Feasts and Festivals of Israel in the Old Testament
Leviticus 23:2 - Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them, Concerning the feasts of the LORD, which ye shall proclaim to be holy convocations, even these are my feasts.
The Bible reveals that God appointed certain days of the year to be remembered
and celebrated by the congregation of Israel. The word "feast" comes from two
Hebrew words that mean (Heb. Moaid) "divinely appointed times" and
the other (Heb. Khag ) means "festival" from the verb which means
"to dance". There were seven feasts that were observed annually in
ancient Israel, and they were celebrated in this order: Passover, Unleavened
Bread, First Fruits, Pentecost, Trumpets, Atonement, and Tabernacles. Only three
were actual feasts: Unleavened Bread, Pentecost, Tabernacles. The other four
were appointed times. They were only required to fast on the Day of Atonement.
During the special times they would remember great events with God. Three times
per year: during the feast of Pentecost, Passover, and Tabernacles all male
Israelites were to gather together. This is referred to as the "gathering" or
"convocation". After the exile the Israelites began meeting together on the
Sabbath day.
It is commonly believed among Christians that the first four feasts in the
spring speak of the first coming of Jesus Christ (the death, burial, and
resurrection of Jesus Christ, and the beginning of the church), and the last
three feasts in the fall speak of the second coming of Jesus Christ (The
Rapture, Israel receiving her Messiah, and the kingdom is set up on earth).
Below is a list of Feasts and Festivals in the ancient Hebrew Calendar.
| List of the Feasts and Festivals in the Old Testament | ||
| Feasts and Festivals | Hebrew Months | Season/Harvest |
| The Sacred Year | ||
| 1. Nisan (March and April) | Spring | |
| Passover (Heb. Pesakh) | Nisan 14-21 | Barley is Ripe |
| Leviticus 23:5 - In the fourteenth day of the first month at even is the LORD'S passover. | ||
| Description: The
Feast of the Passover was instituted by the LORD on the night before the
Israelites made their departure from Egypt. Passover was a perpetual
reminder of God's deliverance of the Hebrews by passing over their
houses where they applied the blood on the lintel and doorposts of their
homes. God spared their first-born sons, but slew the first-born
of the Egyptians. The Feast of Passover began on the 14th day of the
month of Abib (Later Nisan), and it lasted for a period of 7 days. It
was also called the Feast of Unleavened Bread, because no leaven was to
be eaten. The Paschal Lamb was chosen on the 10th day and sacrificed on
the 14th day and the roasted flesh was eaten in haste. |
||
| Unleavened Bread (Heb. Matsoth) | Nisan 15 | Figs are Blossoming |
| Leviticus 23:6 - And on the fifteenth day of the same month is the feast of unleavened bread unto the LORD: seven days ye must eat unleavened bread. | ||
| Description: The
Feast of Unleavened Bread was a continuation of the Feast of Passover,
and lasted for seven days. Because these two Feasts were so connected
they were celebrated as one continued festival of eight days. They are
commonly referred to as one festival and both names are used to refer to
it. On the last day of the feast a wheat-sheaf of the first fruits of
the harvest was offered up in thanks for God's abundant provision in
bringing forth fruit out of the earth. |
||
| First Fruits (Heb. Yom Havikurim) | Nisan 16 | |
| Leviticus 23:10-11 - Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them, When ye be come into the land which I give unto you, and shall reap the harvest thereof, then ye shall bring a sheaf of the firstfruits of your harvest unto the priest: And he shall wave the sheaf before the LORD, to be accepted for you: on the morrow after the sabbath the priest shall wave it. | ||
| Description:
During the closing of the Feast of Unleavened Bread, a wheat-sheaf of
the first fruits of the harvest was offered up in thanks for God's
abundant provision in bringing forth fruit out of the earth. The first
fruits of every harvest was to be offered to God (Exodus 22:29, Numbers
18:12) before gathering their harvest. They were not to make bread until
the first fruits were offered in thanksgiving of the harvest. |
