The Gospel Foretold Through the Holy Days

God’s Appointed Times

Reading Leviticus 23 With Fresh Eyes

The twenty third chapter of Leviticus is often approached as a list of ancient observances, but the chapter is doing more than marking dates. It offers a framework for understanding how God shapes a people through a sequence of observances. These observances are called “appointed times.”

“These are the feasts of the Lord, holy convocations which you shall proclaim at their appointed times.” (Leviticus 23:4)

These appointed times are not about earning anything from God. They are about learning to live as those who have been rescued from a sinful world.

The New Testament does not discard these appointed times. Instead, it shows how they point forward—to Christ, to the Holy Spirit, and to the future God is planning for all mankind.

Chapter 1— God Teaches Through Time

Leviticus 23 is often read as a list of ancient holidays, but in reality, it functions more like a road map. It traces how God forms a people, shapes their identity, and anchors them in His story. The appointed times are not random observances. They are patterns that reveal how God is working out His plan of salvation for his human creation.

These appointed times, also known as the Holy Days to modern Christians, are not a second attempt for salvation. God saves first through Jesus Christ, then teaches His people how to live as those who belong to Him.

With this in mind we will now look into the story line of salvation as God lays it out through His appointed times.

It All Begins with the Sabbath

The Sabbath (Friday sunset to Saturday sunset) is placed inside the wider sequence of appointed times. The placement is important: God forms His people through repeated patterns.

Two principles help keep the chapter clear.
1. The appointed times are not a system of earning salvation. God rescues first, then guides His people as they learn to obey him.
2. Fulfillment does not erase meaning. When Christ fulfills a pattern, He brings its purpose into focus. Let’s take a look at Matthew 5:17.

“Do not think that I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets. I did not come to destroy but to fulfill.”

When Jesus says He did not come to destroy but to fulfill, the Greek wording used in this verse clarifies what many have misunderstood.

The word translated “fulfill” in Matthew 5:17 is the Greek verb:

πληρόω (plēróō)

to fill (as in filling something up)

to make full / bring to full measure

to complete / bring to its intended goal

to carry out fully (especially of words, Scripture, prophecy)

What Does Abolish Mean?

In this context, plēróō is not “abolish” or “discard.” It means Jesus came to bring the Law and the Prophets to their full intended meaning and completion—by obeying them perfectly, confirming what they truly teach, and bringing their prophetic trajectory to its goal.

With that said, Jesus was reminding his followers that the Sabbath was meant to be a blessing.

“The Sabbath was made for man, and not man for the Sabbath. Therefore, the Son of Man is also Lord of the Sabbath.” (Mark 2:26-27)

By stating that the Son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath, he was making it clear that he, not the religious authorities, created the Sabbath. Further, he had the authority to provide the guidelines as to how it was to be observed. He did this by what he did on the Sabbath. He did not do away with the Sabbath but demonstrated how to observe it by what he did on that day.

Examples of Healing on the Sabbath

Man with an unclean spirit in the synagogue (Mark 1:21–28; Luke 4:31–37)

Peter’s mother-in-law (Mark 1:29–31; Luke 4:38–39; Matthew 8:14–15)

Withered hand (Matthew 12:9–13; Mark 3:1–6; Luke 6:6–11)

Bent/crippled woman (Luke 13:10–17)

Man with dropsy (Luke 14:1–6)

Paralytic at Bethesda (John 5:1–18)

Man born blind (John 9:1–14)

Jesus healed on the Sabbath to reestablish something that had been lost. Namely, that showing mercy to the sick is NOT outside the command “to keep the Sabbath holy.”

NOTE: the word holy in Hebrew is kadosh, which signifies being set apart. In other words, by demonstrating mercy to the sick was a way to set apart the Sabbath.

Of course, it is also incumbent on believers to show mercy and kindness every day, but to do so on the Sabbath had an additional meaning which we will discover later.

Jesus restores the Sabbath’s intent. He treats it as a day for mercy and renewal, not restriction. The book of Hebrews expands the theme further, describing Sabbath as a preview of the final rest God promises his people. We will expand on this theme later.

The weekly Sabbath is the first appointed time or Holy Day appearing in Genesis before Israel or Sinai. It teaches rest, trust, and identity rooted in God’s work, not human effort (Genesis 2:1–3). It is important to note that the Sabbath was created by God before the establishment of the Covenant He made with Israel.

“Thus, the heavens and the earth, and all the host of them, were finished. And on the seventh day God ended His work which He had done, and He rested on the seventh day from all His work which He had done.” (Genesis 2:1-2)

Later, it would become the covenant sign for ancient Israel. However, as we will see, its core message stays the same: God builds rest into creation, and His people are to live within the gift of rest from weekly activities.

Religious authorities of Jesus’ day had made the Sabbath a burden. Instead of worshiping God on that “appointed time” it became a time to measure how righteous one was or was not.

Key Themes

The Sabbath began as a gift for the human race, not just the Jewish people. It was given before it was commanded. (Genesis 2:1-2)

Weekly rest from workingreminds us of the fact the world does not depend on our constant effort. The world continues with or without us working.

Jesus centers Sabbath on mercy. He protects people from burdensome interpretations.

1 John 5:3

“For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments: and His commandments are not burdensome.”

Sabbath points forward. Weekly rest anticipates God’s future restoration.

Implications for the Church

Rest becomes a quiet act of trust in a restless culture.

Communities shaped by grace (undeserved and unearned forgiveness) will learn to treat others with gentleness.

Weekly patterns prepare believers to live with hope toward God’s promised rest.

CHAPTER 2 — The Spring Sequence as a Story Line

The Holy Days—Passover, Unleavened Bread, Firstfruits/ Pentecost—are not isolated observances. Together, they form a narrative arc:

Passover — God redeems through sacrifice

Paul instructs the Church to keep the Feast

Unleavened Bread — God forms a people that Paul said were unleavened.

Firstfruits /Pentecost— God empowers His people for living and preaching the gospel.

Let Us Keep the Feast

Definition: (Redemption means release by payment—being brought out of bondage by a rescuer who pays the cost. In Exodus it is rescue from slavery; in Christ it is rescue from the penalty of sin which is death.

Therefore, purge out the old leaven that you may be a new lump, since you truly are unleavened. For indeed Christ, our Passover, was sacrificed for us. Therefore, let us keep the feast, not with old leaven, nor with the leaven of malice and wickedness, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.” (1 Corinthians 5:7–8)

Paul begins with a conclusion that surprises many modern readers. In 1 Corinthians, he said Christ is our Passover—and then he says believers should respond to that reality by “keeping the feast,” not as a salvation method, but as a way of life marked by sincerity and truth. Paul made that point again in the book of Romans.

“And so, dear brothers and sisters, I plead with you to give your bodies to God because of all he has done for you. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice—the kind he will find acceptable. This is truly the way to worship him.” (Romans 12:1 NLT)

It should be noted that Paul connects Godly worship with the following caveat in mind:

“Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.” (Romans 12:2 NLT)

A Christian must be continuously on guard from being reabsorbed into the culture. Here is another (paraphrased) version of the same verse:

“Do not be conformed to this world (this age), [fashioned after and adapted to its external, superficial customs], but be transformed (changed) by the [entire] renewal of your mind [by its new ideals and its new attitude], so that you may prove [for yourselves] what is the good and acceptable and perfect will of God, even the thing which is good and acceptable and perfect [in His sight for you.” (Romans 12:2 AMPC)

The Apostle John was inspired to warn the Church, when he wrote: “And I heard another voice from heaven saying, “Come out of her, my people, lest you share in her sins, and lest you receive of her plagues” (Revelation 18:4). God’s people are constantly warned not to be a part of this world (age) way of thinking and living.

That tells us something important. Paul treats Passover as a meaningful lens for understanding both the Messiah’s sacrifice and the Christian life that follows.

Passover is the starting point of Israel’s story as a freed people. It centers on a substitute—the lamb whose blood placed on the doorpost of each household for rescue from the “destroyer.” (Exodus 12:23)

Destroyer

Much ink has been spilled debating who or what the destroyer was.

Some claim God is the one executing judgment in the 10th plague, and God “will not allow the destroyer” to enter the blood-marked Israelite homes. And they point out that: God restrains the destroying force where the Passover sign is present. They were protected because of the sign of obedience over the door posts.

