God has feast days that are commanded for us to keep, what are they, and what are the meaning of them?

Answer 1

MASTER PLAN OF SALVATION
God’s annual Festivals are listed in Leviticus 23 and in Deuteronomy 16. These God-given holy days were commanded to be observed “forever” (Leviticus 23:14, 21, 31, 41). The Apostolic Church observed the annual Sabbaths (Acts 2; 12:3–4; 18:21; 20:6, 16; 27:9; 1 Corinthians 16:8). These Sabbaths will continue to be observed during Christ’s millennial rule (Zechariah 14:1, 9, 16–19).
God’s annual Festivals picture the seven vital steps in His plan of salvation:
1. The Passover pictures the sacrifice of Jesus Christ, the Lamb of God” (John 1:29, 36; Revelation 5:6) sacrificed for us, (1 Corinthians 5:7). Jesus established the New Testament Passover with the symbols of bread and wine (1 Corinthians 11:23–26).

2. The Seven Days of Unleavened Bread typify purging the leaven of malice and wickedness out of the believer’s life, and partaking of God’s nature, the “unleavened bread of sincerity and truth” (1 Corinthians 5:6–13; Luke 12:1).

3. The Feast of Firstfruits (Pentecost) pictures the small harvest of “begotten” followers of Christ who will be harvested at the “first resurrection” (Revelation 20:4–5), as “a kind of firstfruits” (James 1:18).

4. The Feast of Trumpets points prophetically to the second coming of Jesus Christ (Matthew 24:31; 1 Corinthians 15:52; 1 Thessalonians 4:13–17; Revelation 11:15–18; 19:15; Zechariah 14:9).

5. The Day of Atonement pictures the banishment of Satan, and man’s becoming “at one” with God (Leviticus 16:8, 10, 15–27; Revelation 20:1–3).

6. The Feast of Tabernacles pictures the soon-coming wonderful world under the government of Jesus Christ and His saints (Zechariah 14; Matthew 9:37–38; 13:1–30; Luke 12:32; John 7:6–14; Acts 17:31; Revelation 12:9; 20:4–6).

7. The Last Great Day features the great judgment that will occur at the end of the millennial reign of Jesus Christ on earth (John 7:37; Leviticus 23:36, 39, 33–34; Revelation 20:11–12).

The meaning of the spring and early summer festivals—Passover, the Days of Unleavened Bread and Pentecost. The Passover comes in the spring (when God begins the year—Exodus 12:2) and is an annual reminder of our need for a Savior and forgiveness of sin. The Passover lamb offered in the Old Testament (Exodus 12:3-6) foreshadowed the coming of Jesus Christ to die for the sins of mankind (John 3:16). Although Jesus fulfilled the symbolism of the sacrificial lamb (Isaiah 53:7; John 1:29) the Apostles and the early church continued to observe the Passover (Luke 22:14-16; 1 Corinthians 11:23-26) as an annual memorial of Christ's sacrifice. During the seven Days of Unleavened Bread, leaven is removed from dwellings, conveying the lesson that to obey God we must put sin (symbolized by leaven) out of our lives. This is what Christian growth—repenting, changing, growing and overcoming—is all about. The Apostles and the early church kept the Days of Unleavened Bread to perpetuate the meaning of those days (Acts 2:38; 20:6; 1 Corinthians 5:7-8).
The New Testament Church began on Pentecost with the outpouring of the Holy Spirit on the disciples (Acts 2). The Feast of Pentecost (meaning to "count fifty") is also called the Feast of Harvest or Firstfruits because it came at the beginning of the summer harvest. This harvest was small, picturing the fact that God is calling a small group of people now (Matthew 13:10-17; John 6:44-66; 1 Corinthians 1:26-28), before He begins working with all mankind. The annual observance of Pentecost is a constant reminder that God has a special purpose for those called to be firstfruits (Revelation 14:1-5), and of the special understanding that comes by receiving and nourishing the Holy Spirit (John 14:15-16, 26; 16:13; 2 Timothy 1:6-7).
In God's plan of salvation, the spring and early summer festivals picture events that have already happened. The death of Jesus Christ fulfilled the meaning of the Passover 2,000 years ago—hence we no longer sacrifice a lamb—but we observe the Passover as a memorial of that important event. The Days of Unleavened Bread picture an ongoing process of putting out sin. The events of Pentecost—the giving of the Holy Spirit and the beginning of the New Testament Church—inaugurated the Christian era in the 1st century ad. The remaining fall festivals are prophetic—picturing major events that have yet to occur! The reason for observing the fall festivals is so we can understand the future and have hope. The four fall feasts outline the culminating steps in God's plan of salvation for mankind—a dimension that has largely been hidden from the world—obscured by popular pagan holidays!
Revealing the Future
The Feast of Trumpets pictures the next event in the plan of God—an event that will change the course of human history forever—the return of Jesus Christ. Bible prophecies associate the Second Coming of Christ with the blowing of the seventh trumpet (Revelation 11:15). Trumpets are used to make announcements, mark the feasts and sound alarm during times of war (Numbers 10:1-10). Cataclysmic events will precede the Second Coming of Christ (Matthew 24; Revelation 6; 8; 9). Jesus will return to a planet torn by war and tribulation to save mankind from utter self-destruction (Matthew 24:3-7, 21-22). He will conquer human armies that will resist His return (Revelation 19:11-19). At His return the saints (the "firstfruits") will receive immortality (1 Corinthians 15:51-54) and reign with Christ on this earth (Daniel 7:26-27; Revelation 5:10). The annual observance of the Feast of Trumpets keeps us mindful of these incredible events. It supplies real hope in a world filled with bad news.
The Day of Atonement pictures the fact that Satan—the real instigator of the evils and troubles in this world—will be bound for 1,000 years when Christ returns (Revelation 20:1-2). This future event was pictured in the Old Testament by a goat sent into the wilderness bearing the sins of Israel. While modern translations of the Bible refer to this animal as the "scapegoat," suggesting it was without guilt, Jewish traditions correctly identify this goat as symbolic of the prince of fallen angels—Satan (Leviticus 16:8-10). The other goat killed for the sins of the nation pictured Jesus Christ. Fasting on the Day of Atonement teaches the need for humility and our need to become at-one with God (see Leviticus 23:27; Psalm 35:13; John 17:11).
The Feast of Tabernacles is the physical and spiritual highlight of the year. While professing Christians have been told for centuries that good people go to heaven, and revelers during the Saturnalia and Christmas try to create heaven on earth for a few days, the Feast of Tabernacles pictures the coming of the kingdom of God to this earth. This seven-day festival offers an annual foretaste of the 1,000-year reign of Jesus Christ and the saints (Revelation 20:4-6). During this period (the Millennium) the government of God will bring peace and justice to this earth and restore all things (Isaiah 9:6-7; Acts 3:19-21). It will be a time of harmony (Isaiah 11:6-9), health and abundance (Isaiah 35; Amos 9:13). Cities will be rebuilt (Isaiah 61:4; Ezekiel 6:10). The government of God will promulgate the laws of God from Jerusalem to the whole world (Isaiah 2:2-4).
The Last Great Day is the final festival on God's Holy Calendar. It pictures the Great White Throne Judgment period the Apostle John wrote about (Revelation 20:11-12) when the Holy Spirit will be made available to all mankind (John 7:37-39; Ezekiel 36:24-27). After the Millennium, there will be a great resurrection of everyone who has ever lived (Revelation 20:5). The message of the Last Great Day is that those who died without hearing the gospel are not lost. They are not burning right now in hell. They are waiting in the grave for this great resurrection when they will have their chance for salvation and eternal life (see Job 14:10-15). Those who reject God's way during this period of judgment (which appears to last a lifetime of 100 years—Isaiah 65:20) will be consumed in a lake of fire (Revelation 20:14-15). However those who chose to live according to God's way of life will gain immortality.

