God has a master plan to recreate Himself through human beings within a 7,000-year process. Each of His holy days highlights a specific step in His work to build children in His image, revealing a deliberate, planned order. The weekly Sabbath, the first holy day God commands us to keep, reminds us of His purpose. Additional holy days, kept in their seasons each year, ensure that we never forget His plan for mankind and pass it from generation to generation. These holy days collectively show the entirety of God's plan, beginning with repentance and forgiveness and concluding with the resurrection of the dead as members of His Family. The Passover holds primary meaning through Jesus Christ, who opened the way for salvation. The Days of Unleavened Bread signify the need for Christians to come out of the world and conquer their sinful natures. Pentecost reminds us of God's founding of the New Testament church and the giving of His Holy Spirit, marking His firstfruits, the early harvest of His children. The Feast of Trumpets represents Christ's return at the last trumpet, when He will gather His elect, both living and dead, to enter God's Kingdom and rule with Him for a thousand years. The Feast of Tabernacles, in the fall or late harvest, symbolizes a thousand years of peace and prosperity after Christ gathers those left of all nations, during which salvation is offered. The Last Great Day of the Feast foreshadows the Great White Throne Judgment, a time when those who died in ignorance of God's way are resurrected to physical life and given the opportunity to learn and accept His way. God gives us His feast days that we might remember His plan and qualify for a better resurrection.

Through the centuries, many arguments have been devised to dismiss the observance of God's holy days, despite their clear designation as holy to Him in His law. Some claim that certain New Testament scriptures, such as Galatians 4:9-10, negate the need for Christians to keep these days. In this passage, Paul expresses frustration with the Galatians for returning to certain religious practices, calling them weak and beggarly elements and warning against renewed bondage to them. He specifies these practices as observances of days, months, seasons, and years. However, Paul nowhere in his letter mentions God's holy days as the practices in question. Instead, evidence suggests these observances were the pagan, idolatrous festivals and holidays the Galatian Gentiles had followed before their conversion, rooted in demon-inspired traditions rather than God's commands. Far from abolishing God's holy days, these scriptures emphasize that Christians should avoid days, months, seasons, and years tied to paganism and instead observe the holy days commanded by God, rejoicing in them as they follow the example of Jesus Christ.

God's annual holy days are of vital importance, revealing a broad spectrum of understanding of His truth. People who do not keep these holy feasts remain in ignorance and confusion about His plan of salvation for mankind. These feasts, detailed in Exodus 12 and Leviticus 23, include Passover, the Days of Unleavened Bread, Pentecost, the Feast of Trumpets, the Day of Atonement, the Feast of Tabernacles, and the Last Great Day. They are not merely Jewish observances but are God's holy days, rooted in both the Old and New Testaments. These holy days were observed by Jesus Christ in the New Testament church, and true Christians are commanded to observe them today. Despite attacks from satan to cloud, distort, and pervert these feasts, their observance persisted among early Christians, even under persecution. Historical pressures, including anti-Jewish bias after Jewish revolts against Rome and decrees from figures like Emperor Constantine, led many to abandon these days, yet remnants of God's church continued to keep them. Jesus Christ, from childhood, faithfully kept the Passover and the Days of Unleavened Bread, as recorded in Luke 2:41-43. During His ministry, He did not annul these feasts but upheld them, commanding His disciples to observe the Passover with new symbols of bread and wine, as seen in Luke 22:14-20. He also observed the Feast of Tabernacles, attending in secret and preaching powerfully, as noted in John's gospel, demonstrating their importance for the New Testament church. The early church, including Paul, actively kept these holy days, referencing them in teachings to Gentile converts, as evidenced in Acts 20 and I Corinthians 5:6-7. Paul urged the Corinthians to keep the feast, emphasizing Christ as their Passover. The book of Acts documents the church observing Pentecost, the Days of Unleavened Bread, and other festivals, showing their continued relevance. God's seven annual holy days are in force now, essential for understanding His plan of salvation. They picture different periods in spiritual creation and mark the stewardship of His truth. The Gospels, Acts, and the epistles reiterate their observance, with Christ setting the example for His church to follow. Failing to keep these days leads to a loss of true worship and knowledge of God, as seen historically with ancient Israel. These feasts are commanded to be kept forever, impressing the truths they represent on the minds of God's children through all time, maintaining the church in the true understanding of His redemptive plan.

