What are the different Jewish festivals (feasts) in the Bible?

WHAT DOES THE BIBLE SAY?

The Old Testament records seven Jewish festivals. One more festival is mentioned in the New Testament. God first instituted festivals when giving Moses the Law after bringing the Israelites out of slavery in Egypt. God's prescription for these "appointed feasts" is in Leviticus 23, and they include the Sabbath, the Passover, the Feast of Unleavened Bread, the Feast of Firstfruits, the Feast of Weeks, the Feast of Trumpets, the Day of Atonement, and the Feast of Booths. Two other Jewish festivals mentioned in the Bible include the Feast of Purim (Esther 9:20-32) and the Feast of Dedication (John 10:22). Although not commanded by God to do so, the Jews also celebrate festivals commemorating other events recorded in Scripture: Lag B'Omer, commemorating the giving of manna in the desert (Exodus 16); Tisha B'Av, commemorating the destruction of the Temple (Jeremiah 52:12–23); and Tu B'Shvat, marking a new year for the trees to determine proper tithing (Deuteronomy 14:22,14:28). Jesus Christ is reflected in the four spring and three fall festivals.

FROM THE OLD TESTAMENT

• God first instituted festivals when giving Moses the Law after bringing the Israelites out of slavery in Egypt. These "appointed feasts" are mainly in Leviticus 23. They include the following:
• The Sabbath was to be a day of solemn rest on the seventh day of every week. Jews were commanded to not do any customary work on those days, thereby setting aside those days as holy and dedicated to the Lord (Exodus 20:8-10; Leviticus 23:3).
• The Passover feast commemorates the night the Spirit of the Lord "passed over" the Israelites' houses that were covered with the blood of a sacrificial lamb during the plague that killed all the firstborn (Exodus 12:1-28; Leviticus 23:5).
• The Feast of Unleavened Bread is part of Passover as it's celebrated for seven days beginning the day after Passover. Israelites were commanded not to eat anything that contains yeast during this festival in remembrance of having fled Egypt in haste before the bread could rise (Exodus 12:15-20; Leviticus 23:6-8).
• The Feast of Firstfruits is held on the second day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread. During the Feast of Firstfruits, the Israelites were to express their dependence on and gratitude to God by bringing their very first harvest of barley and other sacrifices to the temple (Exodus 23:19; Leviticus 23:9-14).
• The Feast of Weeks, also known as Shavuot and Pentecost, occurs fifty days after Passover and is a celebration of gratitude to God for the wheat harvest similar to the Festival of Firstfruits for the barley harvest (Leviticus 23:15-21).
• The first fall festival is the Feast of Trumpets, or Rosh Hashanah, so named because it is commemorated with trumpet blasts. This feast marks that the agricultural year has come to an end and a new one is beginning. The Israelites now enter a sacred season, seeking God’s favor (Leviticus 23:23-25).
• Ten days after Rosh Hashanah is Yom Kippur, or the Day of Atonement, the one day per year the High Priest could enter the Holy of Holies to present a sacrifice on behalf of the people to wipe away all the sins of the previous year (Leviticus 16, 23:26-32).
• Five days after Yom Kippur is the Feast of Booths (Tabernacles), or Sukkot, which celebrates the fall harvest and commemorates the Israelites' sojourn in the desert when they lived in tents or tabernacles (Leviticus 23:33-43). The Israelites were commanded to construct and live in tabernacles or huts for seven days during this festival each year to remember that time of their history with God.
• Two other Jewish festivals are mentioned in the Bible: the Feast of Purim (Esther 9:20–32) and the Feast of Dedication, now called Hanukkah. The latter is not mentioned in the Protestant Old Testament but is mentioned in the New Testament (John 10:22) and the Catholic Apocrypha in Maccabees 4:36–59.

