Overview of the Seven Jewish Feasts

There are seven, annual Jewish feasts which were ordained by God, in the Holy Bible, and these feasts have been observed by the Jews for over 3,000 years. Most of these feasts are related to the annual seasons and the agricultural activities in Israel. These seven feasts were ordained by God after the miraculous exodus of the children of Israel, from slavery in Egypt. These seven feasts are mentioned in Deuteronomy 16 and in Leviticus 23: 1-44. “The Lord spoke to Moses, saying, “Speak to the people of Israel and say to them, These are the appointed feasts of the Lord that you shall proclaim as holy convocations; they are my appointed feasts.”

The Hebrew word ‘moedim’ is usually translated as ‘appointed feasts’ and means to set an appointment for a specific feast. The root of this word means ‘to repeat’ and can also mean ‘a signal which has appointed beforehand’. An English equivalent would be a child’s birthday party. The ‘signal’ for this event is the birthday cake and the gifts. When a child sees these ‘signals’, he knows it is time to celebrate his birthday. Another Hebrew word which can also mean festival is ‘chag’ and is derived from a Hebrew root word which means ‘to move in a circle, to march in a sacred procession or to hold a solemn feast’. The idea of ‘repeating in a circle’ implies that these feasts repeat every year, in a never ending cycle.

It is interesting to note that when God ordained these annual feasts in Deuteronomy 16, the children of Israel where living in the wilderness, after seeing God come down on Mt. Sinai. But God also ordained an appointed place. In Deuteronomy 16:6, God instructs the people to observe these feasts ‘at the place the Lord your God will choose, to make his name dwell in it’. Later, God chooses Jerusalem as the location for his dwelling place, His Temple, and as the location for these feasts.

When God ordained these seven feasts, (along with the observation of the Sabbath) they became the foundation for the Jewish religion. Each feast had different activities (signals) which were required by the Jewish people. And each feast held a mysterious connection to a future event, which was unknown when the feast was first ordained.

God used each feast as a ‘type’ and a ‘shadow’ of things to come, which means each feast holds a very specific, and unique, prophetic implication. In the Old Testament, the prophetic implication for these feasts was hidden. But, in the New Testament, the true meaning for these feasts was finally revealed; at least for the first four of these feasts. The last three feast have not yet been fulfilled, so there is still speculation about the true meaning of these feasts.

God not only ordained these feasts to teach the Jewish people about His character, but to also foreshadow His plan of salvation for the entire world. When God ordained these seven feasts, He said that these feasts should be a memorial, a holy convocation. The Hebrew word for convocation is ‘miqra’, which means a public meeting or a sacred assembly. The root word for miqra can also mean a ‘reading’ (of the Torah) or a ‘rehearsal’ for a public performance.

  1.  Passover – Pesach
  2.  Feast of Unleavened Bread
  3.  Feast of First Fruits
  4.  Feast of Weeks (Pentecost) – Shavuot
  5.  Feast of Trumpets – Rosh HaShanah
  6.  Day of Atonement – Yom Kippur
  7.  Feast of Tabernacles – Sukkot

What is truly amazing about these feasts is that each one points to the Messiah and God’s plan of salvation. Each feast has a prophetic implication and the first four feasts have been fulfilled, prophetically speaking. Please see my teaching called The Prophetic Jewish Feasts for an understanding of the possible prophetic meaning of these last four feasts and their future fulfillment.

Passover, Unleavened Bread and First Fruits

The first three annual feasts are observed within a few days of each other, and these feasts are always observed in the spring. They are also observed in the first month of the Jewish religious calendar, which is the month of Nisan. Note that all Jewish days begin at sundown and last until the following sundown.

1. Passover begins on the evening of Nisan 14 and is celebrated that night with a special meal, called a ‘Passover Seder’.

2. Unleavened Bread begins on the evening of Nissan 15 and lasts for seven days.

3. First Fruits occurs after Passover, on the day after the Sabbath (which is Sunday).

Today, Passover is a time when the Jews remember when God delivered the children of Israel from slavery in Egypt, over 3,000 years ago. To be protected, a lamb was slain and the blood of the lamb was placed over the door of the house and on the sides of the door. A special mean was eaten that night and the Death Angel visited Egypt and the first born was killed, unless the blood was applied to the door.

As the Jews prepared to leave Egypt, they did not have time for their bread to rise. So, they had to eat ‘unleavened bread’ for several days when they left Egypt. Leaven is another word for yeast, which is compared to sin. You may remember that Jesus said to ‘be aware of the leaven of the Pharisees’.

4. The Feast of Weeks (Pentecost or Shavuot)

Fifty days after Passover, the Feast of Weeks is observed in early summer. This feast coincides with the beginning of the wheat harvest. Then, after summer is over, there are three feasts in the fall, in the same month.

Three of the seven, annual Jewish feasts are celebrated in the fall. These feasts are known as the Feast of Trumpets (Rosh HaShanah), Day of Atonement (Yom Kippur) and Feast of Tabernacles (Sukkot). This newsletter is just an overview of these three feasts. If you want to journey deeper, there is a post concerning each individual feast, on my website, with additional details which are both interesting and prophetic.