For many scholars the jury is out. Clearly God was involved in allowing the destroyer to do its work, but who that destroyer was is debated.

Regardless, the takeaway is that those who obeyed God by smearing the lambs’ blood were protected. Just as those who accept the sacrifice of Christ shed blood are protected from the penalty of sin which is death.

The focus is not on Israel’s strength or worthiness but on God’s decision to save them out of slavery, in other words, the extension of grace. The same is true for us today.

In Scripture, Passover becomes the pattern for understanding redemption: deliverance comes through sacrifice. The New Testament draws this connection directly. Christ is described as the Passover Lamb, and that reality adds another dimension to the symbolism of the Passover Lamb. Christ is the fulfillment of the Old Covenants Lamb. Through Christ God offers His Son as the Lamb of God mentioned throughout scripture.

New Covenant Passover

“When the hour had come, He sat down, and the twelve apostles with Him. Then He said to them, “With fervent desire I have desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer; for I say to you, I will no longer eat of it until it is fulfilled in the kingdom of God.”

{There are still more lessons to learn from this Holy Day that will not be fully explained until the Kingdom of God is established on earth}.

“Then He took the cup, and gave thanks, and said, “Take this and divide it among yourselves; for I say to you, I will not drink of the fruit of the vine until the kingdom of God comes.”

“And He took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to them, saying, “This is My body which is given for you; do this in remembrance of Me.

“Likewise, He also took the cup after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in My blood, which is shed for you. But behold, the hand of My betrayer is with Me on the table” (Matthew 26:27-29 NLT).

Additional Background of the New Covenant Passover

When Was Jesus Crucified?

When was Christ crucified, by that I mean, what day of the week? You may say ‘I don’t care, why take time looking into this?” It’s important because by understanding the day of the week that Christ died opens vistas of understanding seldom considered by modern believers.

1. All four Gospels insist that Jesus was buried before a Sabbath and that the tomb was found empty early on the first day of the week.

2. Jesus repeatedly predicted his resurrection would take place “the third day” after his death.

3. The “three days and three nights” is best read in light of:(a) the Jonah parallel (a period viewed as “three days and three nights”).

4. (b) Jewish idiom, where such phrases can be equivalent to “three days” in inclusive reckoning. While the Hebrew can allow for this under certain conditions the Greek does not. (An idiom is a Hebrew expression that is not clearly understood if one does not understand their respective cultures).

5. Most importantly since Jesus said the only sign that would be given to that evil generation would be the fact that he would be dead for a full three days and three nights, just as Jonah was inside the great fish for that same period of time.

If we are to take Jesus Christ at his word, we need to look for a biblical narrative supporting his claim.

Scripture is Clear:

The “Literal 3 Days and 3 Nights” (72-hours)

A Wednesday Crucifixion

Key ideas (simplified)

Jesus is crucified and buried late on Wednesday before sunset.

“And the women who had come with Him from Galilee followed after, and they observed the tomb and how His body was laid. Then they returned and prepared spices and fragrant oils. And they rested on the Sabbath according to the commandment.” (Luke 23:56)

The following day (beginning Wednesday sunset) is an annual Sabbath—the first day of Unleavened Bread—a “high day.”

“Therefore, because it was the Preparation Day, that the bodies should not remain on the cross on the Sabbath (for that Sabbath was a high day), the Jews asked Pilate that their legs might be broken, and that they might be taken away” (John 19:31).

1. After that High Day (Thursday), the women buy and prepare spices on Friday then rest again on the weekly Sabbath.“Now when the Sabbath was past, Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome bought spices, that they might come and anoint Him. Very early in the morning, on the first day of the week, they came to the tomb when the sun had risen. And they said among themselves:

2. “Who will roll away the stone from the door of the tomb for us? But when they looked up, they saw that the stone had been rolled away—for it was very large” (Mark 16:3-5).

3. Perhaps they were looking down as they were walking since the dark of the early morning had not yet given way to the first early rays of the sun. It would still be dark enough that they would have to look at the ground to prevent tripping. And as they approached the tomb they would ‘look up’ and ask themselves, who would role the stone away for them.

4. As they came closer, they saw the stone had already been rolled back. As they entered the tomb, a young man clothed in a long white robe greeted them. This ‘young man’ was an angel who sat on what would have been the right side of where Jesus’ body had been laid. (Mark 16:1-5)

An interesting side note:

“Mark 16:5; Psalm 110:1; Exodus 15:6 point out the right side signifies authority and divine favor. So, the placement of the angel on the right-hand side of where Jesus had been laid signals the resurrection is being announced with divine authority, marking Jesus’ vindication after human condemnation.”

(Marcus, Mark 8-16; (New Haven: Yale University Joel Press, 2009).

Summary of Events

Jesus rises late on the weekly Sabbath (Saturday) before sunset, exactly three days and three nights from Wednesday late afternoon.

The tomb is discovered already empty early Sunday morning.

On this reconstruction:

Wednesday late – Thursday late = Day 1 / Night 1

Thursday late – Friday late = Day 2 / Night 2

Friday late – Saturday late = Day 3 / Night 3

That gives a literal 3 days + 3 nights in the tomb.

In this framework, the theological point of Matthew holds:

As Jonah was in the fish, so the Son of Man truly entered the realm of death (“heart of the earth”) and remained there for a divinely appointed three-day span, after which God vindicated Him. (Matthew 12:40 NLT)

A Practical Takeaway

Sometimes this question becomes purely a calendar battle. It’s worth remembering:

Jesus really died, was really buried, and was really raised in a historically definable, three-day span.

The sign of Jonah (being inside the great fish for three days and three nights) is primarily about the fact that he would have died inside that creature had he not been vomited out of its mouth. In the same way the grave could not hold Christ. That is why he told them that his resurrection would reflect the events surrounding Jonah. He emphasized the resurrection (and it’s timing) would be the only sign that generation would receive.

The Apostolic Church Simply Quoted Scripture

The Apostolic church simply records that “on the third day” Jesus was resurrected. It was not something that Paul, nor the church, had to explain away with verbal and theological gymnastics to try to explain away the clearly stated comments of Scripture. The church stood firm in this teaching while the apostles lived, but things began to change as time passed.

The Apostolic Teachings Were Deeply Rooted in The Torah

“Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and He was buried, and He rose again the third day according to the Scriptures.” (1 Corinthians 15:3–4)

Paul Taught HOW the Church Should Observe the Passover

Paul was scolding the Corinthians for how they were observing the New Covenant Passover. If he believed that it was no longer to be observed this would have been a golden opportunity to make that clear. He did not do so!

Paul wrote the following: “For I received from the Lord that which I also delivered to you: that the Lord Jesus on the same night in which He was betrayed took bread;and when He had given thanks, He broke it and said, “Take, eat; this is My body which is broken for you; do this in remembrance of Me.” In the same manner He also took the cup after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in My blood. This do, as often as you drink it,in remembrance of Me.For as often as you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death till He comes” (1 Corinthians 11:23-25).

Point of Clarification

What were Christ and the apostles doing? They were observing the Passover. In fact, they actually observed both the Old Covenant Passover and the New Covenant Passover on that particular night. That’s why we read “then after supper,” which was the Old Covenant Passover meal, Jesus introduced the New Covenant Passover. The point is Jesus was not doing away with the Passover; he was demonstrating, on multiple levels, HOW the New Covenant celebration was to be observed.

Passover teaches that redemption is God’s work, not ours. That begins the movement that the rest of the appointed times will carry forward.

CHAPTER 3 Feast of Unleavened Bread

As we will see this Festival has two critical elements. First, the removal of leavening (sin) from our lives. Second, the necessity of replacing one mindset with another. Understanding we have a sinful nature, is one thing, but how to replace that nature is quite another.

Leavening described as sin:

Works quietly

Spreads completely

Is often undetected at first

What is the meaning Christians should draw from this?

As anyone who has baked bread knows, the importance of leavening is inescapable. Leaven (yeast) is a tiny but powerful agent that spreads throughout the dough and causes it to rise.

