Why The Biblical Holidays are for All Believers

"The Bible holidays are just for the Jews."

"God only gave those instructions to Jews."

"Oh so you're Jewish now?" 

Maybe phrases like these have kept you from celebrating the Biblical holidays. Many Bible believers have been lead to think that because they are not Jewish then certain commandments and celebrations don't apply to them. But this is not something that Scripture teaches! In this post we are going to talk about why the Biblical holidays are pertinent to all believers, regardless of their bloodline.

When the bulk of the instructions about the Creator's set apart times were given, it was leading up to and following the Israelites being freed from slavery and leaving Egypt. At that point, all twelve tribes were united under the name of Israel. All the tribes were present in Egypt, and then the wilderness. Therefore, the instructions were given to all the tribes. Not just the people of Judah.

Let's not miss that that there were people among them who were not natural born Israelites. Exodus 12:38 tells us that a "mixed multitude" went with them. This verse is smack in the middle of the details of Passover and Unleavened Bread. The instructions about the Biblical holidays (and other things) apply to anyone in YHWH's family.

"The same law applies to the native-born and to the foreigner among you." -Exodus 12:49

This passage of Scripture expressly tells us that Biblical law and YHWH's set apart times are applicable, even if we aren't 'native-born.' It's profound that the Bible makes this statement. Whether or not you think or can prove that Abraham and Sarah are your great-great-great-whatever grandparents, you are still expected to keep the Biblical feasts!

We should also be aware that the words Jew, Jewish, and Judaism really don't appear in the Old Testament, and certainly not in the first five books of Scripture where the instructions for the Biblical holidays are given. This is added clarity that YHWH did not intend for his feasts to be limited to this people group.

I would also expect that a great many of us who don't realize it actually have physical ties to the ancient Israelites. YHWH promised Abraham and Sarah that in their children "shall all the nations of the earth be blessed" (Genesis 22:18), and the House of Israel was scattered among the nations. Because of this it seems likely that people from around the world have stemmed from the Israelites. Since most of us can't trace our family lineage back for more than a few hundred years, we won't know with certainty until the Creator makes that clear.

I think many people hear of the Biblical holidays and connect them with Judaism, simply because in recent history they have mostly been kept by Jewish people. It is very admirable that many Jews have kept these times set apart. But they do not have a monopoly on Scripture, and they are not the only people YHWH instructed to celebrate the feasts. Whether or not you are Jewish, if you follow and serve YHWH then you are called to meet with him at his set apart times and celebrate the Biblical holidays.

More on this topic:
The Beginner's Guide to the Biblical Holidays
Reasons Why Believers Should Keep the Feasts
Why I Started Celebrating the Biblical Holidays

The Biblical Holiday of Tabernacles for Beginners

Here's a simple guide to the Biblical holiday of the Feast of Tabernacles for beginners.

The Feast of Tabernacles, also known as Sukkot, is the very last Biblical holiday of the year. It happens in the early fall.

Celebrating Tabernacles is a commandment found in Scripture. Leviticus 23:41 says this festival is a lasting ordinance and not just for people in Bible times.

The Feast of Tabernacles is an eight day holiday! Since Leviticus 23:43 says we should live in temporary dwelling places during the holiday many people go camping, or eat outside in their backyard under a 'sukkah' which is similar to a canopy.

The Bible says that dwelling in temporary shelters is to remind us that that children of Israel did the same thing when God set them free from slavery and they left Egypt. Celebrating Tabernacles helps us to better understand Scripture.

When we remember that he sets slaves free we get a better understanding of who he is! He is the God who can set us free from slavery, fear, addiction, heartbreak, or any other bad thing. At Tabernacles we celebrate that nothing is too hard for him!

Tabernacles also reminds us that one day the Messiah will return and dwell with us!

The Messiah celebrated Tabernacles in John 7, and Zechariah 14:16 says it will be celebrated when he rules the world. Why not join in and celebrate our Messiah's special time?

More on the Feast of Tabernacles:
Should Believers Keep the Biblical Holidays?
The Feast of Tabernacles: What it Means and Why You Should Celebrate It
Eight Things Scripture Says About the Feast of Tabernacles

Questions and Answers on Shavuot

I want to take the time to address some frequently asked questions about the Biblical set apart time of Shavuot, and how it pertains to us as believers in Messiah.

Are Shavuot and Pentecost the same thing?

The words Shavuot and Pentecost are used interchangeably in Scripture. Shavuot is the Hebrew word for "Feast of Weeks," whereas Pentecost is Greek for "fiftieth." Both are referring to the set apart time that happens fifty days after the counting of the omer begins during the Feast of Unleavened Bread.

