Expert: Mel and Guyna Horne - 2/29/2008

Question
People often confuse the Jewish holidays with Biblical holidays, can you list all the biblical holidays that Jesus kept & scripture reference, Also can you tell me where online can I find them for A calender on the observing times and dates.

Answer
Good Morning Catonya!!!

   To understand the difference between the holy days God commanded and modern "Jewish" holidays requires some understanding of the history of Judah.  Orthodox Jews observe, at least in name, the days that God commanded, but they also observe other "days" based on their cultural history as "Jews" (which is part of, but not the same as, the entire history of Israel).  In other words, all Jews are descendants of Israel (Jacob), but not all the descendants of "Israel" are Jews.  Some  "Jewish" holidays are  based on  God's commandments and some are based  solely upon Jewish  "tradition" (e.g. Hanukkah {festival of lights observed about the same time as Xmas}, Purim, Tisha B'Av, Lag B'Omer, plus others, which can be seen at  http://judaism.about.com/od/holidays/a/cal_07hol.htm  ).

   The nation of Israel consists of 12 tribes (the family lines of the 12 sons of Jacob [who was renamed "Israel" by God, Gen. 32:28]). One of the sons was named Judah (Gen. 29:35), from which we have the term "Jews".  [The word "Jew" is first used in scripture in 2K. 16:6 during the reign of Ahaz (ca. 742BC) in reference to those living in the "kingdom of Judah".  The kingdom of Israel was still in existence as a separate nation at this time, and would be for another 21 years.]

   The original nation of Israel had split into two kingdoms after the death of King Solomon (975 BC, 1K. 11, 12).  Ahaz was one of the kings over the Kingdom of Judah which consisted of only two of the tribes, Judah and Benjamin. Their capital was Jerusalem.

   The other ten tribes were known as the Kingdom of Israel, or the "northern tribes" and their capital was Damascus (now in modern Syria).  The kingdom of Israel was overrun by the King of Assyria in 721 BC and nearly all the people were taken captive and moved to Assyria (2K. 15:29, modern Asia Minor, or primarily the area of Turkey, although the modern Turks are not the descendants of Israel but probably of Assyria). [These are the "lost tribes of the house of Israel" to whom Christ sent Peter and the other 11 apostles  (Mat. 10:6).]  Even after Christ, they were still numerous enough to have their own "cities" (Mat.10:23).  Christ's prophecies show that all 12 tribes still exist and will exist in the kingdom of God (Mat. 19:28) although their location is mostly "lost" to history, there are indications (including certain prophecies) that these "lost tribes" currently exist in the form of prominent western nations, including the United States.  Gentiles (all who are descendants of Noah, or of Abraham [other than "physical" Israelites,  those who descended from Jacob (Israel)] also have the opportunity to become "spiritual" Israelites and become heirs to all the promises made to Abraham (Rom. 8:14-17, Gal. 3:29).

  The annual holy days given by God begin with the Passover in Egypt (Ex. 12) which was also the final plague on Egypt and the one which gave Israel their freedom from slavery (representative of our being freed from the bondage of sin).  Christ did not sin, but he did observe the Passover with the disciples (Mat. 26:17-21).   He also explained that the bread and wine now represent his body and his blood which would be sacrificed to cover our sins (Mat. 26:26-28).
  Protestants think of Passover only as a single event or meal, but what was commanded by God was a seven-day festival which began with the Passover event and included two high days or holy days (Ex. 12:1-28, esp. 14-20, Ex. 34:18, Lev. 23:4-8, Luke 22:1).  When Jews refer to Passover or "Pesach" they mean the entire seven-day event [ http://judaism.about.com/od/holidays/a/cal_07hol.htm  ].
  [Note: Many Protestants do not celebrate Passover as a date, but as "communion", using random dates, and using grape juice and leavened crackers. Many also celebrate Easter, a ritual custom not given in scripture.]
 There are seven "festivals" or "holy days" or annual "sabbaths" that are scheduled "three times in a year" (Ex. 23:14, 17, Deu. 16:16).  Since Jerusalem and the Promised Land are in the northern hemisphere, these are also called the "spring feasts", "Pentecost", and the "fall feasts" (or feast at the "end of the [harvest] year"].  [In the southern hemisphere the seasons are reversed and these terms can be confusing.]

1. Passover (which includes seven days of unleavened bread, and two high days or holy days)
2. Pentecost (literally "fiftieth", calculated by counting 50 days from the day after the first day of unleavened bread, Lev. 23:15). This was the day that Christ told his disciples that the Holy Spirit would come to them (Acts 1:4, 2:1).
3. The "fall feasts":
   a. Trumpets
   b. Atonement
   c. Feast of Tabernacles (temporary dwellings), a seven day festival, of which the first day is a high, holy day, and
       c.1. "the eighth day" or "Last Great day of the Feast" (it sounds contradictory but this day is both part of Tabernacles and also separate from Tabernacles, Lev. 23:34,36).


  The "seven" annual "days" include:
       1. The first and last days of the days of unleavened bread. = 2

        2.  Pentecost  = 1

         3. Trumpets  = 1
             Atonement = 1
             The first day of the Feast of Tabernacles  = 1
             The eighth day or "Last Great Day (of the feast)" = 1

      Total  = 7 days  observed at "three times in a year".