Because of its permeating and invisible influence, Scripture uses leaven as a symbol of sin. The importance of removal of leaven is found in both the Old and New Testaments:

Leaven is removed during Passover:

Exodus 12:15, 19 — no leaven in the house

Exodus 12:15

“Seven days shall you eat unleavened bread; even the first day you shall put away leaven out of your houses: for whoever eats leavened bread from the first day until the seventh day, that soul shall be cut off from Israel.”

This same instruction is repeated in Exodus 13:7

“Unleavened bread shall be eaten seven days; and there shall no leavened bread be seen with you, neither shall there be leaven seen with you in all your quarters.”

When Israel left Egypt, they did so quickly, without having time to allow the dough that had been prepared earlier that day to rise. There was not enough time for the yeast to work its way through the dough. The symbolism is simple yet profound. The influence of sin in our lives has had time to spread. God will remove that ‘leavening of sin’ and replace it with something else. That ‘something else’ is what Paul wrote of in his Epistle to the Corinthians.

The Apostle Paul mentions the importance of applying the meanings of this Festival in his instructions to the Corinthian church.

“Therefore, purge out the old leaven, that you may be a new lump, since you truly are unleavened. For indeed Christ, our Passover, was sacrificed for us” (1 Corinthians 5:7).

As stated above, there are several lessons which need to be extracted from this Holy Day period. First, as we have already noted, the symbolism of removing leavening from our dwellings reflects the necessity of putting sin out of our lives. When a person is called by God, that person is called to repentance. A repentant person looks into their past conduct and is sickened to see a life riddled with sin and is repulsed by this new revelation of the self. This is the beginning of the ‘purging’ of sin from our lives.

Throughout Scripture, leaven is often pictured as sin. In this context, it represents the old life that no longer fits a person who has sincerely repented. But that is only half the story of the Feast of Unleavened Bread.

Repenting of sin in one’s life is only a first step. Then what? This is where the other side of the Feast of Unleavened Bread comes into play. It is not enough to stop entertaining sinful thoughts and actions. They must be replaced by something else. Paul tells us:

“Therefore, let us keep the feast, not with old leaven, (attitudes and actions of the old man), nor with the leaven of malice; and wickedness.” The words malice and ‘wickedness’ describe an inward state of mind that spreads like leaven which corrupts the mind and actions that mindset produces. These two words reflect what is in a person’s heart and is not limited to overt actions. They reflect a state of mind that is bent toward evil.

Then Paul says something few focus on. “Therefore, purge out the old leavened, that you may be a new lump, since you truly are unleavened. Why did he say we are truly unleavened?

Paul is saying that upon receiving the Holy Spirit, and when the Holy Spirit is allowed to flow through that person, the mind of Christ is slowly developing in the believer. Not just different thoughts, but a new mind—a truly spiritual state of mind that is coming from the presence of the Holy Spirit. This level of thinking is outside the capabilities of the unconverted mind.

“Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies [dedicating all of yourselves, set apart] as a living sacrifice, holy and well-pleasing to God, which is your rational (logical, intelligent) act of worship.

“And do not be conformed to this world [any longer with its superficial values and customs], but be transformed and progressively changed [as you mature spiritually] by the renewing of your mind [focusing on godly values and ethical attitudes], so that you may prove [for yourselves] what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect [in His plan and purpose for you” (Romans 12:1-2 AMP).

A converted person has the very mind of God dwelling in them. Paul again reminds the church that the mind of God actively working in the believer, over time produces a ‘new man.”

“For the Spirit searches all things, yes, the deep things of God. For what man knows the things of a man except the spirit of the man which is in him? Even so no one knows the things of God except the Spirit of God. Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might know the things that have been freely given to us by God.

“These things we also speak, not in words which man’s wisdom teaches but which the Holy Spirit teaches, comparing spiritual things with spiritual. But the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; nor can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.” (1 Corinthians 2:10-14)

There is much more that can be said at this juncture, but for now suffice it to say a converted person is not only looking to get sin (leavening) out of their lives, but they are also learning to use the Holy Spirit to learn to think as Christ does. This is the new mind Paul mentioned in Romans the twelfth chapter. A mind that is transformed into something new.

Unleavened Bread reminds us that getting sin out of our lives is not seeking perfectionism. Indeed, it is nothing less than learning to let Christ live in us.

“I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me” (Galatians 2:20). It is the living Christ dwelling in the believer that is changing our nature. And as this conversion of the mind continues the old leavening is replaced the unleavened mind of God the Father and His Son Jesus Christ.

“Yet a little while, and the world will see Me no more; but you see Me: because I live, you shall live also.

“At that day you shall know that I am in my Father, and you in me, and I in you.

“He that has my commandments, and keeps them, he it is that loves me: and he that loves me shall be loved by my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him.

“Judas said to him, not Iscariot, Lord, how is it that you will manifest yourself to us, and not to the world?

“ Jesus answered and said to him, If a man loves me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and We will come to him, and make Our home with him” (John 14:19-23 and John 15).

Important Truths to Understand

“The Greek of John 14:19–23 and John 15 shows that the continued abiding relationship is determined by one central factor: keeping (τηρέω) Christ’s word. This is not passive belief but active, guarded obedience. The structure is explicitly conditional—if His commandments are kept, the believer abides (μένω), and the indwelling of the Father and the Son remains active and life-giving. If that keeping is neglected, the abiding relationship does not continue. In short, abiding is sustained not by initial faith alone, but by ongoing obedience that preserves and participates in the shared life God has established within the believer.”1

The Wave Sheaf Offering Fulfilled in Christ

It is critical to understand that the wave‑sheaf offering is full of beauty and majesty. When the firstfruits of the land was harvested Israel could not treat the new grain as “theirs” to enjoy whenever they wished. Instead, God instructed the nation not to eat any of the firstfruits because those firstfruits belonged to God.

Christ Offered Himself As the Wave Sheaf

“And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, “Speak to the children of Israel, and say to them: ‘When you come into the land which I give to you, and reap its harvest, then you shall bring a sheaf of the firstfruits of your harvest to the priest. He shall wave the sheaf before the Lord, to be accepted on your behalf; on the day after the Sabbath the priest shall wave it.” (Leviticus 23:9 NLT)

“And you shall offer on that day, when you wave the sheaf, a male lamb of the first year, without blemish, as a burnt offering to the Lord. Its grain offering shall be two-tenths of an ephah of fine flour mixed with oil, an offering made by fire to the Lord, for a sweet aroma; and its drink offering shall be of wine, one-fourth of a hin. You shall eat neither bread nor parched grain nor fresh grain until the same day that you have brought an offering to your God; it shall be a statute forever throughout your generations in all your dwellings.” (Leviticus 24:10-14 NLT)

The timing of this offering turns on a single phrase: “the day after the Sabbath” (Leviticus 23:11 then verse 15). This reading takes “Sabbath” as the weekly Sabbath, which places the wave‑sheaf on the first day of the week—what we call Sunday—during the Days of Unleavened Bread. That Sunday becomes the starting point for the count to Pentecost. Seven Sabbaths are completed, and the fiftieth day arrives on the next first day of the week. In this pattern, Pentecost consistently falls on a Sunday, preserving the internal logic of the count.

All of this leads to the larger point. The wave‑sheaf is not ultimately about barley. It is about firstfruits theology—the first portion offered and accepted.

The wave sheaf, we are about to discover, is full of meaning when properly understood. The phrase in Leviticus the twenty third chapter reads, “to be accepted on your behalf.” The importance of this statement will be made clear as we delve further into Scripture.

Next, we need to consider the events surrounding the resurrection of Jesus Christ. and the patterns of meaning we can derive concerning the connection of the wave sheaf and the Messiah. Paul makes the connection explicit: “Christ has been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep” (1 Corinthians 15:20).

It should be noted that after Jesus was resurrected the plan of God could not move forward until the firstfruits of the harvest, the wave sheaf, had been fulfilled. The events surrounding the first of the firstfruits offering is not the end of the story of redemption.

God notifies us, that the wave‑sheaf offering should be understood to foreshadow Jesus Christ. This agricultural ritual though centuries old, was the prophetic signpost pointing to the resurrection hope at the center of the gospel.