||
| 2. Iyar (April and May) | Barley Harvest | |
| 3. Sivan (May and June) | Wheat Harvest | |
| Pentecost or Weeks (Heb. Shavuot) | Sivan 6 | |
| Leviticus 23:16 - Even unto the morrow after the seventh sabbath shall ye number fifty days; and ye shall offer a new meat offering unto the LORD. | ||
| Description: The
Hebrew word shavuot means weeks, and it was called The
Feast of Weeks because it was celebrated the day after seven weeks (a
week of weeks) after the Feast of Passover. Pentecost is from two
Greek words meaning 50 days and the Feast took place on the 50th
day after the Passover. God established the Feast to remember the
greatness of God when he gave the Law from Mount Sinai which took place
50 days after their departure from the land of Egypt. During the Feast
two sheaves of the firstfruits of the wheat harvest are mingled together
into one and waved before the LORD. The New Testament speaks of the
birth of the Church when the Day of Pentecost had "fully come". |
||
| 4. Tammuz (June and July) | Summer Early Vintage | |
| 5. Av (July and August) | Figs are Ripe | |
| 6. Elul (August and September) | General Vintage | |
| 7. Tishri (September and October) | Fall, Plowing and Sowing | |
| Trumpets (Heb. Yom Tiruah) | Tishri 1-2 | |
| Leviticus 23:24 - Speak unto the children of Israel, saying, In the seventh month, in the first [day] of the month, shall ye have a sabbath, a memorial of blowing of trumpets, an holy convocation. | ||
| Description: The
Feast of Trumpets was a special time of blowing trumpets and was
celebrated on the 1st and 2nd days of the month of Tishri
(September/October). The first day of Tishri was also the start of the
civil year for the Hebrews. |
||
| Atonement (Heb. Yom Kippur) | Tishri 10 | |
| Leviticus 23:27 - Also on the tenth day of this seventh month [there shall be] a day of atonement: it shall be an holy convocation unto you; and ye shall afflict your souls, and offer an offering made by fire unto the LORD. | ||
| Description: The
Great Day of Atonement happened on the 10th day of the month of Tishri
and it was the most important day for holiness, and the only day in
which the Hebrews were commanded to fast and "afflict their souls". The
sacrifices on Yom Kippur were the most holy and the main sacrifice was
made when the High Priest offered a sacrifice for the sins of the whole
nation and entered the Holy of Holies and sprinkled the blood on the
Mercy Seat above the Ark of the Testimony. |
||
| Tabernacles (Heb. Sukkoth) | Tishri 15-21 | |
| Leviticus 23:34 - Speak unto the children of Israel, saying, The fifteenth day of this seventh month [shall be] the feast of tabernacles for seven days unto the LORD. | ||
| Description: The
Feast of Tabernacles was celebrated on the 15th day of the month of
Tishri, and lasted for 8 days. During the Feast of Tabernacles the
people of Israel would dwell in Tents or Booths made from the
branches of trees so that they would always remember the wilderness
experiences as they felt the air blowing through the branches. The Feast
of Tabernacles was also called the Feast of In-gatherings because the
fruits of the land of Israel have been gathered in. |
||
| 8. Heshvan (October and November) | Latter Grapes | |
| 9. Chislev (November and December) | Winter Snows | |
| 10. Tebeth (December and January) | Grass after the Rains | |
| 11. Shebat (January and February) | Winter Figs | |
| 12. Adar (February and March) | Spring Almonds are Blossoming | |
Leviticus 23:44 -
And Moses declared unto the children of Israel the feasts of the LORD.
The Story of the Bible - Part One - The Old Testament
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Bibliography Resources on the Old Testament
- A Survey of Old Testament Introduction, Revised and Expanded by Archer, 508 Pages, Pub. 2007
- The Old Testament: A Historical, Theological, and Critical Introduction
- Introducing the Old Testament: A Historical, Literary, and Theological Survey
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- Joseph, A Type of Christ
- The Encampment of Israel
- The Hebrew Calendar of Months
- The 7 Feasts and God's Calendar
- The Feasts and Festivals of Israel
- Scriptures and Procedures of the Feasts
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