“Blessed (happy, fortunate, to be envied) are the people whoknow the joyfulsound [who understand and appreciate the spiritual blessings symbolized by the feasts]; they walk,O Lord, in the light and favor of Your countenance”Psalm 89:15
There are many different calendars in the world. The Gregorian/Julian calendar is internationally accepted as the civil calendar. This calendar begins in January and ends in December and includes civil holidays like New Year’s Day, the Fourth of July, Labor Day, Thanksgiving as well as all of the church holidays.
The Liturgical calendar was generated by the Roman catholic church with the holidays that have been embraced by the Christian church: Advent, Christmas, Lent, and Easter. These celebrations were instituted into Christendom by Constantine in order to bridge the gap between pagan and Biblical worship. The major holidays along with ‘saint days’ like St. Patrick’s Day, St. Valentine’s Day, and the Assumption of Mary are also part of the Liturgical Roman Catholic calendar. Though given Christian meaning, these holidays are pagan-rooted holidays –– golden calves –– honoring ‘other gods.’ Daniel gives a warning those who set themselves up as ‘God’ and change the set times of Adonai and His laws (Daniel 7:25).
The Biblical calendar was established by Adonai with His people, Israel, beginning with the Passover in Egypt. The Biblical calendar focuses on His ‘appointed times.’ These are the days and times that Adonai commanded as times He would meet with His people. His calendar includes Passover, Feast of Unleavened Bread, Feast of First Fruits, Feast of Weeks (Shavuot/Pentecost), Feast of Trumpets, Day of Atonement, and Feast of Tabernacles. The Biblical calendar also includes Sabbath, the Feast of Dedication (Hanukkah) and Purim (Feast of Esther).
The ‘appointed times’ of Adonai are determined by the sun, moon, and stars from the fourth day of creation. Days are rendered sunset to sunset. Months are approximately 28 days based on a lunar cycle. Years are determined by the movement of constellations in the heavens. All Feasts of the LORD begin at sunset on the day listed and last 24 hours unless they are a week-long celebration.
We use the Jewish calendar to determine the dates for the Feasts of the LORD. We have chosen their calendar because these are the times when the Jewish people around the world celebrate them. It is our desire as believers from the nations to be in unity with the Jewish people, Adonai’s chosen nation, and make them jealous for their Messiah, Yeshua of Nazareth (Romans 11).
Each Feast of the LORD has prophetic symbolism for Yeshua’s past, present and future work as Messiah and King. Each is Adonai’s ‘appointed time’ for revealing His plan to the world through His Son. As Yeshua taught with many of his ‘banquet’ parables, everyone is invited to his Father’s celebrations; it is up to each individual to accept the invitation.
Weekly and Monthly Appointed Times
Sabbath – Weekly Appointed Time, Sunset Friday to Sunset Saturday
Sabbath is a memorial to creation, a sign of the covenant between God and His people, and a vision of the coming eternal Kingdom.
New Moon Festival (Rosh Chodesh) – Begins at the conjunction of the new (dark moon). All Biblical ‘appointed times’ are set according to the new moon/new month with a 28-day cycle. Passover and Sukkot will fall on a full moon as they are both the 14-15 day of each month.
Spring Festivals (Yeshua became ‘their reality’ at his first coming.)
Passover (Pesach) – Monday, April 22, 2024
A How-to Celebrate your own Passover
Unleavened Bread (Matzah) – Tuesday, April 23-30, 2024
Feast of First Fruits (Ha Bikkurim, Resurrection) – April 28, 2024 –– First day of the week after a weekly Sabbath following Passover. According to Leviticus 23:9, there has to be a weekly Sabbath before Firstfruits, not just ‘a sabbath’ like Passover or Unleavened Bread.
Apostle People – (A unique way to celebrate the Resurrection of Yeshua with your children.)
Counting the Omer – Counting the 50 days between the Resurrection of Messiah on the first day of the week after the weekly Sabbath and the Feast of Weeks which also falls on the first day of the week after the weekly Sabbath.
Lag B’Omer – Ten days before the Feast of Weeks or Shavuot – Sunday, May 26, 2024.
Feast of Weeks (Shavuot/Pentecost) – Sunday, June 16, 2024 (Presently being fulfilled by Yeshua through the Ruach HaKodesh.)
Fall Festivals (Yeshua will become ‘the reality’ of these ‘appointed times’ at his return.)
Feast of Trumpets – Thursday, October 3, 2024
Day of Atonement (Yom Kippur) – Saturday, October 12, 2024
Feast of Tabernacles – (Sukkot – Feast of Booths) – Thursday, October 17-23, 2024
Yeshua’s Birth – According to the Book of Luke, Thursday, October 17.
Shimini Atzeret – Eighth Day, Thursday, October 24, 2024
Simchat Torah (Day of celebrating the Torah), Friday, October 25, 2024
Other Biblical Celebrations found in Scripture
Feast of Dedication (Hanukkah) – Thursday, December 7 – Friday, December 15, 2023
Purim – Saturday, March 23, 2024
Tisha b’Av (9th of Av) – Monday, August 19, 2024
Yom Hashoah (Holocaust Remembrance Day) – Wednesday, May 8, 2024
To understand the prophetic vision in the Feasts of the LORD, purchase the study guide, “Yeshua in His Father’s Feasts” and the leader’s manual in order to do a group study.