A Little Background

The New Testament uses Firstfruits to describe several things. Christ is called the “firstfruits” of those to be raised, meaning His resurrection is the beginning of a larger harvest. Pentecost, among other things, reminds us of Christ’s resurrection.

“But in fact, Christ has been raised from the dead, the first fruits of those who have fallen asleep. For as by a man came death, by a man has come also the resurrection of the dead.

For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ shall all be made alive. But each in his own order: Christ the first fruits, then at his coming those who belong to Christ.

Then comes the end, when he delivers the kingdom to God the Father after destroying every rule and every authority and power. For he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet.” (1 Corinthians 15:20-25 RSV)

Stop and think about the beauty and power of what we have just discovered. Three days and three nights after being crucified (Wednesday shortly before sundown) Jesus was raised from the dead “according to the scriptures.”

So during Sunday, sometime between speaking to the women early Sunday morning, (John 16:1-3), and his encounter with the two men as they were walking, (John 16:9-11), Jesus ascended to heaven and offered himself as the wave sheaf. Thus, fulfilling another critical part of this appointed time of God.

“After Jesus rose from the dead (Saturday just before sundown), and early on Sunday morning, the women set out to go to Jesus’ tomb. The first person to see the risen Christ was Mary Magdalene, the woman from whom he had cast out seven demons She went to the disciples, who were grieving and weeping, and told them what had happened. But when she told them that Jesus was alive and she had seen him, they didn’t believe her”(Mark 16:9-11).

“Afterward he appeared to the two men who were walking from Jerusalem into the country. They rushed back to tell the others, but no one believed them either” (Mark 16:12-13).

“Later that day Christ appeared to the eleven disciples as they were eating together. He rebuked them for their stubborn unbelief because they refused to believe those who had seen him after he had been raised from the dead” (Mark 16:9-14).

These things occurred on the first day of the week(Sunday) after the resurrection which, as we have seen, occurred at the end of the third day (Sabbath-Saturday just before sunset.

Think of it, he offered himself as the first of the Firstfruits its in the heavenly temple. Then returned to begin to encourage and correct his followers. All this on the day of the wave sheaf offering.

Summation:

The Old Testament use of the word ‘firstfruit’= the first portion of the harvest. The Hebrew word literally means begining/first/chief. (Vines Complete Concordance of the Old Testament)

In Leviticus 23:9-14 a ahead of the first barley harvest has brought to the priest. It was then waved before God. This happened “the day after the Sabbath” during the Unleavened Bread.

New Testament Application In

We read in 1 Corinthians 15:20-23; “Christ is risen… and has become the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep.” Death is described as sleep in John 11:11-14.

So Jesus was the first person to be raised from the dead and took on a spirit body like the one he had before his incarnation. (from the Latin ‘in carne’= “in flesh.” God, through his incarnate body spoke directly to humanity. “God, who at various times and in various ways spoke in time past to the fathers by the prophets, has in these last days spoken to us by His Son, whom He has appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the worlds” (Hebrews 1:1-2).

There is much more that can be said at this juncture, but for now suffice it to say a converted person is not only looking to get sin (leavening) out of their lives, but they are also learning to use the Holy Spirit to learn to think as Christ does. This is the new mind Paul mentioned in Romans the twelfth chapter. A mind that is transformed into something new.

Unleavened Bread reminds us that getting sin out of our lives is not seeking perfectionism. Indeed, it is nothing less than learning to let Christ live in us.

“I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me” (Galatians 2:20). It is the living Christ dwelling in the believer that is changing our nature. And as this conversion of the mind continues the old leavening is replaced the unleavened mind of God the Father and His Son Jesus Christ.

“Yet a little while, and the world will see Me no more; but you see Me: because I live, you shall live also.

“At that day you shall know that I am in my Father, and you in me, and I in you.

“He that has my commandments, and keeps them, he it is that loves me: and he that loves me shall be loved by my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him.

“Judas said to him, not Iscariot, Lord, how is it that you will manifest yourself to us, and not to the world?

“ Jesus answered and said to him, If a man loves me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and We will come to him, and make Our home with him” (John 14:19-23 and John 15).

Important Truths to Understand

“The Greek of John 14:19–23 and John 15 shows that the continued abiding relationship is determined by one central factor: keeping (τηρέω) Christ’s word. This is not passive belief but active, guarded obedience. The structure is explicitly conditional—if His commandments are kept, the believer abides (μένω), and the indwelling of the Father and the Son remains active and life-giving. If that keeping is neglected, the abiding relationship does not continue. In short, abiding is sustained not by initial faith alone, but by ongoing obedience that preserves and participates in the shared life God has established within the believer.”¹

Isn’t it time we all yield ourselves to becoming people who live with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth?

The timing of this offering turns on a single phrase: “the day after the Sabbath” (Leviticus 23:11 then verse 15). This reading takes “Sabbath” as the weekly Sabbath, which places the wave‑sheaf on the first day of the week—what we call Sunday—during the Days of Unleavened Bread. That Sunday becomes the starting point for the count to Pentecost. Seven Sabbaths are completed, and the fiftieth day arrives on the next first day of the week. In this pattern, Pentecost consistently falls on a Sunday, preserving the internal logic of the count.

All of this leads to the larger point. The wave‑sheaf is not ultimately about barley. It is about firstfruits theology—the first portion offered and accepted.

Next, we need to consider the events surrounding the resurrection of Jesus Christ. and the patterns of meaning we can derive concerning the connection of the wave sheaf and the Messiah. Paul makes the connection explicit: “Christ has been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep” (1 Corinthians 15:20).

It should be noted that after Jesus was resurrected the plan of God could not move forward until the firstfruits of the harvest, the wave sheaf, had been fulfilled. The events surrounding the first of the firstfruits offering is not the end of the story of redemption.

God notifies us, that the wave‑sheaf offering should be understood to foreshadow Jesus Christ. This agricultural ritual though centuries old, was the prophetic signpost pointing to the resurrection hope at the center of the gospel.

A Little Background

The New Testament uses Firstfruits to describe several things. Christ is called the “firstfruits” of those to be raised, meaning His resurrection is the beginning of a larger harvest. Pentecost, among other things, reminds us of Christ’s resurrection.

“But in fact, Christ has been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. For as by a man came death, by a man has come also the resurrection of the dead.

For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ shall all be made alive. But each in his own order: Christ the firstfruits, then at his coming those who belong to Christ.

Then comes the end, when he delivers the kingdom to God the Father after destroying every rule and every authority and power. For he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet.” (1 Corinthians 15:20-25 RSV)

Stop and think about the beauty and power of what we have just discovered. Three days and three nights after being crucified (Wednesday shortly before sundown) Jesus was raised from the dead “according to the scriptures.”

“After Jesus rose from the dead (Saturday just before sundown), and early on Sunday morning.

Later that day Christ appeared to the eleven disciples as they were eating together. He rebuked them for their stubborn unbelief because they refused to believe those who had seen him after he had been raised from the dead” (Mark 16:9-14).

These things occurred on the first day of the week (Sunday) after the resurrection which, as we have seen, occurred at the end of the third day (Sabbath-Saturday) just before sunset.

Think of it, he offered himself as the first of the Firstfruits in the heavenly temple. Then returned to begin to encourage and correct his followers. All this on the day of the wave sheaf offering.

Summation:

The Old Testament use of the word ‘firstfruit’= the first portion of the harvest. The Hebrew word literally mean begining/first/chief. (Vines Complete Concordance of the Old Testament)

In Leviticus 23:9-14 A ahead of the first barley harvest has brought to the priest. It then was waved before God. This happened “the day after the Sabbath” during the Days of Unleavened Bread.

New Testament Application In

We read in 1 Corinthians 15:20-23; “Christ is risen… and has become the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep.” Death is described as sleep in John 11:11-14.

So Jesus was the first person to be raised from the dead and took on a spirit body like the one he had before his incarnation. (from the Latin ‘in carne’= “in flesh.” God, through his incarnate body spoke directly to humanity. “God, who at various times and in various ways spoke in time past to the fathers by the prophets, has in these last days spoken to us by His Son, whom He has appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the world.” (Hebrews 1:1-2)

“Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God,but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross.” (Philippians 2:5-8 NKJV)

Chapter 4 Feast of Firstfruits also called Pentecost

The Feast of firstfruits, also called the Feast of Pentecost, marks the beginning of the early harvest. Israel brought the earliest produce of the year to God as a sign of trust: and thanks.