Answer 2

You are mistaken. God never commanded "us" to keep these feast days. God commanded Israel to keep them, along with the rest of that covenant that was between God and Israel. Christians, Gentiles, etc. were never a party to that covenant. How is it then you think other people are? Do you think God does things illegally?

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Answer 3

not sure of the religion you're talking of and the church you bypass to, yet there are maximum of issues that are taught in church homes that are actually not Bible based. Then there are issues that are stated interior the scriptures that persons choose genuine anwers to and would possibly no longer get those because of the fact those on the pulpit don't comprehend a thank you to describe them to you. those men are orally recommended out of the regulation; and that they are persuaded to be a instruction manual to the blind, a easy for those in darkness, yet they're in darkness. How can a blind one lead the blind? To get sparkling, concise solutions, you ought to communicate with the persons who in todays international save greater standards, following God's commandments and direction as close as plausible and who're independent in international affairs. Ones who learn the Bible on a regular basis and who supply loose residing house Bible learn and do learn consistently to locate what's desirable to God. those may well be Jehovah's Witnesses. you will get no fake solutions, no guy made recommendations, in uncomplicated terms scriptural ones from them.

Answer 4

If you are Jewish, then yes your caommanded to keep them...Acts 15 expains that gentile Christians should abstain from fornication and meats offered to idols..the Jewish Christians did not cease to be Jews...

The feast of tabernacles tells us that we are pilgrams and strangers, and not part of the world...

the feast of first fruits alludes to the birth of the Church...

the feast of end-gathering alludes to the final soul harvest of the earth and the marriage supper of the lamb...

Answer 5

GOD's only command to us was to keep the Sabbath!
All other feast days & holydays were created by man

Answer 6

GOD has feast days now? That's funny...I thought it was THE CHURCH that had feast days...

Answer 7

He has?
St Paul didn't think so. Romans 14:15
"One person regards one day above another, another regards every day alike. Each person must be fully convinced in his own mind."

Answer 8

One key flaw in your question: it isn't 'are commanded', it's 'were commanded'. Jesus fulfilled the Law lifestyle.