The holy days of God reveal His unfolding plan for humanity. The Feast of Trumpets pictures Christ returning to earth in judgment and power as King, crushing satan's end-time attempt to subjugate the world, and opening salvation to all who survive, first to Israel and then to the whole world. The Feast of Tabernacles depicts the Millennium, a thousand years of rest for the earth under Christ's rule as King of kings and Lord of lords. During this time, survivors of all nations will be gathered, and Christ will appoint His resurrected saints to rule over them. Observance of the Feast of Tabernacles in Jerusalem will demonstrate submission to God, reminding people of their place in His plan and their day of salvation. If nations initially rebel against His rule, Christ will withhold rain until they submit and keep the Feast, showing their acceptance of Him as sovereign and their cooperation in His purpose.

For centuries, people have sought to argue that Christians are not required to observe the Sabbath and holy days. In Colossians 2:16-17, Paul addresses this issue, urging the Colossians not to let anyone judge them regarding what they eat or drink, or in respect to the Sabbath and holy days. He emphasizes that these days are shadows of future events in the plan of God, with the Sabbath symbolizing the Millennium when Jesus Christ and the saints will rule for a thousand years, and the holy days representing various steps in God's purpose for creating mankind. Paul encourages the Colossians to focus on the example set by the church, the body of Christ, in their worship on these days, rather than being concerned about the opinions of the surrounding ascetic community influenced by pagan philosophies.

As we explore the significance of God's holy days, a clear pattern emerges, revealing truths hidden from most of the world. God established His holy days around the two major harvests of the year, a smaller one in the spring and a larger one in the fall, typifying two spiritual harvests. Pentecost, occurring in late spring, symbolizes the first spiritual harvest and indicates that this is not the only period of salvation. Those whom God calls now are a select pilot group, His firstfruits, chosen to develop His holy, perfect, spiritual character. God commanded Israel to appear before Him during three periods of the year when His holy days fall: early spring for Passover and Unleavened Bread, late spring for the Feast of Harvest, which is Pentecost, and fall for the Feast of Ingathering. Before the spring harvest could begin, God instructed the Israelites to bring a sheaf of grain to the priest to be waved before Him for acceptance, an offering made on the day after the weekly Sabbath during the Feast of Unleavened Bread. Pentecost, also called the Feast of Weeks, is determined by counting fifty days from the day of the wavesheaf offering, always falling on the first day of the week. On Pentecost, God commanded a special offering of two loaves of bread as firstfruits to Him. This day, known as the Feast of Firstfruits, represents the first part of God's spiritual harvest, where He calls a small number of people into His church. The fifty days between the wavesheaf offering and Pentecost symbolize the time from the founding of the church to the end of the age, when the small harvest of the firstfruits occurs. Pentecost also marks the anniversary of God's church, the start of His master plan to call people out of this evil world. On the Day of Pentecost, fifty days after Christ ascended to be accepted by the Father, the Holy Spirit came to the disciples, marking the beginning of the church of God. About twenty-five years after Christ's ascension, Paul hurried to be in Jerusalem for Pentecost, showing that the early church continued to observe this day. The true church of God keeps Pentecost annually as a reminder of our role in God's great master plan.

