Christian Feasts

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Annual Festivals

There are six ordained Biblical Holy Days called Memorials or Festivals of God recorded in the Scriptures. Within these there are seven High Sabbaths or "Holy Convocations" which are in addition to the weekly Sabbath which is also a Holy Convocation. On these Sabbaths work is restricted.

"These are the feasts of the Lord, even holy convocations, which ye shall proclaim in their seasons." (Lev 23:4)

In determining the dates of the annual high holy days, one most first determine the start of the new year based on the Biblical system of observing the new moon in Palestine on or after the spring equinox, but not before. If weather obscured the moon's visibility, no month could be more than 30 days, if it was cloudy on the evening of the 30th day of the month and no new moon could be seen, the following day was the first of the next month.

Passover: In the 14^th day of the 1^st month in the dark portion of the day is Passover. Passover is a feast of seven days. The first night is a night to be much observed unto the LORD. It commemorates the Exodus from Egypt in haste, and one must eat the bread of affliction (unleavened) for seven days. Only the 1^st day and the 7^th day are High Sabbaths.
Added Symbolism: Pictures Christ shedding his blood for the sins of humanity, a chance for eternal life.
Unleavened Bread: Although many organizations consider unleavened to be a separate festival, it is not, it is part of the Passover festival, one cannot observe the one without the other.
Added Symbolism: Leavening represents sin in our lives, and the need for us to remove it.
Feast of First Fruits / Weeks: Count seven Sabbaths after the weekly Sabbath that occurs during Passover / Unleavened Bread, add one day. It always lands on a Sunday.. It is a celebration of the harvest. It is a High Sabbath.
Added Symbolism: Pictures Christians receiving the holy spirit upon acceptance of the Lord in our lives.
Feast of Trumpets: On the 1^st day of the 7^th month. It is memorial to the day in which God descended upon the earth to be with, and to speak with his people. We are commanded to have a memorial by blowing trumpets. It is a Holy Day or High Sabbath.
Added Symbolism: Pictures the blowing of trumpets at Christ's return, and the ushering in of the Lord's coming kingdom to once again be with, and to speak with his people.
Atonement: On the 10^th day of the 7^th month. You are to afflict your souls, no food or water for 24 hours, to show that you want to be clean / repent from all your sins. It is a High Sabbath.
Added Symbolism: It is a Christians once a year recommitment to the Father.
Tabernacles: Also known as the Feast of Booths, that generations may remember Israel had to dwell in booths when brought out of the land of Egypt. Falls on the 15^th day of the 7^th month and the 1^st day is a High Sabbath.
Added Symbolism: Egypt represents the world and sin, we are to live separate from the world while still in it.
Eight Day: The eight day after the start of Tabernacles is a somber assembly. Is a High Sabbath.
Added Symbolism: The eighth day highlights the completion of God's plan.

Calendars

History has shown us that the Jews CHANGED THE CALENDAR approximately four centuries after Christ's death, and substituted in its place a "fixed", artificial calendar which has changed the Holy Days, and POSTPONED these days by adding Jewish traditions to the calendar! The Jews themselves admit to this change! It can be clearly documented in the Jewish Encyclopedia, and many other Jewish books that deal with the subject.

Something to keep in mind when someone claims that the oracles of God where entrusted to the Jews: For further reading in regards to The Oracles of God

A Simple Formula for Figuring the start of the Holy Days

The calendar is based on the Biblical system of observing the new moon in Palestine. Whenever possible calculated dates should be confirmed by actual observations in Palestine.
The first month is called Nissan , also known as Abib [because the barley was in the green ear phase, yet it has nothing to do with the actual determination of the first month]. The sighting of the new moon on or after the spring equinox determines the beginning of the 1st month. The new moon is not visible for approximately two days/nights, 1 Samuel 20:24-27 also hints at the two nights being a celebration in anticipation of the event.
Then count to the fourteenth day from that moon and you have Passover, from this you can calculate unleavened, and First Fruits / Weeks. But Trumpets, Atonement, Tabernacles, and the Eight Day are determined by the visible new moon in the seventh month, or seventh new moon.
No month can have more than 30 days in it

GODS FESTIVALS AND HOLY DAYS CALENDAR LOCATED HERE

Literature

Literature Figuring the Appointed Feast Times and Postponements

New Moon Updates and Sightings From Israel

How to Spot the New Moon - Some like to use optical aids to spot the moon in stead of with their naked eye. The problem with this is that the optical aids are actually allowing observers to spot the moon that they would have otherwise not been able to with just their naked eye, as they did in Biblical Times. Therefore, it is not recommended to use optical aids, but only with just their naked eye.

(Disclaimer: The links below will take you to a site outside of Christianwalks, which will open in a new window. Christian Walks does not necessarily endorse, in their entirety, all the agencies or organizations represented below.

When is the New Moon? Monthly New Moon Updates and Sightings From Israel
Devorah's Date Tree New Moon Updates and Sightings From Israel
timeanddate.com Jerusalem, Israel Sunrise, Sunset, and Moon Times for Today.
Truth on the Web Projected Appointed Times for 2001 - 2030
The Biblical Calendar This web site provides studies on the biblical calendar

Moon Phases

New Moon

Waxing Crescent

First Quarter

Waxing Gibbous

Full Moon

Waning Gibbous

Last Quarter

Waning Crescent

New Moon - The Moon's unilluminated side is facing the Earth. The Moon is not visible (except during a solar eclipse).
Waxing Crescent - The Moon appears to be partly but less than one-half illuminated by direct sunlight. The fraction of the Moon's disk that is illuminated is increasing.
First Quarter - One-half of the Moon appears to be illuminated by direct sunlight. The fraction of the Moon's disk that is illuminated is increasing.
Waxing Gibbous - The Moon appears to be more than one-half but not fully illuminated by direct sunlight. The fraction of the Moon's disk that is illuminated is increasing.
Full Moon - The Moon's illuminated side is facing the Earth. The Moon appears to be completely illuminated by direct sunlight.
Waning Gibbous - The Moon appears to be more than one-half but not fully illuminated by direct sunlight. The fraction of the Moon's disk that is illuminated is decreasing.
Last Quarter - One-half of the Moon appears to be illuminated by direct sunlight. The fraction of the Moon's disk that is illuminated is decreasing.
Waning Crescent - The Moon appears to be partly but less than one-half illuminated by direct sunlight. The fraction of the Moon's disk that is illuminated is decreasing.