Answer 9

        For those that say God didn't have any Feast Days:

Lev. 23:1 THE LORD said to Moses,
Lev. 23:2 Say to the Israelites, The set feasts or appointed seasons of the Lord which you shall proclaim as holy convocations, even My set feasts, are these:

        For those that say God's Feast Days weren't commanded:

Exo. 23:12 Six days you shall do your work, but the seventh day you shall rest and keep Sabbath, that your ox and your donkey may rest, and the son of your bondwoman, and the alien, may be refreshed.
Exo. 23:13 In all I have said to you take heed; do not mention the name of other gods [either in blessing or cursing]; do not let such speech be heard from your mouth.
Exo. 23:14 Three times in the year you shall keep a feast to Me.
Exo. 23:15 You shall keep the Feast of Unleavened Bread; seven days you shall eat unleavened bread as I commanded you, at the time appointed in the month of Abib, for in it you came out of Egypt. None shall appear before Me empty-handed.
Exo. 23:16 Also you shall keep the Feast of Harvest [Pentecost], [acknowledging] the firstfruits of your toil, of what you sow in the field. And [third] you shall keep the Feast of Ingathering [Booths or Tabernacles] at the end of the year, when you gather in the fruit of your labors from the field.
Exo. 23:17 Three times in the year all your males shall appear before the Lord God.

        For those that say God's Feasts were commanded only to the Jews (the seed of Abraham);

Gal. 3:29 And if you belong to Christ [are in Him Who is Abraham's Seed], then you are Abraham's offspring and [spiritual] heirs according to promise.

        For those that say "St." Paul didn't think the Gentiles needed to keep God's Feasts, and use Romans 14:6 or Colossians 2:16,17 as their justification, you are twisting God's Word to suit Man's Tradition:

Mark 7:6 He answered and said unto them, Well hath Isaiah prophesied of you hypocrites, as it is written, This people honoreth me with their lips, but their heart is far from me.
Mark 7:7 Howbeit in vain do they worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men.
Mark 7:8 For laying aside the commandment of God, ye hold the tradition of men, as the washing of pots and cups: and many other such like things ye do.
Mark 7:9 And he said unto them, Full well ye reject the commandment of God, that ye may keep your own tradition.

        In particular, Colossians 2:16,17 actually states that God's Feast Days are still binding upon all of Spiritual Israel:

Col. 2:16 Let no man therefore judge you in meat, or in drink, or in respect of a holy day, or of the new moon, or of the sabbath days:
Col. 2:17 Which are a shadow of things to come; but the body is of Christ.

        To start with, let's (#1) leave out any italicized words (which were included by the translators and are not in the original text) and grammatically omit (#2) the list of items being talked about, and (#3) the sub-parenthetical phrase describing the list, so that we can see just the basic premise:

Col_2:16-17: "Let no man therefore judge you ... but the body of Christ."

        Well! I think that certainly sheds the light of truth on this issue. The Christian's only rightful judge is the "body of Christ." But, hold on a second... The common understanding for the definition of the "body of Christ" is the "church." Yet, in this life, we are to pass judgment on no man. If you think about it, though, there is another definition for the "body of Christ" (which I heard in a sermon by Pastor Ivor Meyers at the ASI Convention recently).

Joh_6:53-58: "Then Jesus said unto them, 'Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except ye eat the flesh of the Son of man, and drink his blood, ye have no life in you. (54) Whoso eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, hath eternal life; and I will raise him up, at the last day. (55) For my flesh is meat indeed, and my blood is drink indeed. (56) He that eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, dwelleth in me, and I in him. (57) As the living Father hath sent me, and I live by the Father: so he that eateth me, even he shall live by me. (58) This is that bread which came down from heaven: not as your fathers did eat manna, and are dead: he that eateth of this bread shall live forever.'"

        Well, Jesus Christ is the WORD (Joh_1:1-3,14) and just as John was to eat the little book (Rev_10:1-2,8-9), so eating Jesus' flesh is symbolic language for making the Word of God an integral part of our daily life. (As an aside, just as the blood sustains the flesh, so Jesus was sustained by the Holy Spirit and the Holy Spirit inspired the Word of God — thus, drinking Jesus' blood is symbolic language for asking for the filling of the Holy Spirit.) So, getting back to Colossians 2:16-17, we will be judged by the precepts taught us in the Word of God.

        Now that we have the basic premise figured out, let's address what we previously left out:

Col_2:16-17: "Let no man therefore judge you in meat,1035 or in drink,4213 or in respect of a holy day,1859 or of the new moon,3561 or of the sabbath:4521 (17) which are a shadow of things to come..."

        The first thing that one absolutely must not ignore is those last four words shown above, "...of things to come..." What does that tell you? The things listed in verse 16 are shadows of something which has not yet come! What did Jesus say?

Mat_5:17-18: "Think not that I am come to destroy the law [of Moses],3551 or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfill. (18) For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law [of Moses],3551 till all be fulfilled."

        Thus, since they are shadows of things yet to come, then that also means they are not yet all fulfilled and are thus, also, all still binding! So, instead of these verses telling us that the Law of Moses was nailed to the cross, they are instead telling us that the entire Law of Moses is still binding and it was only the record of our sins which was nailed to His cross. Note that I included two bracketed phrases to make it clear, from the meaning of Strong's G3551, just what law is being talked about.

God bless.