FROM THE NEW TESTAMENT

• The feasts/festivals point toward Jesus. Jesus declared Himself Lord of the Sabbath in Matthew 12:8, and He offers rest to all who come to Him in Matthew 11:28–30. Jesus is our Sabbath rest.
• This Passover feast foreshadows Jesus' sacrificial blood as the Lamb of God who "freed us from our sins" (Revelation 1:5). Jesus instituted the New Covenant in His blood during the Passover meal in Luke 22:20.
• By New Testament times, yeast had become symbolic of sin or evil (1 Corinthians 5:6-8). The Feast of Unleavened Bread points to Jesus who was without sin and is the only perfect sacrifice (Hebrews 4:15; 2 Corinthians 5:21). During the Passover meal immediately preceding His death, Jesus took the unleavened bread and said, "This is my body, which is given for you" (Luke 22:19).
• The Feast of Firstfruits reminds us of Christ, whom Paul called "the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep" in reference to His being raised from the dead (1 Corinthians 15:20).
• During Pentecost, the Festival of Weeks, Jesus fulfilled His promise of sending another Helper (John 14:16), the Holy Spirit, as related in Acts 2:1-4. If Jesus is like the barley harvest, the first fruits, the Holy Spirit is this second harvest testifying that we are also God's children (Romans 8:16-17).
• The Feast of Trumpets and two other fall festivals foreshadow Jesus’ ministry during His second coming as reigning King. First Thessalonians 4:16 notes that Jesus will come again "with the sound of the trumpet of God." Trumpets in the book of Revelation announce the coming judgement of God and likewise, this festival announces the next festival just ten days later.
• Christians no longer need a Day of Atonement since Jesus has become our High Priest and "he entered once for all into the holy places, not by means of the blood of goats and calves but by means of his own blood, thus securing an eternal redemption" (Hebrews 9:12).
• The Feast of Tabernacles foreshadows the time when Jesus will rule and reign on earth. In the new heavens and new earth God will "tabernacle" with man; "… He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God" (Revelation 21:3).
• The New Testament is the only part of the Bible that mentions the Feast of Dedication, now called Hanukkah (John 10:22).

IMPLICATIONS FOR TODAY

The Jews were given festivals as a way to remember what God had done for them—a method far better than using a smart phone task calendar. Each festival and holy day God instituted had a meaning that commemorated the special relationship the Jews had with the Almighty God.

Besides helping Israel remember what God had already done for them, the festivals pointed to the most significant gift humankind has ever received: Jesus Christ, who took our sins upon Himself. The Jewish festivals commemorated the Lord's provision for His people, reminding them of His boundless love. They also foreshadowed His redeeming work through Jesus Christ, emphasizing His mercy and care through the ultimate sacrifice.

Though Christians don’t generally celebrate Jewish festivals today, we can still celebrate every day by thanking God that we are forgiven and promised an eternity with Him. And just as Israel was supposed to be “a light to the nations” (Isaiah 42:6), Christians should let our light shine (Matthew 5:16) to point others to Christ.

UNDERSTAND

• God commanded the Israelites to observe festivals to remember His provision and key events in Israel’s history, primarily outlined in Leviticus 23.
• The Jewish festivals include spring feasts (Passover, Unleavened Bread, Firstfruits, Pentecost) and fall feasts (Trumpets, Day of Atonement, Tabernacles).
• The Jewish festivals foreshadow Jesus’ first coming, ministry, death, resurrection, the giving of the Holy Spirit, and His second coming.

REFLECT

• How does remembering God’s provision through festivals encourage you to recognize His work in your own life?
• How can you connect the meaning of the Jewish festivals to your understanding of Jesus’ life and ministry?
• How might celebrating God’s faithfulness, like the festivals commemorated, change your perspective on gratitude and worship?

ENGAGE

• How do the spring and fall Jewish festivals point to Jesus’ first and second coming, and what does that teach us about God’s plan?
• Why did God give Israel specific festivals to remember His provision, and how can that principle apply to us today?
• How does understanding the symbolism behind the festivals deepen our appreciation of the continuity between Old and New Testaments?