Pentecost completes the spring sequence. In Israel’s calendar, it celebrates the early harvest and God’s ongoing provision. In the New Testament, Pentecost becomes the moment the Spirit empowers the church.

The pattern holds: God rescues (Passover), cleanses (Unleavened Bread), brings new life and then equips His people for their calling (Pentecost). The Spirit’s arrival is not a new story but the continuation of the same one.

Pentecost teaches that the mission of the church is not fueled by human effort. It is sustained by God’s presence and power.

Summary

This sequence mirrors the movement of the gospel: deliverance, cleansing, resurrection, and Spirit empowered life. When read together, the spring appointments show redemption unfolding step by step. They reveal a God who not only saves but also works in the lives of those He calls.

He then sends those He calls to share the Gospel by being living witnesses, as examples of how Godly people should live. This is one important way every believer ‘preaches’ the Gospel. This chapter should help believers to understand this appointed time, or Holy Day, detail a theological journey—from rescue to renewal to empowerment.

Between Pentecost and the fall festivals lies a long stretch of ordinary time. Scripture does not assign new observances here. Instead, the calendar slows down.

This gap is part of the design. Life with God is not only marked by dramatic moments. Much of it is steady, faithful, and unremarkable. Israel works the fields, tends the land, and lives out the rhythms learned in the spring.

The long summer teaches that spiritual maturity grows in everyday life. The absence of festivals is not emptiness—it is space for growing.

Chapter 6 Feast of Trumpets

The fall sequence begins with Trumpets, a day marked by sound. It interrupts the routine and calls the community to awareness. The purpose is simple: wakefulness.

In Scripture, trumpets often signal transition—movement, gathering, or preparation. This appointed time functions the same way. It prepares Israel for the solemn days that follow.

“The Lord said to Moses, “Give the following instructions to the people of Israel. On the first day of the appointed month in early autumn, you are to observe a day of complete rest. It will be an official day for holy assembly, a day commemorated with loud blasts of a trumpet. You must do no ordinary work on that day. Instead, you are to present special gifts to the Lord.” Leviticus 23:24-25)

Other uses of Trumpets are found in the book of Numbers.

Now the Lord said to Moses, “Make two trumpets of hammered silver for calling the community to assemble and for signaling the breaking of camp. When both trumpets are blown, everyone must gather before you at the entrance of the Tabernacle.” (Number 10:1-3)

More Important Uses of the Trumpet

“Blow the trumpets in times of gladness, too, sounding them at your annual festivals and at the beginning of each month. And blow the trumpets over your burnt offerings and peace offerings. The trumpets will remind your God of his covenant with you. I am the Lord your God.” (Numbers 10:10)

Later we see the use of trumpets has significance for Christians as well.

“And then at last, the sign that the Son of Man is coming will appear in the heavens, and there will be deep mourning among all the peoples of the earth. And they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. And he will send out his angels with the mighty blast of a trumpet, and they will gather his chosen ones from all over the world -from the farthest ends of the earth and heaven.” (Matthew 24:31-32)

Trumpets of Revelation

“Then the seven angels with the seven trumpets prepared to blow their mighty blasts.

“The first angel blew his trumpet, and hail and fire mixed with blood were thrown down on the earth. One-third of the earth was set on fire, one-third of the trees were burned, and all the green grass was burned.

“Then the second angel blew his trumpet, and a great mountain of fire was thrown into the sea. One-third of the water in the sea became blood, one-third of all things living in the sea died, and one-third of all the ships on the sea were destroyed.”

“Then the third angel blew his trumpet, and a great star fell from the sky, burning like a torch. It fell on one-third of the rivers and on the springs of water. The name of the star was Bitterness. It made one-third of the water bitter, and many people died from drinking the bitter water.

“Then the fourth angel blew his trumpet, and one-third of the sun was struck, and one-third of the moon, and one-third of the stars, and they became dark. And one-third of the day was dark, and also one-third of the night.Then I looked, and I heard a single eagle crying loudly as it flew through the air, “Terror, terror, terror to all who belong to this world because of what will happen when the last three angels blow their trumpets.” (Revelation 6:8-13)

Trumpets Were Also used in Praising God

“God has ascended with a mighty shout.
The Lord has ascended withtrumpets blaring.
Sing praises to God, sing praises.

Sing praises to our King, sing praises!
For God is the King over all the earth.
Praise him with a psalm.

God reigns above the nations,
sitting on his holy throne.

The rulers of the world have gathered together
with the people of the God of Abraham.
For all the kings of the earth belong to God.”

He is highly honored everywhere. (Psalms 47:5-9)

Trumpets teaches that spiritual life requires attentiveness. Before renewal comes awareness of one’s spiritual state is critical. True repentance is not a onetime event; it is an ongoing process. True change comes when someone hears the trumpet call to repent and then takes action.

Day of Atonement Renewal at the Center

The Day of Atonement is the most solemn day in God’s calendar. It addresses the problem that accumulates over time: the distance created by sin. Through symbolic actions, the sanctuary is cleansed and the people are restored.

The emphasis is not on individual effort but on God’s provision for renewal. The high priest acts on behalf of the nation, showing that reconciliation is something God initiates..

Deeper Look into Atonement

“The Lord spoke to Moses after the death of Aaron’s two sons, who died after they entered the Lord’s presence and burned the wrong kind of fire before him. The Lord said to Moses, “Warn your brother, Aaron, not to enter the Most Holy Place behind the inner curtain whenever he chooses; if he does, he will die. For the Ark’s cover—the place of atonement—is there, and I myself am present in the cloud above the atonement cover.

“When Aaron enters the sanctuary area, he must follow these instructions fully. He must bring a young bull for a sin offering and a ram for a burnt offering. He must put on his linen tunic and the linen undergarments worn next to his body. He must tie the linen sash around his waist and put the linen turban on his head. These are sacred garments, so he must bathe himself in water before he puts them on. Aaron must take from the community of Israel two male goats for a sin offering and a ram for a burnt offering. (Leviticus 16:1-5)

What follows is a detailed explanation of the events surrounding the Day of Atonement. I list the scriptures here for you and I urge you to read those verses for your edification. See Leviticus 16:6-25).

The Two Goats of Leviticus 16

The two goats in Leviticus 16 picture two different realities in the Day of Atonement rituals: the goat “for the LORD” that is killed and whose blood is brought into the sanctuary represents Jesus Christ’s atoning sacrifice—the only basis for forgiveness and cleansing from sin. The live goat “for Azazel,” over which Israel’s sins are confessed and which is sent away into the wilderness, represents Satan the devil, showing that after atonement is provided through Christ, God will remove Satan’s influence and hold him responsible for his role in leading humanity into sin, so he can no longer deceive the nations..

Azazel goat represents Satan

The New Testament connects this day to Christ’s priestly work—not to erase the imagery but to show its fulfillment. The pattern remains: God makes a way for His people to be restored through learning to grow in grace and knowledge.

The Day of Atonement teaches that renewal is central to life with God. It is not occasional. It is essential.

Chapter 7 Feast of Tabernacles -Life with God

Tabernacles is the final and most joyful of the appointed times. It points backward to the wilderness, upward to God’s present faithfulness, and forward to God dwelling with His people forever.

John places Jesus at Tabernacles (John chapters 7and 8), where He declares he is living water and the true light.

Keeping the Feast of Tabernacle After Christ Returns

Zechariah pictures the nations coming to worship and keeping Tabernacles (Zechariah 14:16–19). Revelation brings the theme to its climax: “Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them” (Revelation 21:3).

The government of the Kingdom begins with the throne of God and the Lamb.

“The LORD has established His throne in heaven, and His kingdom rules over all.” (Psalm 103:19)

The New Testament declares that this throne now belongs to the risen Christ:

“God raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand, far above all rule and authority and power and dominion.” (Ephesians 1:20–21)

Christ does not reign symbolically. He reigns actually. All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to Him. The Kingdom is not maintained by human consensus. It is established by divine right.