The holy days, as outlined in God's instructions, hold significant meaning within the framework of His plan. God Himself provided guidance on the use of the preparation day to the Israelites before they reached Mount Sinai, emphasizing its importance. The Jews later ensured that each of the holy days, which are also Sabbaths, was preceded by a preparation day, and since these holy days can fall on any day of the week, the preparation day can as well. This is particularly relevant to the Passover, which not only stands as a festival in its own right but also serves as the preparation day for the first day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread, a high day. According to the calculated Hebrew Calendar, Passover can occur on a Monday, Wednesday, Friday, or Sabbath, and it was on one such Passover day that our Savior was crucified. John clarifies that it was the Preparation Day of the Passover, and the Sabbath that followed was a high day, the first day of Unleavened Bread. Within the annual holy day cycle, God's awesome plan of salvation for all mankind is unveiled. The Passover reminds us of Christ's sacrifice, when He took our sins upon Himself. Unleavened Bread pictures a Christian's lifelong task of removing sin from his life. Pentecost memorializes the giving of the Holy Spirit and looks forward to the reaping of the firstfruits of God's Family. The Day of Trumpets signifies the second coming of Jesus Christ and the resurrection of the saints. The Day of Atonement shows access to God being opened and our sins being completely removed by Jesus Christ, while the Feast of Tabernacles typifies His coming thousand-year reign on earth. Finally, the Last Great Day represents the Great White Throne Judgment period when all mankind will have an opportunity for salvation. Additionally, Jesus Christ fulfilled another festival upon being resurrected, the wavesheaf ceremony, held each year on the day after the weekly Sabbath during the Feast of Unleavened Bread. This ceremony, in which a priest waved a sheaf of the firstfruits of Israel's harvest before the Lord, symbolized giving the first and best of the harvest to God and its subsequent acceptance by Him. As the weekly Sabbath was ending, exactly 72 hours from His burial, God resurrected Him, reaping the first and best of His spiritual harvest. Jesus, as the firstfruits of God's Family, ascended to His Father's throne in heaven to be accepted as our Savior and High Priest, fulfilling the ritual at about the same time the priest waved the sheaf before God in the Temple.

The holy days, as presented in this sermon series on Jesus in the Feasts, serve a primary purpose of pointing us to Christ in His various roles and offices. In the Passover, He is our Passover. In Unleavened Bread, He is our bread of life. In Pentecost, He is our firstfruit. In Trumpets, He is our divine King who is present. In Atonement, He is our sacrificial offering. In the Feast of Tabernacles, He is the perfect tabernacle, the One we are to live in throughout our journey. Finally, on the Eighth Day, He is our all in all, encompassing everything we need. Leviticus 23:33-36 and 23:39 detail the observance of the Feast of Tabernacles and the Eighth Day, instructing that the fifteenth day of the seventh month marks the beginning of the Feast of Tabernacles for seven days to the Lord, with a holy convocation on the first day and no customary work. For seven days, offerings are to be made by fire to the Lord, and on the eighth day, there is to be another holy convocation, a sacred assembly, with an offering made by fire and no customary work. This day is also marked as a sabbath-rest, emphasizing its significance alongside the first day of the feast. The Eighth Day and the Last Day of Unleavened Bread are uniquely designated as sacred assemblies, distinct from a regular holy convocation. The Hebrew word for sacred assembly, atzeret, carries a special purpose, rooted in the term atsar, which includes ideas of closing, stopping, restraining, and retaining. These concepts reflect the purpose of these days as times to cease normal activities, restrain from daily work, and retain the teachings and lessons from the feasts. We are to meditate on these teachings, consider their meaning, and put them into action in our lives. On the Eighth Day, this focus on Christ as our everything is paramount. He encapsulates all the lessons, examples, reasons, hope, and good things revealed through God's festivals. He is the source of the Word, embodying all that is good, right, and true, providing all the tools, power, wisdom, and holiness needed to attain God's Kingdom. There is nothing we need that cannot be found in Him.

Holy days, as God's appointed times, hold significant importance as outlined in both the Old and New Testaments. These days, referred to as feasts or "moed" in Hebrew, meaning appointments, are proclaimed as holy convocations by the Lord in Leviticus 23:2, where He declares them as His feasts. They commemorate significant events in Israel's history and are observed by early Christians, even in primarily Gentile churches, as seen in Acts 20:6 with the Days of Unleavened Bread and Paul's urgency to reach Jerusalem for the Day of Pentecost. These appointed times, including the Sabbath, Passover, Feast of Unleavened Bread, Pentecost, Trumpets, Atonement, Feast of Tabernacles, and the Last Great Day, are detailed in Leviticus 23. The Sabbath, blessed and sanctified by God in Genesis 2:1-3, serves as a sign between Him and His people, a perpetual covenant as stated in Exodus 31:16-17, emphasizing a time of rest and worship for all mankind. God's consistency, as affirmed in Malachi 3:6 and James 1:17, underscores that these appointments were established from the beginning, with events like the Passover potentially being preordained times for divine action, later named for the historical events that occurred on them. The Hebrew calendar, a lunar-solar system, aligns these holy days with the phases of the moon, ensuring their seasonal consistency through leap months. This calendar marks God's appointments as primary events, differing from the Gregorian solar calendar, and places significant holy days like Passover on specific dates such as the 14th day of Abib, coinciding with a full moon. Genesis 1:14 further supports that these appointed times were set from creation, with the lights in the heavens designated for signs and seasons, or "moed," indicating divine appointments for humanity to meet with God.