Of course, different people mean different things by each, but in Scripture they are the same.

Is Shavuot a Sabbath day?Yes, Shavuot is no-work day, and should be treated like the weekly Sabbath. So avoid professional work, shopping, home maintenance, etc. More information on no-work days can be found here.

How do you celebrate it? This is my first year celebrating the feast days.To anyone celebrating for the first time - yay! - I am so proud of you for taking this step of faith and cheering you on as you do it!Take the pressure off of yourself to do everything perfectly and shoot to have a nice day of rest, while remembering the incredible gifts we have been given - the written word and the Holy Spirit!Have some good food, read your Bible, get together with other believers if possible, give an offering to YHWH, give gifts if you wish, pray for an outpouring of the Holy Spirit, and make or buy two loaves of bread to remember YHWH's abundant provision that we celebrate during this time.

What day is it?It varies depending on what calendar you go by, but most people will celebrate Shavuot from the evening of May 25 to the evening of May 27. Others will celebrate it May 28. (These dates are for 2023!) Shavuot always happens fifty days after the First Fruits offering after Passover.

What kind of bread or other foods do you make?I like to make strawberry salad or strawberry shortcake! Strawberries are great in my area at this time of year and I like the reminder of the fruit of the Spirit!Milk and honey are often used to symbolize the sweetness of Scripture in our lives, so desserts like cheesecake or fruit tarts are popular as well. See this post for milk and honey dessert recipes!

I also think it's fun to do two loaves of bread of any kind in honor of Leviticus 23:17 that says to offer two loaves to YHWH. This is a great reminder that he provides more than enough for our needs. You could make or buy fancy breads made with herbs or olives or cheese or you an ultimate make your own grilled cheese bar, with lots of different cheeses, veggies, and condiments! Babka is another fun bread for Shavuot.

What Bible passages are good for this time?Great things to study during Shavuot would be the covenant, and the Holy Spirit. The book of Ruth is traditionally studied at this time of year. Leviticus 23:15-21, Acts 2, 1 Corinthians 12, Exodus 20:1-17, and Galatians 5:22 are some of my favorites.

Here are some more verses to check out! See this post.

What do you do to celebrate?Take the day off work, spend time with loved ones, talk about the ways you have seen the Holy Spirit at work in your life, read Acts 2, go see wheat being harvested if possible, make a big fruit salad to symbolize the fruit of the Spirit, get immersed, host a Bible study!

What verses tell us that believers in Messiah should observe the feasts?Exodus 34:22 - "You shall observe the festival of Shavuot."We should celebrate Shavuot because Scripture tells us to! Nowhere in Scripture does it tell us that the set apart times are done away with! This post goes into more details about why we as believers in Messiah should keep the feasts.

Or as Torah Sisters says: the giving of the law and the giving of the Spirit are big deals!

When do we actually start counting?Scripture instructs us to count fifty days and then celebrate Shavuot. Our starting point for that is the Sunday after Passover, which is known as First Fruits. This is the day the Messiah rose from the grave!

Ways to celebrate with toddlers?Crafts and Bible stories around the fruit of the Spirit, the giving of the Holy Spirit, and the ten commandments are all very appropriate!Bible Pathway Adventures has free activity and coloring sheets for kids too!

Does the lamp stand all over the Bible have any significance with this?The lamp stand that the Bible talks about is a seven branched menorah! This correlates with the seven Biblical holidays.

How to celebrate?This is a day to remember the giving of Scripture and the outpouring of the Holy Spirit! I enjoy getting together at a lake with other believers (the lake is a great opportunity for immersion), we share a meal and read/discuss Bible stories related to these times.I also like finding ways to 'give the word' to others - sharing a printable Bible verse, memorizing a passage to share with others, gathering Bibles to donate etc.

What is the meaning of it?On Shavuot we remember both the giving of the written word and commandments, and the outpouring of the Holy Spirit in Acts 2. It is also a time when we celebrate that YHWH provides for our needs! Shavuot happens when wheat is being harvested. During Bible times, wheat was a significant part of the daily diet, and the harvest being brought in was a tangible reminder of YHWH providing for them! On Shavuot we look back at the ways YHWH provided in Scripture and in our own lives.
More on Shavuot:
Celebrating the Fruit of the Spirit at Shavuot
Shavuot Provision
Seven Ways to Celebrate Shavuot

Questions and Answers about Passover, Unleavened Bread, and First Fruits

Recently I took some questions about the upcoming Biblical holiday of Passover, Unleavened Bread, and First Fruits. I wanted to share them here for others wondering the same things!

What can I do to start preparing?

Get the dates put on your calendar and free yourself up from work! Be intentional about how you want to spend this time.

