that YHWH would not strike down any of Israel’s firstborn. From the New Testament, we remember Yeshua’s sacrifice, for he was crucified on Passover, dying for our sins (transgression the Torah).
The day after Passover is when unleavened bread begins, it is a 7-day festival and on day 1 we have a holy convocation or a gathering of the faithful and a Sabbath rest. On the last day, we again have a gathering of the faithful, or as we’ve come to know it “church”, and a Sabbath rest. During this whole week, we are to eat unleavened bread, which is bread that hasn’t risen. We are to do this in remembrance of when YHWH brought the Israelites out of Egypt. After the crucifixion of Yeshua, he was in the grave for unleavened bread, again this is bread that hasn’t risen. Then there is Firstfruits, the actions to be done on this day are supposed to be done by a Levitical priest and the offerings have been taking care of by our King and Messiah Yeshua. On this day we remember when YHWH brought the Israelites into the promised land. It is also a day of looking forward to, for Yeshua rose on Firstfruits, as he is the first fruit of the resurrection!
“Your boasting is not good. Do you not know that a little leaven leavens the entire lump? Therefore cleanse out the old leaven, so that you are a new lump, as you are unleavened. For also Messiah our Pĕsaḥ (Passover) was slaughtered for us. So then let us celebrate the festival, not with old leaven, nor with the leaven of evil and wickedness, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.” (1 Corinthians 5:6-8)
In this chapter, Paul is addressing sexual immorality that was among the body of believers, and he instructs them to throw away their sin (leaven) and to walk according to the Spirit. He also tells them to celebrate the festival of unleavened bread, Paul kept the Torah and the Mo’edim and we are to imitate him as he imitated Yeshua.
“But now Messiah has been raised from the dead, and has become the first-fruit of those having fallen asleep. For since death is through a man, resurrection of the dead is also through a Man. For as all die in Adam, so also all shall be made alive in Messiah. And each in his own order: Messiah the first-fruits, then those who are of Messiah at His coming,” (1 Corinthians 15:20-23)
Here we see that indeed Yeshua is the Firstfruits of the resurrection.
Feast of Weeks/ Pentecost
“And the priest shall wave them, besides the bread of the first-fruits, as a wave offering before יהוה, besides the two lambs. They are set-apart to יהוה for the priest. ‘And on this same day you shall proclaim a set-apart gathering for yourselves, you do no servile work on it – a law forever in all your dwellings throughout your generations.” (Leviticus 23:20-21)
On Pentecost, which takes place 50 days after FirstFruits, we are to gather with other believers and worship the Most High (holy convocation) and to have a Sabbath rest. It is a time to remember when YHWH gave us the Torah and when the Rauch Hakodesh descended upon the believers In the Brit Hadashah (New Testament).
“And see, I am sending the Promise of My Father upon you, but you are to remain in the city of Yerushalayim (Jerusalem) until you are clothed with power from on high.” (Luke 24:49)
“And suddenly there came a sound from the heaven, as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting. And there appeared to them divided tongues, as of fire, and settled on each one of them. And they were all filled with the Set-apart (Holy) Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them to speak.” (Acts 2:2-4)
Yeshua fulfilled the first festivals to the T, he died on Passover, was in the grave for Unleavened Bread, and rose with FirstFruits. Then the Holy Spirit descends upon the followers of Yeshua on Pentecost. Now, these next festivals have yet to be fulfilled and I can’t wait for the day when they are.
Day of Trumpets
“Speak to the children of Yisra’ĕl (Israel), saying, ‘In the seventh new moon, on the first day of the new moon, you have a rest, a remembrance of Teru‛ah (trumpets), ‘You do no servile work, and you shall bring an offering made by fire to יהוה.” (Leviticus 23:24-25)
On this day we have a holy convocation, Sabbath rest, and we are to blow trumpets. I believe this will be fulfilled when the gathering of the elect happens because each time it’s mentioned in the Bible it is accompanied by the blast of a trumpet.