The Eighth Day of the Feast

“On the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried out, saying, “If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and drink. He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.” But this He spoke concerning the Spirit, whom those believing in Him would receive; for the Holy Spirit was not yet given, because Jesus was not yet glorified.

In John 7:37–38, Jesus is not quoting one Old Testament verse word-for-word so much as claiming the fulfillment of the Old Testament “living water” promises. The prophets spoke of a day when “living waters shall flow from Jerusalem” (Zechariah 14:8), and when a life-giving river would flow out from God’s sanctuary bringing life wherever it goes (Ezekiel 47:1, 9, 12).

Jesus stands up at the feast and pulls that whole temple-river hope into a single summons: “Come to Me and drink.”

By doing this, He applies the typology to Himself: what was expected to flow from Jerusalem/temple is now accessed by coming to Christ. John immediately explains the meaning—Jesus was speaking about the Holy Spirit (John 7:39)—so the promised “river” becomes the Spirit-given life that comes through Jesus and then flows out from those who believe in Him.

Law from Zion

The prophets describe the government of Christ as righteous, wise, and restorative.

“Out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of the LORD from Jerusalem.” (Isaiah 2:3)

This law is not oppression. It is instruction. In the Kingdom, God’s law is not weaponized to crush; it is taught to heal. Justice replaces violence. Truth replaces deception. Righteousness replaces corruption. Finely the nations will come to seek the God of Israel and ask, “how can we learn to worship the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob? They will want to learn about the appointed days of God.

Unlike earthly rulers, Christ unites kingship and priesthood in one Person.

To His apostles Jesus promised:

“You will sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.” (Luke 22:30)

Paul expands the same reality:

“Do you not know that the saints will judge the world?” (1 Corinthians 6:2)

The resurrected saints do not replace Christ. They reign with Him. They administer justice, teach righteousness, and shepherd the nations as servants—not as power-seekers. This is not political ambition. It is redeemed service under the King who rules without corruption.

Government of God Brings Peace

Earthly governments often rule by force, fear, and fragile power. The government of Christ rules by truth, healing, and restoration.

“The government will be upon His shoulder… of the increase of His government and peace there will be no end.” (Isaiah 9:6–7) Notice the pairing: government and peace. This is unheard of under human governments.The larger government gets under human rule the more likely war will ultimately come. Lust for power and authority over others is the fuel of human government. No matter what philosophy under pins these governmental systems, they are all doomed to fail. Why? Because human all of us have the same fatal flaw; a mind that is driven to pursue power and control over others. That will end when Christ reigns as King of Kings, and his saints are given authority to rule with him. (Daniel 7:14-15; 26-27)

The appointed times becomes part of Christ’s government. The appointed times do not disappear in the Kingdom. They become instruments of instruction, remembrance, and worship. In a healed world, sacred time is not a burden—it is a blessing: a repeated, concrete way for the nations to learn the mercy, justice, faithfulness, and joy of God.

Under Christ’s reign, time is no longer driven by anxiety, decay, and forgetfulness. It is ordered by redemption. The feasts become patterns of a restored world—rhythms that keep the King at the center and keep the nations aligned with His ways.

Summary

Christ reigns as King and High Priest. The throne stands at the center of the Kingdom. Law becomes instruction that produces peace. The resurrected saints reign with Christ in humble service. Time itself is brought under holy order.

The Kingdom of God is not only restored creation, but also righteous government under the reign of Jesus the Messiah.

Chapter 8 If Jesus Fulfilled the Holy Days Should Christians observe them?

Why This Question Matters

Before jumping into practical questions, it’s worth asking a better one. Instead of “Do Christians have to keep the Holy Days?” or “Are the feasts just for Israel?” we should ask: What did God intend the Holy Days to teach, and how does that meaning carry forward in Christ?

This matters because it’s first a theological question, not a lifestyle choice. It’s Covenantal before it’s cultural, and it’s rooted in Scripture before it’s tied to any tradition.

These chapters explore how the Church shares in the promises given to Israel—not by replacing it, but by being grafted into the same covenant story through Christ. The New Covenant doesn’t start a new plot line; it fulfills God’s long-standing promises and broadens His family to include all nations.

God has one redemptive family, united through Jesus, with no separate plans for Israel and the Church. The covenants aren’t discarded—they reach their fulfillment in Christ.”

Gentiles become part of Israel’s story, not a different one, as illustrated in Romans 11’s image of branches grafted into an existing tree. Unity is rooted in shared faith, not ethnicity, creating one people without erasing differences.

People don’t usually approach this topic without prior ideas shaped by cultural and religious influences. For some believers, the appointed times in Leviticus 23 serve as anchors—steady rhythms of worship and remembrance. For others, the feasts feel like ancient shadows: historically meaningful but not necessarily intended for the Church today.

Grasping the theological meaning of God’s appointed times should help break down the “us vs. them” mindset so common today and inspire seeing the Bible as one continuous story. It can also grow our appreciation for Israel’s role in God’s plan.

So, Leviticus 23 isn’t just a list of “Jewish holidays.” It’s God’s own timetable for shaping remembrance, worship, and hope.

Key Insight:

The Holy Days aren’t about Israel creating meaning—they’re about God declaring his plan to his human creation.

Chapter 9 Common Objections Put Forward Against This Teaching

This chapter addresses common objections to the book’s premise, often phrased like this:

“Jesus fulfilled the feasts; therefore, Christians no longer need them.”

Answer

That’s only half true—Jesus does fulfill the feasts, but in Scripture, fulfillment rarely means “erase it and move on.” More often, it means the meaning becomes clearer, deeper, and broader. When Jesus fulfills Passover, He doesn’t make it meaningless.

A key claim here is that man-made religion is spiritually dangerous. When people add traditions, rituals, or extra layers of meaning to what God has clearly revealed, those additions can end up shaping faith more than Scripture. The Bible repeatedly warns against borrowing religious practices of surrounding cultures, inventing new ways of worship, or blending the two.

Some Still Ask

They ask. “What’s wrong with celebrating Christmas and Easter, even though many of these customs have been trace back to non-biblical origins?”

Answer

This brings up two big questions: how do they justify these celebrations, and how does that fit into the larger problem of man-made religion?

The aim isn’t to attack individuals but to examine the reasoning calmly and keep Scripture central.

The Argument Goes Something Like This:

Mainstream teaching often separates original use from present use. Many admit certain Christmas and Easter customs—like greenery, decorated trees, eggs, or seasonal timing—came from pre-Christian pagan cultures. But they argue modern observance is focused on Jesus Christ—His birth, death, and resurrection—not on pagan gods. The claim is functional, in other words. the meaning of a symbol or date today isn’t tied to where it came from originally.

Answer:

Even if one accepts the mainstream defense, this conversation still exposes real risks that arise whenever human tradition becomes woven into the life of faith.

Human Traditions Can Gain Practical Authority

Even when described as “optional,” Christmas and Easter often become functional expectations. People may feel “less Christian” if they do not participate, even though Scripture never commands the observance.

This is one of the typical ways man-made religions grow: quietly, gradually, and often unintentionally.

Human-Created Systems Can Replace God’s Ordained System

Secular traditions compete with spiritual ones. The observance becomes emotionally charged and a tradition is born.

The New Testament does not command annual celebrations of Christ’s birth or resurrection. In fact, Christians are told to observe the anniversary of his death. Nothing has been taught celebrating his resurrection. As we have already demonstrated the resurrection of Jesus is a key element in fulfilling the meaning behind the Holy Days of God. The point is this, God has said nothing about honoring such events with acts of worship.

Sadly, much of the liturgical Calendar centers around pagan holidays which have been adapted into the biblical narrative in an attempt to ‘Christianize’ what was once the domain of paganism. How did that happen?

Chapter 10 Who was Nimrod and Why is This Important?

To understand why Scripture frequently warns God’s people against adopting the religious practices of surrounding nations, it is necessary to look far back into history. Following the Flood, as the world was being rebuilt and human patterns were taking shape, one figure emerges prominently: Nimrod. Though his story in the text is brief, its significance is considerable. He appears at the point where political power, cultural unity, and a self-fashioned “sacred life” begin to merge—a shift toward structuring life apart from God’s instruction.

