WHAT FALL FESTIVALS?

From the West Meadow
By Pastor Wesley Higgins

Before you know it, the Fall Festival season will be upon us. Whoa, hold it–what am I talking about? What Fall Festivals? The Feasts of the Lord, of course. Some people mistakenly call them the Jewish feasts or the Old Testament holy days. But that’s not what God calls them. Oh, God introduced them to the Jews and commanded they be observed and proclaimed– which they did a few recorded times in their history. But to label them the Jewish or Israelite feasts is to devalue them...the loss being ours.

God is very direct when it comes to His festivals. He asked Moses directly to tell Israel about His special times. Notice: “...say to them, ‘The Feasts of the Lord, which you shall proclaim to be holy convocations, these are My Feasts.’” (Leviticus 23:2)

First of all, God gives them a name: “Feasts of the Lord”. He names them with His own holy name. Then He tells His people to proclaim them to be times of holy gathering. Finally, He declares ownership of them. He doesn’t turn ownership over to man to abuse and ignore; they are too important to Him.

These festivals are special moments in time around which God has built His relationship with man. Every significant intervention by God in this world’s affairs have happened at these special appointed times. For instance, take a look at Rosh Hashana (Feast of Trumpets), on September 23 this year. According to tradition, it was the final day of Creation (Genesis 1: 31). It was the day the waters of the great flood were dried (Genesis 8:13). In I Kings 8, it was the day of dedication when the glory of God filled His temple (I Kings 8:1-11). And since all God’s festivals are shadow pictures of the salvational acts of Jesus Christ (Colossians 2: 16-17), the Feast of Trumpets not only reminds us of things God has done, but looks to the future by picturing the return of Jesus Christ.

There are four fall festivals. Each one draws for us a picture of the salvation God has planned for mankind through Jesus Christ. Briefly, the Feast of Atonement (Yom Kippur) pictures the church at one with God, having the heart and mind of the Father, while the Feast of Tabernacles pictures God’s Kingdom on earth (Isaiah11:6-10). The last Festival (the eighth day) pictures the salvation of the whole world, when “there will be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away” (Revelation 21:4).

So the next time you look at the calendar and see the festival days–Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur, Sukkoth, etc.–don’t dismiss them as men’s traditions. These are the Feasts of the Lord (Leviticus 23) and great things will happen on these days.

If you’d like to join us in celebrating God’s Fall Festivals this year, just call for times and dates.

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