“And immediately after the distress of those days the sun shall be darkened, and the moon shall not give its light, and the stars shall fall from the heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken. “And then the sign of the Son of Adam shall appear in the heaven, and then all the tribes of the earth shall mourn, and they shall see the Son of Adam coming on the clouds of the heaven with power and much esteem. And He shall send His messengers with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together His chosen ones from the four winds, from one end of the heavens to the other.” (Matthew 24:29-31)
“Because the Master Himself shall come down from heaven with a shout, with the voice of a chief messenger, and with the trumpet of Elohim, and the dead in Messiah shall rise first. Then we, the living who are left over, shall be caught away together with them in the clouds to meet the Master in the air – and so we shall always be with the Master. So, then, encourage one another with these words.” (1 Thessalonians 4:16-18)
Day of Atonement
“On the tenth day of this seventh new moon is Yom haKippurim (Day of Atonement). It shall be a set-apart gathering for you. And you shall afflict your beings, and shall bring an offering made by fire to יהוה. “And you do no work on that same day, for it is Yom Kippurim (Day of Atonement), to make atonement for you before יהוה your Elohim. “For any being who is not afflicted on that same day, he shall be cut off from his people. “And any being who does any work on that same day, that being I shall destroy from the midst of his people. “You do no work – a law forever throughout your generations in all your dwellings. ‘It is a Sabbath of rest to you, and you shall afflict your beings. On the ninth day of the new moon at evening, from evening to evening, you observe your Sabbath.” (Leviticus 23:27-32)
On this day we have our holy convocation, Sabbath rest, and we are to afflict ourselves. Many take this to be fasting or humbling ourselves. I believe this could be fulfilled on the Day of Judgment but at this moment I’m not completely sure.
Feast of Tabernacles
“Speak to the children of Yisra’ĕl (Israel), saying, ‘On the fifteenth day of this seventh new moon is the Festival of Sukkot (Tabernacles) for seven days to יהוה. ‘On the first day is a set-apart gathering, you do no servile work. ‘For seven days you bring an offering made by fire to יהוה. On the eighth day there shall be a set-apart gathering for you, and you shall bring an offering made by fire to יהוה. It is a closing festival, you do no servile work. ‘These are the appointed times of יהוה which you proclaim as set-apart gatherings, to bring an offering made by fire to יהוה, an ascending offering and a grain offering, a slaughtering and drink offerings, as commanded for every day – besides the Sabbaths of יהוה, and besides your gifts, and besides all your vows, and besides all your voluntary offerings which you give to יהוה. ‘On the fifteenth day of the seventh new moon, when you gather in the fruit of the land, celebrate the festival of יהוה for seven days. On the first day is a rest, and on the eighth day a rest. ‘And you shall take for yourselves on the first day the fruit of good trees, branches of palm trees, twigs of leafy trees, and willows of the stream, and shall rejoice before יהוה your Elohim for seven days. ‘And you shall celebrate it as a festival to יהוה for seven days in the year – a law forever in your generations. Celebrate it in the seventh new moon. ‘Dwell in booths for seven days; all who are native born in Yisra’ĕl (Israel) dwell in booths, so that your generations know that I made the children of Yisra’ĕl (Israel) dwell in booths when I brought them out of the land of Mitsrayim (Egypt). I am יהוה your Elohim.” (Leviticus 23:34-43)
This is an 8-day festival, on day 1 we have a holy convocation and a Sabbath rest, and on the last day another holy convocation and Sabbath rest. For Sukkot we are also to dwell in temporary shelters, such as tents. I know many assemblies that will go camping together for the week of Sukkot. This festival is not only about remembrance but also us looking forward to when YHWH will once again tabernacle amongst us!
“And I saw a renewed heaven and a renewed earth, for the former heaven and the former earth had passed away, and the sea is no more. And I, Yoḥanan (John) , saw the set-apart city, renewed Yerushalayim (Jerusalem), coming down out of the heaven from Elohim, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the heaven saying, “See, the Booth of Elohim is with men, and He shall dwell with them, and they shall be His people, and Elohim Himself shall be with them and be their Elohim. “And Elohim shall wipe away every tear from their eyes, and there shall be no more death, nor mourning, nor crying. And there shall be no more pain, for the former matters have passed away.” (Revelation 21:1-4)
What a time to come! Now that you have the meaning behind the Biblical appointed times or the Mo’edim, are you going to continue celebrating those pagan holidays? I hope you don’t, and I hope you see the significance of the Mo’edim and just how special they are.
Test all things and may the Rauch Hakodesh guide you into all truth.
It's Time to Come Out of Babylon https://youtu.be/W6tZbh2NRR8
P.S.
Check out some of my books! Available in both print and kindle versions.