The three fall feasts all occur in the month of Tishrei, which is the seventh month on the Jewish religious calendar. The first feast, the Feast of Trumpets is also called Rosh HaShanah (which literally means ‘head of the year’) and is the Jewish civil New Year. This feast begins on the first day of Tishrei and it lasts for two days. In ancient times, it was difficult to know in advance, when a month would start, so this became a two day feast. Once the Sanhedrin recognized that a new month had begun, the people had to be notified and that might take some time (for those people living in the outskirts of Israel).

The Day of Atonement begins 10 days after the Feast of Trumpets and lasts for one day. The Feast of Tabernacles begins 5 days later and lasts for 7 days.

For over two thousand years the Jewish people have relied on the Pharisee calendar, which is a lunar calendar, and each month begins with the new moon. I have given the current Jewish calendar the name ‘Pharisee calendar’, to distinguish between it and the Essene calendar.

5. The Feast of Trumpets (Rosh HaShanah)

The Feast of Trumpets starts on the first day of Tishrei and these two days are very solemn. This feast begins a ten-day period called ‘the Days of Awe’. In preparation for Yom Kippur (which occurs ten days after Rosh HaShanah), this ten-day period is a time of reflection, prayer and repentance. On this day, the shofar (sometime called a trumpet) is blown with different sounds to remind the people to ‘wake up’, ‘repent’ and ‘get ready’. The Jewish people are supposed to ‘afflict their souls’ during these 10 days. There is no pleasant or pleasurable activities which should be done during these days. Also, during this time, the Jewish shofar (a ‘trumpet’ made from a ram’s horn) is blown as a ‘call to action’ for the people. The two feasts of Rosh HaShanah and the Day of Atonement, are called the ‘High Holy Days’ and are the most sacred of all the Jewish feasts.

According to Jewish tradition, on Rosh HaShanah, God will judge each person for the way he lived during the past year. Based on this, God will write his name in one of three books: the Book of the Righteous, the Book of the Wicked or the Book of the In-Beween. During the ten Days of Awe, the Jews believe that if they humble themselves and truly repent, if their name was written in the Book of the In-Between, God may change his mind and then write his name in the Book of the Righteous. For a more in-depth teaching on the Feast of Trumpets, read the post concerning that specific feast. Many Christians believe that this feast is a prophetic feast which points to the future rapture of the Church.

6. The Day of Atonement (Yom Kippur)

The Day of Atonement is considered the most holy of all of the feasts; it takes place on Tishrei 10. In the Old Testament (the Tankh) and during the time of Jesus, this was the only day of the year that the High Priest was allowed to enter the Holy of Holies. On this day, the High Priest would repent for the sins of the nation of Israel. Then, he would sprinkle the blood of the sacrifice on the Ark of the Covenant, to atone for the sins of the people. During Biblical times, it was on this day, each year, that God decided if he would forgive the sins of the children of Israel for the past year. Judaism currently teaches that this is the final judgement made by God, for the past year. If your name was previously written in the Book of the In-Between, but you repented during the Days of Awe, God will write your name in the Book of the Righteous (at least for the current year).

During Biblical times, this day was a day of national repentance. But, since the destruction of the Jewish Temple in 70 AD, this day has become more of a day for personal repentence. For a more in-depth teaching on Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement, read the post concerning that specific feast or the post called ‘Overview of the Fall Feasts’. Many Christians believe that this feast is a prophetic feast which points to the Great White Throne Judgement.

7. The Feast of Tabernacles (Sukkot)

After the solemn feasts of Trumpets and Yom Kippur, the next feast, the Feast of Tabernacles (Sukkot) is celebrated. This celebration lasts for seven days and is the most joyous feast of them all, and is a drastic contrast to the two earlier feasts. The Feast of Tabernacles takes place just after the summer harvest has finished. The bountiful harvest is enjoyed at these feasts, along with singing and dancing. This feast is similar to the American Thanksgiving feast.

The Feast of Tabernacles is also a time when Jewish people remember that their ancestors wandered in the desert for 40 years. This happened after they were delivered from slavery in Egypt and then encountered God, at Mount Sinai. Because the children of Israel did not believe they could conquer the giants, who lived in the promise land, they were forced to live in temporary tents for 40 years…in the wilderness. But, during that time, God’s presence could be seen as a pillar of fire by night, and a pillar of cloud by day, hovering over the Tabernacle. The Tabernacles was a portable tent which Moses had built, with detailed instructions spoken directly from God.

During the Feast of Tabernacles, the Jews build a temporary structure where they can eat their meals and even sleep. This reminds them of the tents that their ancestors lived in, thousands of years ago. It also reminds them of the Tabernacle of Moses, where God dwelt among his people. This feast reminds everyone that God still wants to dwell in the midst of his people.

During the Feast of Tabernacles, the Jews build a temporary structure where they can eat their meals and even sleep. This reminds them of the tents that their ancestors lived in, thousands of years ago. It also reminds them of the Tabernacle of Moses, where God dwelt among his people. This feast reminds everyone that God still wants to dwell in the midst of his people.

This post is just a simple overview of these three feasts. There is much more information concerning each feast in the individual teaching for each feast, posted on my website. There is also a Fall Feast Prophetic Teaching which summarizes what these three feasts might mean for us today.