Members of God's church do not celebrate Christmas or New Year's Day due to the absence of a biblical command to do so and the divine instruction to avoid pagan practices, which these holidays embody in abundance. Jesus, the apostles, and the early church kept the holy days commanded by God in Leviticus 23, and these same holy days are observed by God's church today as signs of the true church throughout the ages. The New Testament writers make no mention of holidays like Christmas or New Year's Day, reinforcing that they were not practiced or intended to be kept by the early church. God provides detailed instructions on when and how to keep His feasts, which are to be celebrated forever. Even though it is challenging, especially for young people, to reject the allure of worldly holidays, God promises rich blessings for standing firm in His truth and observing His true holy days.

God has ordained that His people keep His seven annual holy days and celebrate the Feast of Tabernacles in temporary dwellings at a place He chooses. He provides for our financial needs at the feasts by having us set aside a second tenth of our increase, known as the second tithe, so that we may enjoy joyous and abundant feasts with our families. This second tithe, saved by the individual each year, is an additional tithe of our incomes and is designated for personal use during His festivals to observe them properly. The second tithe is to be consumed at the annual holy festivals of God for whatever the heart desires, enhancing the glorifying of God or adding joy to the feast. God wants His people to enjoy the physical abundance He provides at the feasts as they worship Him and learn to reverence and fear Him in ways that please Him. Many, through His blessing, can also help others observe the feasts. A tithe of the second tithe, which is a tenth of the second tithe set aside by the individual, is requested by the ministry to be sent to the church office to help the needy attend the Feast and to cover festival expenses such as meeting space, flowers, sound systems, brochures, and family day activities. This collection is not a command from God, but a request from the ministry, requiring the same giving attitude as with any other contribution.

One of the great blessings that God grants us annually is the command to observe His holy days. These days do far more for us than they do for Him, as a loving Father providing for our every need, including needs we may not fully recognize. The holy days offer us the opportunity to spend additional time together with other members of God's church, singing hymns, praying, and hearing His Word expounded in a setting that draws us closer to each other and to God. They also provide time for fellowshipping and encouraging one another while sharing experiences. The Feast of Tabernacles stands out as a prime occasion for this, giving us an entire week to dwell together in one place. This time fosters encouragement and inspiration through the stories and interactions we share. These gatherings illustrate the importance of keeping God's holy days for the mutual encouragement they provide to continue in the Way. The Feast of Tabernacles, more than any other time of the year, offers the chance to rejoice together as a body, lift each other up, and work together. It requires love and the willingness to drop defense mechanisms that prevent closeness with others. If we truly love one another, we will use this time to share our trials and triumphs, growing together toward the unity of faith and the knowledge of the Son of God.

The importance of new moons in relation to the marking of time and the proper observance of holy days is evident. Though not on the level of a festival, new moons are associated with them, much like the preparation day is associated with the weekly Sabbath. The lesser points to and helps prepare us for the arrival of the greater, more important holy days. Thus, new moons are more like tools than commanded observances, but they are very important tools that should not be neglected. At the very least, their passing should be carefully marked.

Millions of professing Christians participate in observances they consider holy, marking a period from Palm Sunday to Easter Sunday, with Good Friday in between, believing these days commemorate the entry, crucifixion, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. However, the timing of these events as traditionally observed does not align with the truth of God's Word. The Bible reveals a different chronology for these significant moments, placing the crucifixion in the middle of a literal week on a Wednesday, Nisan 14, followed by burial just before sunset as the annual Sabbath of the first Day of Unleavened Bread began. Jesus Christ was in the tomb for a full three days and three nights, exactly 72 hours, and was resurrected at the end of the weekly Sabbath, not on a Sunday morning as widely believed. On Sunday, Nisan 18, the tomb was discovered to be empty, indicating He had already risen. Regarding the so-called Holy Week, the Triumphal Entry occurred six days before Passover, likely on a Thursday, Nisan 8, rather than the traditionally observed Palm Sunday. The cleansing of the temple followed on Friday, Nisan 9, and could not have taken place on the Sabbath due to strict observance by the Jews, which would have prevented commercial activities in the temple on that day. On Nisan 10, a Sabbath, God the Father marked Jesus Christ as the Passover Lamb while He taught in the temple, fulfilling the scriptural selection by the head of the household. The subsequent days, Nisan 11 through 13, were spent quietly in preparation, leading to the Passover meal with His disciples on Nisan 14. This biblical chronology, guided by God's control over time and events, reveals the true sequence of these pivotal moments in the life of Jesus Christ.