The purpose of these days is to help us understand God's master plan for humanity, a subject too large to be addressed in a brief email.
       
    God calls these days "feasts" or "Sabbaths" or "Holy Days".  God includes the weekly Sabbath, not only as one of his "feasts" but also as the first of his "feasts" (Lev. 23:1-3).
   After the weekly Sabbath, he lists his "seasonal" feasts:
          Passover and the seven days of Unleavened Bread (Lev. 23:4-8).
          Pentecost (Lev. 23:4, 9-22).  [a.k.a. the "feast of firstfruits" Ex. 23:16, 34:22]
          Trumpets, Atonement, and Feast of Tabernacles (Lev. 23:4, 23-44).[a.k.a. the "feast of ingathering" Ex. 23:16,34:22]

Christ and his disciples observed these days, and they were observed after Christ's death and resurrection:
        Passover and Unleavened Bread, Mat. 26:1-5, 17-30, Mk. 14:1-2, 12-26, Lk. 22:1-2, 7-20, Jn. 2:23, 13:1-2, Acts 12:3, 20:6, 1Cor. 5:8.
        Pentecost, Acts 2:1, 20:16, 1Cor. 16:8.
        Feast of Tabernacles, Jn. 7:2, 8-14, 37.
       "Feast"  Lk. 2:41-43, Jn. 4:45, 5:1,  11:56, 12:12, 20.

       Paul (after Christ's death and resurrection),  Acts 18:21, 20:16, 1Cor. 5:8, 16:8.
       Peter, 2Pet. 2:13.
      Jude, Jude 1:12.

There probably are more examples but these are the only ones that come to mind at the moment.


   
     As for the dates God's festivals are to be observed on our modern calendar, there is much debate on that.

     God's first "feast", the weekly Sabbath day (the 7th day of the week, Gen. 2:1) is observed by Catholics and most Protestants on the first day of the week.  Protestants say that Paul changed it but the Catholic Church (from which most Protestant groups originated)  says that there is no basis in scripture for observing Sunday.  The  Catholic church  says that  it changed the day  based upon its own authority alone.
     ""Sunday is a Catholic institution, and its claim to observance can be defended only on Catholic principles . . From beginning to end of Scripture there is not a single passage that warrants the transfer of weekly public worship from the last day of the week to the first."—Catholic Press, Sydney, Australia, August, 1900."
        [Note: This is a quote from an SDA website which appears authentic but which we have not separately verified.  Our reference to material on any other web site should not be taken as endorsement of anything else that may be found there.]
       This site also contains quotes from Baptist, Methodist and other churches supporting the Catholic position that there is no Biblical basis for changing the Sabbath from the seventh day to the first day of the week.
       Baptist:  "There was and is a command to keep holy the Sabbath day, but that Sabbath day was not Sunday. It will however be readily said, and with some show of triumph, that the Sabbath was transferred from the seventh to the first day of the week, with all its duties, privileges and sanctions. Earnestly desiring information on this subject, which I have studied for many years, I ask, where can the record of such a transaction be found? Not in the New Testament—absolutely not. There is no scriptural evidence of the change of the Sabbath institution from the seventh to the first day of the week."—Dr. E. T. Hiscox, author of the Baptist Manual."

     To see the complete list of quotes, visit  http://www.seventh-day.org/historians.htm
     Many say that "it doesn't really matter" which day one observes, which begs the question that if it doesn't matter, why not observe the one God commanded?
     Regarding the other feasts commanded by God, the Jewish groups (Orthodox, Reform, Conservative, Hasidic, others) appear to mostly use what is known as "the Jewish calendar".   This calendar is based on astronomical calculations and certain "rules of postponements".  A full explanation of that calendar and the rules are available on our web site in a series of articles that includes the history of the Jewish calendar, how it works and why the Jews acknowledge that it is frequently a month out of sync with the seasons and the cycle of the moon (upon which God gave the original instructions on when to observe these days), and how the Jews plan to junk their calendar as soon as a new Sanhedrin can be organized in Jerusalem.

     There are a number of groups, mostly known by some variation of "church of God" that observe the seventh day sabbath (no connection to the SDA's), and also observe the annual holy days of God.  Most claim to use the Jewish calendar, but in fact, are making exceptions and keeping different days about half the time.
     We have posted a comparison chart of 1) the Jewish calendar, 2) the days observed by various "churches of God", and 3) the holy days commanded by God in scripture and based upon the astronomical cycle of the moon (using data from the U.S. Naval Observatory, the basis for official timekeeping in the U.S.).  The chart can be seen at     http://www.geocities.com/changes1611/calcomp19.html

    There are many questions and arguments about determining the Holy Days on the modern "Roman" calendar (the one everyone uses in most western nations).  We have addressed all of them that we have come across, in our series of articles listed at      http://www.geocities.com/changes1611/calindex.html

    There are thousands of people who still observe the Holy Days of God.  There are many who say that they are no longer in effect and quote Paul's writings to support their arguments, even though it appears that Paul, himself, observed them.  As in all things, we must "study" (2Tim. 2:15) and "prove all things" (1Ths. 5:21), looking to God to give us understanding through his Holy Spirit which was sent to Christ's disciples as they were observing Pentecost, 50 days after Christ's death and resurrection.

   This may raise more questions for you than it answered, but that's not unusual in studying the Bible.
   We hope this helps.
   Sincerely,
   Mel Horne