Genesis presents him in the Table of Nations: “Cush begot Nimrod; he began to be a mighty one on the earth. And the beginning of his kingdom was Babel…” (Genesis 10:8–10). Nimrod is associated with the emergence of kingdoms.

His starting point, Babel, becomes emblematic of collective defiance, while the phrase “before the LORD” conveys visibility and prominence rather than submission (Genesis 10:9).

Nimrod thus stands as a representation of human authority constructing a world independent of divine rule. Scripture affirms his historical reality within genealogies, repeating the account in Chronicles (1 Chronicles 1:10). The biblical record offers a concise profile—his role, his cities, and his influence—rather than a detailed biography.

That raises a direct question.

How did something God never commanded become central to the rhythm of Christian life?

The development illustrates how religious structure built on tradition can become powerful enough to feel necessary.

The Biblical Warnings Still Stand

Even where Christmas and Easter are treated as permissible, Scripture’s warnings remain relevant. Human religious systems tend to expand, harden, and eventually overshadow direct obedience to God.

When that happens, tradition begins to function as authority—and that is the essence of man-made religion.

A Careful and Honest Conclusion

Many Christians celebrate Christmas and Easter with sincere devotion to Christ. God sees the heart.

At the same time, these holidays reveal how easily tradition can rise alongside Scripture, gain emotional power, reshape worship, and gradually form a system God never commanded.

So, the question is not only, “Is this technically allowed?” It should also be;

Are we shaping our worship from Scripture, or from traditions that gradually became sacred to us?

Because once religious structures are built that God did not establish, the movement toward man-made religion is to be already underway—even when intentions are sincere.

Chapter 11 Feast Days Reflect a Continuous Plan of Redemption

Week by week and feast by feast, God has been telling one continuous redemption plan.

Passover showed us deliverance through the blood of the Lamb. Unleavened Bread taught us how redeemed people learn to walk in freedom. Firstfruits revealed resurrection as the beginning of a new creation. Pentecost marked the giving of the Spirit and the calling of a people to God. Trumpets announced the coming of the King. Atonement promised cleansing, judgment, and reconciliation. Tabernacles celebrated God dwelling with His people in joy.

The blood will be a sign

Along the way, one truth becomes impossible to ignore: the feasts are not only memories. They are prophecies. They are not only fulfilled in Christ’s first coming. They are still unfolding toward His second.

God’s calendar does not end with forgiveness. It moves toward a Kingdom. From the beginning, God has been teaching His people not only how to be saved, but where history itself is going.

Deliverance leads to resurrection. Resurrection leads to restoration. Restoration leads to God dwelling openly with humanity.

And now one final question rises naturally from everything we have seen:

If these appointed times point forward to the reign of Christ, what does that reign look like? Who will be part of it? And how will the world God promised finally come into being?

To answer that, we must now step beyond the feasts themselves—and into the future they have been pointing toward all along.

Chapter 12 God’s story does not end with individual salvation.

It announces a restored creation, a redeemed humanity, and a reconciled world gathered under the reign of Jesus the Messiah.

Scripture presents the Kingdom not as a vague spiritual state, but as a renewed earth ordered around the presence, authority, and wisdom of the King. In that coming order, Israel and the nations come into their fullness—distinct, yet united; diverse, yet reconciled—each fulfilling a God-ordained role in the world to come.

And in that future setting, the Holy Days take on clearer meaning. They are not relics of ancient Israel. They become patterns of a healed world—shared rhythms that teach all peoples the mercy, justice, and faithfulness of God.

Israel’s Restoration: God Keeps His Promises

Throughout Scripture, God binds Himself to Israel by covenant. Even when Israel fails, God’s faithfulness does not. The prophets consistently look forward to a moment when Israel is restored—not simply to land, but to purpose.

They speak of:

Return to covenant faithfulness (Jeremiah 31:31–34)

A renewed heart and Spirit (Ezekiel 36:26–27)

Reunification of divided Israel (Ezekiel 37:15–28)

A righteous King reigning from Jerusalem (Isaiah 9:6–7; Micah 4:1–3)

This is why the original promise to Abraham still matters:

“In you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.” (Genesis 12:3)

Israel blessed the world through the Messiah. In the Kingdom, Israel blesses the world through her restored witness. Roman’s chapters 9 thru 11 tell of a time when Israel will finally live up to her calling. (That is the subject of a future paper)

Restoration Is Not Favoritism—It Is Purpose

God does not restore Israel instead of the nations. He restores Israel for the sake of the nations. Her renewal becomes a public testimony of God’s covenant faithfulness—not an exclusion of others.

The Nations Drawn Into the Kingdom

The prophets also picture the nations responding—not with coercion, but with desire. We are told of the day when nations will say:

“Come, let us go up to the mountain of the LORD… He will teach us His ways.” (Micah 4:1–3)

Zechariah adds a striking detail: after Messiah establishes His reign, the nations go up year by year to worship the King and keep the Feast of Tabernacles (Zechariah 14:16–19).

This does not erase the nations. It restores them. The Kingdom does not flatten human diversity; it heals it. The nations remain nations—now re-ordered around the true God.

The Role of the Resurrected Saints

Scripture also speaks of resurrected, faithful saints sharing in Christ’s reign:

“You will sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.” (Luke 22:30) “The saints of the Most High shall receive the kingdom.” (Daniel 7:18)

The saints reign with Christ—not as replacements for Israel, and not as detached spectators, but as participants in the administration of the Kingdom, bearing witness to God’s righteousness and helping order life under the King.

Summary

Israel is restored by covenant faithfulness.

The nations willingly come to the God of Israel to learn His ways.

The saints reign with Christ in the Kingdom’s ordered life.

One King, many peoples—distinct yet reconciled—under the reign of Jesus the Messiah.

Chapter 13 The government of the Kingdom begins with the throne of God and the Lamb.

“The LORD has established His throne in heaven, and His kingdom rules over all.” (Psalm 103:19)

The New Testament declares that this throne now belongs to the risen Christ:

“God raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand… far above all rule and authority and power and dominion.” (Ephesians 1:20–21)

Christ does not reign symbolically. He reigns actually. All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to Him. The Kingdom is not maintained by human consensus. It is established by divine right.

Law from Zion

The prophets describe the government of Christ as righteous, wise, and restorative.

“Out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of the LORD from Jerusalem.” (Isaiah 2:3)

This law is not oppression. It is instruction. In the Kingdom, God’s law is not weaponized to crush; it is taught to heal. Justice replaces violence. Truth replaces deception. Righteousness replaces corruption. The nations do not resist this government—they seek it, because it finally answers what every broken society has been unable to fix.

Christ the King and High Priest

Unlike earthly rulers, Christ unites kingship and priesthood in one Person.

“The LORD has sworn… ‘You are a priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek.’” (Psalm 110:4)

Hebrews builds on this: Jesus reigns as King and eternal High Priest. That matters because it means His rule is not cold or detached. His authority is exercised through intercession. His judgments are just, and His mercy is not weakness—it is royal holiness in action.

The throne of the Kingdom is also the throne of grace.

The Role of the Resurrected Saints

The Dead In Christ Will Meet Him In the Air

The government of Christ is shared—not because Christ needs help, but because redeemed humanity is restored to its intended calling under Him.

To His apostles Jesus promised:

“You will sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.” (Luke 22:30)

Paul expands the same reality:

“Do you not know that the saints will judge the world?” (1 Corinthians 6:2)

The resurrected saints do not replace Christ. They reign with Him. They administer justice, teach righteousness, and shepherd the nations as servants—not as power-seekers. This is not political ambition. It is redeemed service under the King who rules without corruption.

Order Without Oppression

Earthly governments often rule by force, fear, and fragile power. The government of Christ rules by truth, healing, and restoration.

“The government will be upon His shoulders… of the increase of His government and peace there will be no end.” (Isaiah 9:6–7)

Notice the pairing: government and peace. In Scripture, peace is not the absence of conflict; it is the presence of right order. The Kingdom is not stabilized by violence. It is sustained by righteousness.

Sacred Time Under Sacred Rule

And here the calendar fits perfectly.

Time itself becomes part of Christ’s government. The appointed times do not disappear in the Kingdom. They become instruments of instruction, remembrance, and worship. In a healed world, sacred time is not a burden—it is a blessing: a repeated, concrete way for the nations to learn the mercy, justice, faithfulness, and the joy of God.

