It is commonly known that the Israelis celebrate festivals or feasts described in the Bible. These holidays have a great significance to Israel and the whole idea of the Bible. According to Missler (2016), each Jewish feast has not only historical meaning but also a prophetic role for Christian believers. The times of the celebration were outlined in the Old Testament and played a big role in a better understanding of religion and faith. All of the seven feasts symbolize Jesus Christ’s stages of life and foreshadow the crucial turns in the history of the Bible.
The History of Jewish Festivals
In the first place, it is essential to gain a greater insight into the origin and history of Israeli festivals to better understand their symbolism and meaning. The events of the Old Testament took place in Israel (Arnold & Beyer, 2015). In consequence, the days of the seven feasts were appointed by God to be celebrated in Israel each year. In this way, God instructed people in celebration and worship of His name. “The Low give commandments regarding holy days, celebrations that Israel was mandated to remember and keep year after year” (Missler, 2016, p. 39). The book of Leviticus includes all of God’s directions and contains the dates of the established celebrations (King James Bible, n.d.). It is important to point out that the word feast means “appointed times”, which was also called “holy convocation” (Booker, 2016, p. 34). Therefore, the feasts of Israel are tightly connected with the deep comprehension of the Bible and theology.
The Names of the Feasts of Israel
Seven major festivals of Israel were outlined in the Old Testament. All of them are related to the agricultural seasons and Israel’s spring. In the calendar order, these are Passover, Unleavened Bread, First Fruits, Pentecost, Trumpets, Day of Atonement, and Tabernacles (Booker, 2016). Passover, Pentecost, and Tabernacles were three feast seasons which included the separate feasts accordingly. The feast of Passover’s purpose was to help the Israelis to find the peace of God. Pentecost aimed to teach them how to receive the power of God. In contrast, Tabernacles intended to help the Jews to reach God’s rest. Thus, the feasts established by God allowed Christian believers to understand the teaching of religion and make seven steps in the way of their faith.
The Symbolic Meaning of Jewish Feasts
Moreover, each Jewish feast has its symbolic meaning and represents a certain event in Bible history. For example, Passover represents the death of Christ and how His sacrifice takes away the world’s sin (Booker, 2016). Pentecost illustrates the descent of the Holy Spirit on the apostles, Christ’s disciples. At the same time, Tabernacles is often thought to be connected with the future time when the Lord will return to rule over the world. As a result, all Jewish feasts point at the most significant biblical events and allow people to know their religion better.
In conclusion, it is important to emphasize the great influence and symbolism of the seven feasts of Israel once more. They often define the understanding of the concept of the Bible and the common comprehension of the history of thousands of Christian believers. Through their symbolic meaning, it is possible to estimate the high value of these dates and celebrations for Jewish people and other nations.
References
Arnold, B. T., & Beyer, B. E. (2015). Encountering the Old Testament (Encountering Biblical Studies): A Christian Survey. Baker Academic.
Booker, R. (2016). Celebrating Jesus in the Biblical Feasts Expanded Edition: Discovering Their Significance to You as a Christian. Destiny Image Publishers.
King James Bible. (n.d.). King James Bible Online.
Missler, C. (2016). The Feasts of Israel. Koinonia House.