The Appointed Feasts and Sabbaths hold significant importance in the biblical narrative, serving as divinely instituted times for worship, remembrance, and community gathering. These sacred times are primarily outlined in the Torah, particularly in the books of Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy, and they play a crucial role in the religious life of the Israelites.

Sabbath

The Sabbath is the first and most frequently mentioned of the appointed times. Instituted by God at creation, the Sabbath is a day of rest on the seventh day of the week. Genesis 2:2-3 states, "By the seventh day God had finished the work He had been doing; so on that day He rested from all His work. Then God blessed the seventh day and sanctified it, because on that day He rested from all the work of creation that He had accomplished." The command to observe the Sabbath is reiterated in the Ten Commandments: "Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy" (Exodus 20:8). The Sabbath serves as a sign of the covenant between God and Israel, emphasizing rest, worship, and reflection on God's creation and deliverance.

Passover and the Feast of Unleavened Bread

The Passover, commemorating the Israelites' deliverance from Egypt, is one of the most significant feasts. It begins on the 14th day of the first month, Nisan, and is immediately followed by the Feast of Unleavened Bread, which lasts for seven days. Leviticus 23:5-6 states, "The Passover to the LORD begins at twilight on the fourteenth day of the first month. On the fifteenth day of the same month begins the Feast of Unleavened Bread to the LORD. For seven days you must eat unleavened bread." These feasts are a time to remember God's mighty acts of salvation and to purify oneself by removing leaven, symbolizing sin, from their homes.

Feast of Weeks (Pentecost)

The Feast of Weeks, also known as Pentecost, occurs fifty days after the Sabbath following Passover. It is a harvest festival celebrating the firstfruits of the wheat harvest. Leviticus 23:15-16 instructs, "From the day after the Sabbath, the day you brought the sheaf of the wave offering, you are to count seven full weeks. You shall count fifty days until the day after the seventh Sabbath, and then present an offering of new grain to the LORD." This feast is a time of thanksgiving for God's provision and is later associated with the giving of the Holy Spirit in the New Testament (Acts 2).

Feast of Trumpets

The Feast of Trumpets, or Rosh Hashanah, marks the beginning of the civil year and is observed on the first day of the seventh month, Tishri. It is a day of rest and blowing of trumpets, as described in Leviticus 23:24: "In the seventh month, on the first day of the month, you are to have a day of rest, a sacred assembly announced by trumpet blasts." This feast calls the people to repentance and preparation for the Day of Atonement.

Day of Atonement (Yom Kippur)

The Day of Atonement is the most solemn of the appointed times, observed on the tenth day of Tishri. It is a day of fasting, prayer, and repentance, as outlined in Leviticus 23:27: "The tenth day of this seventh month is the Day of Atonement. You are to hold a sacred assembly and humble yourselves, and present an offering made by fire to the LORD." On this day, the high priest would enter the Holy of Holies to make atonement for the sins of the people, symbolizing reconciliation with God.

Feast of Tabernacles (Sukkot)

The Feast of Tabernacles, or Sukkot, begins on the fifteenth day of Tishri and lasts for seven days. It commemorates the Israelites' journey through the wilderness and God's provision during that time. Leviticus 23:34-36 states, "On the fifteenth day of the seventh month, the LORD’s Feast of Tabernacles begins, and it continues for seven days. On the first day there is to be a sacred assembly; you are not to do any regular work." During this feast, the Israelites dwell in temporary shelters, or booths, as a reminder of their dependence on God.

Significance in the New Testament

In the New Testament, these feasts and Sabbaths are seen as shadows pointing to the fulfillment found in Christ. Colossians 2:16-17 states, "Therefore let no one judge you by what you eat or drink, or with regard to a feast, a New Moon, or a Sabbath. These are a shadow of the things to come, but the body that casts it belongs to Christ." Jesus' life, death, and resurrection fulfill the deeper spiritual realities these appointed times symbolize, offering believers rest, redemption, and eternal provision.