Under Christ’s reign, time is no longer driven by anxiety, decay, and forgetfulness. It is ordered by redemption. The feasts become patterns of a restored world—rhythms that keep the King at the center and keep the nations aligned with His ways.

Summary

Christ reigns as King and High Priest. The throne stands at the center of the Kingdom. Law becomes instruction that produces peace. The resurrected saints reign with Christ in humble service. Time itself is brought under holy order.

The Kingdom of God is not only a restored creation, it is righteous government under the reign of Jesus the Messiah

Putting It All Together

If you have stayed with this article to this point, one fact should now be hard to ignore: Leviticus 23 is not a dusty list of ancient festivals. It is a God-given teaching tool. God tells the story of redemption not only in words, but also in time.

And that matters, because many Christians have been trained—often without realizing it—to treat God’s appointed times as optional at best, or irrelevant at worst. Yet Scripture does not treat them that way. In the Gospels, Jesus participates in them. In the New Testament letters, the apostles teach with them. In the Prophets, God points forward through them. And when Scripture speaks of the coming Kingdom, it repeatedly uses their imagery. God’s calendar keeps showing up wherever God is explaining His plan.

So the question at the end is not simply, “What are the feasts?” The question is: what did God intend these appointed times to teach, and what happens to your understanding of Christ when you let those lessons stand?

This article has not asked you for blind agreement. As you may recall, we established you do not need prior knowledge, and you do not need to agree with every conclusion. The requirement has been simple—let Scripture interpret Scripture. This is not a call back under the Sinai covenant. It is not salvation by feast-keeping. It is not an attempt to turn Gentiles into Jews. And it is not a new rule system. The appointed times have been treated for what Scripture presents them to be: teachers—made clearer in the light of the cross, the resurrection, and the Spirit.

Historical Reality Many Christians Have Never Been Told

A large portion of what many Christians assume is “standard” Christian observance was codified after the apostolic period. Over time, church leadership attempted to explain biblical teaching using categories drawn from Greek philosophy, and traditions developed as the Church interacted with surrounding cultures. In some cases, pre-Christian [pagan] observances were adopted and re-framed by linking them to biblical themes.

Again, the issue is not whether people meant well. The issue is whether Scripture is allowed to test what became normal.

A Question for Sabbath Keepers

If you are a seventh-day Sabbath keeper, but you feel no need to pursue more depth into the other appointed times, why?

This is not an accusation. It is a consistency check.

Many believers keep the Sabbath because it is rooted in creation (Genesis 2) and commanded in the Ten Commandments (Exodus 20). That reasoning makes sense. But Leviticus 23 places the Sabbath inside a larger framework of appointed times—God’s calendar of remembrance.

So, what stops the inquiry? Scripture—or assumption? Conviction—or habit? Fear of legalism—or simple unfamiliarity?

Depth of understanding does not automatically mean more burden. Often it simply means clearer meaning. The feasts can be studied as gospel teachers even when Christians differ in how they practice them.

Now What?

The One True God and Why Sacred Time Still Matters

Again and again, God reminds His people that He is the one true God. That is why He commands loyalty in the Decalogue, better known as the Ten Commandments (Exodus 20; Deuteronomy 5). Those commandments are covenant markers. They train the believer to keep God first in mind and life.

The appointed times do something similar, but through a different pathway. They train remembrance. They interrupt life on purpose. They pull you back to what God has done and what He has promised to complete. Over time, sacred time forms spiritual memory, so you do not merely claim that God is first in your life—you begin to live as if He is. If you have ever wondered why God built these rhythms into the year, the answer is not mysterious. Human beings forget. The calendar recenters worship, reshapes priorities, and restores perspective.

An open Bible signals immediacy. God’s words are not locked behind experts, institutions, or rituals. They’re placed in front of you—meant to be read aloud, pondered, wrestled with, and obeyed. The surrounding material stresses this posture of direct engagement: God speaks through the written text, and His people are invited to listen with humility and discernment.

Later interpretive traditions arise only after the text exists. Communities face new questions the original audience never encountered. They disagree. They need clarity. So, they develop:

explanations

customs

applications

patterns of practice

These aren’t framed as corruptions or threats. They’re simply secondary. They’re attempts to live faithfully in changing circumstances..

The Holy Days, appointed times, act like a scaffold. But a scaffold is not the building. It’s not the foundation. It’s not the architect’s voice. When traditions stay in their proper place—supporting the reading and living of Scripture—they can be wise, beautiful, and stabilizing. When they drift into the role of authority or replacement, they distort the relationship.

Conclusion

That raises an uncomfortable but necessary question: which set of ancient traditions makes more sense for a Christian to consider?

A Historical Reality Many Christians Have Never Been Told

A large portion of what many Christians assume is “standard” Christian observance was codified after the apostolic period. Over time, church leadership attempted to explain biblical teaching using categories drawn from Greek philosophy, and traditions developed as the Church interacted with surrounding culture. In some cases, pre-Christian [pagan] observances were adopted and re-framed by linking them to biblical themes.

Again, the issue is not whether people meant well. The issue is whether Scripture is allowed to test what became normal.

On the one hand, you have the appointed times of Leviticus 23—days God calls “my appointed times” (Leviticus 23:2). They are anchored in Scripture, practiced by Jesus in the Gospels, taught through by the apostles, and projected forward by the prophets.

On the other hand, many Christians keep traditional holidays with undeniable pre-Christian [pagan] roots in the cultures that practiced them, often without ever asking where those practices came from or what they originally meant.

This is not said to shame anyone. Most believers inherited these things without ever being taught where they came from or how they developed. But it does require clear thinking.

The issue is not whether Christians have traditions. The issue is whether traditions are allowed to overrule Scripture—or whether Scripture is allowed to evaluate traditions.

What About You?

In the first-century Jewish world, people had the written Torah. Also, the first-century church had the apostolic teaching which was passed down from the apostles and preserved for the churches. We have those teaching in the various books of the New Testament.

Jesus taught from the Torah, and the apostles taught from that same foundation. Remember, they weren’t adding later oral tradition as a parallel authority, as history records occurred hundreds of years after the Apostolic period. Nor did they add various ‘addendums” to Christ’s teaching. What made the first century church so unique was its ability to unite the meaning of both the Old and New Testaments.

Only when outside influences of Greek culture began to influence how Christians should apply scripture did the church deviate from the Apostolic teachings. That is when adoption of pagan holidays was deemed to be acceptable if biblical characters or events were transposed onto the biblical narrative. This as we have seen, is not acceptable to God.

I conclude with the following scriptures as a summation of God’s instruction to the Church of God. Jude warned the church with the following admonition:

“Dear friends, I had been eagerly planning to write to you about the salvation we all share. But now I find that I must write about something else, urging you to defend the faith that God has entrusted once for all time to his holy people.I say this because some ungodly people have wormed their way into your churches, saying that God’s marvelous grace allows us to live immoral lives. The condemnation of such people was recorded long ago, for they have denied our only Master and Lord, Jesus Christ.” (Jude 3-4 NLT)

and we read:

“I saw no temple in the city, for the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are its temple. And the city has no need of sun or moon, for the glory of God illuminates the city, and the Lamb is its light. The nations will walk in its light, and the kings of the world will enter the city in all their glory. Its gates will never be closed at the end of day because there is no night there.And all the nations will bring their glory and honor into the city. Nothing evil will be allowed to enter, nor anyone who practices shameful idolatry and dishonesty—but only those whose names are written in the Lamb’s Book of Life.” (Revelation 21:21-27 NLT)

As you consider the points discussed in this book it is my prayer you will remember to consider what God said about someone who love and honors His Word:

Thus says the Lord:

“Heaven is My throne,
And earth is My footstool.
Where is the house that you will build Me?
And where is the place of My rest?
For all those things My hand has made,
And all those things exist,”
Says the Lord.
“But on this one will I look:
On him who is poor and of a contrite spirit,
And who trembles at My word. (Isaiah 66:1-2)

May God bless you as you study His Word.

Footnote

1 D.A. Carson, The Gospel According to John (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1991), 499

Want to learn more? https://www.answerforu.org/publications