The Holy Days, including the Days of Unleavened Bread, are integral to the way of life established by God for mankind. Obedience to the festival commands falls under the Fourth Commandment, and failing to observe them is a form of idolatry, breaking the commandment to love the Lord our God with all our heart, soul, and mind. All activities of life must demonstrate love toward God, and this includes keeping the Holy Days as a vital part of that responsibility. In Exodus 23:14-18, God commands three annual feasts: the Feast of Unleavened Bread, the Feast of Harvest, and the Feast of Ingathering. These instructions are placed within the terms of the Old Covenant, making them part of the national character and responsibility of the Israelitish people. However, their observance is not limited to Israelites, as shown in Exodus 12:48-49, where God declares that one law applies to both native-born and strangers who wish to keep the Passover, extending this principle to other festivals like the Days of Unleavened Bread and Pentecost. Like the weekly Sabbath, the annual Holy Days existed before the Old Covenant and are not exclusively tied to it. Their formalization in Exodus 23 as part of Israel's national identity made Israel unique among nations in religious observances. The passing of the Old Covenant does not remove the responsibility of observing these days, as they are made for man, just as the weekly Sabbath is. Clear examples of Jesus and Paul observing these Holy Days affirm their importance, demonstrating that keeping them is pleasing to God. In I Corinthians 5:7-8, Paul directly commands a Gentile-dominated congregation to keep the feast with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth, showing that these observances belong to the church even decades after Christ's death and resurrection. Further, in I Corinthians 16:8 and Acts 20:6, Paul's travel plans revolve around observing Pentecost and the Days of Unleavened Bread with Gentile churches, indicating their significance in the life of the early church. Acts 21:17-21 and 26 reveal Paul's continued observance of these festivals in Jerusalem, countering false accusations that he taught against the law, and confirming his commitment to God's commands. The Holy Days, alongside the weekly Sabbath, are essential components of a way of life that followers are commanded to uphold, following the examples of Jesus and Paul. These special occasions, created by God for mankind's good, are not mere ceremonies but vital expressions of obedience and unity in walking the path set by Christ.

Within the church of God, a persistent controversy surrounds the calendar used to determine God's holy days, sparking intense debate and division. This issue, second only to church government in its divisive impact, has led to a proliferation of research and writings with titles reflecting varied perspectives on what constitutes the true calendar for observing these sacred times. Historically, when groups split, they often establish their own calendar as a mark of separation and identity, a practice seen in biblical times when Jeroboam altered the timing of sacred observances after Judah's secession from Israel. The debate centers on critical aspects such as setting the beginning of the year, defining a new moon, handling postponements, intercalation, and whether to rely on observation or calculation. Some reject the calculated Hebrew calendar, advocating for a return to what they consider God's original system, while others question the biblical validity of the Hebrew calendar's month names. Leviticus 23 provides the closest semblance to a schedule for holy days, yet the Bible lacks a clear tabular register to precisely set these observances, leading to varied interpretations and arbitrary decisions on calendar rules. Further contention arises over specifics like the timing of the new moon, the relevance of the spring equinox, and the location from which to observe or calculate it. The absence of explicit biblical rules on intercalation and other calendar necessities fuels diverse opinions, with multiple methods proposed for calculating the year's start. The Hebrew calendar, based on average speeds of heavenly bodies, incorporates postponements to align with celestial movements, ensuring consistency and enabling unified observance of God's holy days across widespread communities. Critics of the Hebrew calendar's postponements argue they stem from convenience, yet these adjustments aim to harmonize the calendar with natural cycles and protect the sanctity of Sabbaths by preventing holy days from clashing, thus facilitating proper preparation. The fixed Hebrew calendar, with its proven reliability over centuries, supports orderly preparation for festivals, a necessity for large gatherings, and continues to be a unifying factor in observing God's commanded times.