Make plans to celebrate with others if you can. Look into gatherings that are a doable distance for you to travel to or start making plans to host something yourself.

Check out these posts on what you can do to start preparing now, and how to host a Passover Seder.

Why should Christians keep Jewish holidays?

These holidays are Biblical! They were given to ALL the tribes of Israel (not just Judah, or the Jews) and everyone who chooses to follow YHWH and to be grafted into his people. There is absolutely nothing in Scripture about Passover and the rest of the set apart times being only for Jewish people.

The Messiah kept the Biblical feasts, and they were a significant part of his life. New Testament believers kept them and Apostle Paul expressly told us to keep them!

So Can one take part in the feasts without the ceremony or do you have to have a Haggadah? 

A Haggadah or formal ceremony is not at all necessary to participate in Passover! Most of the elements of a traditional Passover Seder are man-made. While those can be meaningful, they are not Biblical requirements. If you want to keep it simple you could do foot washing, communion, and Scripture reading.

My husband is not familiar with the Biblical feasts...would it be the right thing to do to celebrate for the first time this year?

This year is a great time to start! Keep it simple and focus on doing what you can without worrying about man-made traditions or getting everything "right." You will learn so much by studying the feasts and participating in them!

When do you begin the process of getting leaven out of your home?

About a month or so before the feast I start taking note of how many leavened products I have on hand to start using them up before Passover. I try to keep them in certain places in my kitchen and freezer to make it easier to gauge how much I have and to have fewer surprises later. Last year I used up/removed the last of my leavened products the day before Passover. You can do it sooner if you want to, but you don't get extra points for it!

What's the difference in celebrating Passover/First Fruits vs Easter?

This is such an important question!

We are commanded to keep Passover and told not even to utter the name of Easter.

The Messiah was killed on Passover and resurrected on First Fruits. Neither event happened on Easter.

Passover is in the Bible, Easter is not.

Many Easter traditions are expressly prohibited by Scripture.

See this post for more!

Can we eat rice during Unleavened Bread? No grains, right?

Unleavened Bread doesn't mean going grain free! Unleavened bread/matzah is made with grain. What you want to avoid is leaven, which is mainly taken to mean yeast and sourdough starter for bread.

Some people avoid mixing all grains with water (such as cooking rice), but I don't really see that in Scripture. Most people believe that rice is okay to eat during Unleavened Bread.

Do I need to remove never been opened yeast packets?

My understanding of the Scripture on this is that we should remove things that have been leavened, but are not required to remove leavening agents themselves.

The Israelites removed natural sourdough starter/leaven, but they would have kept their flour and water - which is what leaven is made from. In my opinion, if it's not something that's leavened and you won't be using it to leaven anything then it can stay.

Of course I always encourage people to study what Scripture says instead of focusing on man's traditions.

There are always debates about the dates every year - do you go by when the barley is harvested in Israel?

Personally I go off of Leviticus 23:11 which says First Fruits is the Sunday after Passover.

What are you supposed to do on First Fruits? I have never quite understood this.

First Fruits is the day the Messiah was resurrected so it is a wonderful opportunity to celebrate that! It is also when the counting of the fifty days to Shavuot begins.

Blessing your spiritual leaders, as well as foreigners, orphans, and widows is appropriate for this day. As is giving an offering, recognizing the provision of YHWH in your life, worship, and feasting!

See more on how to celebrate First Fruits in this post.

How do you make it fun and meaningful for the family?

Ask older kids what they think. Including them in the planning can help them to get on board. If they haven't celebrate before explain the significance of these times and ask what they think they can do to honor them.

Make it meaningful by talking about all the amazing ways YHWH has provided, and if you can, share ways that you have seen YHWH provide in your life as well as theirs to help them feel more connected to the exodus and the works of the Messiah.

Make this time memorable for kids- take time off from school and work to be together, travel to a group celebration, do a volunteer project, give gifts, have a formal meal, make lots of good food, invite others to join you, play games, read the pertinent Bible stories, and watch cinematic versions of them.

Maybe let each child pick a family activity to do during Unleavened Bread - it doesn't necessarily have to be spiritual, just something fun for them to look forward to!

What books do you recommend to learn more about these?

Edward Chumney's The Seven Festivals of the Messiah was very helpful when I was first learning about the set apart times.

How would you explain to a newbie in short what to do and how to honor this time?

Remember the awesome sacrifice of the Messiah as our Passover lamb, his resurrection, and the miracles YHWH performed when he freed his people from slavery.

Honor that with a Passover meal and/or communion. By removing the leaven from your home during Unleavened Bread, and bringing an offering on First Fruits. As well as remembering and sharing the work YHWH has done in your life.

Related posts:
A Beginner's Guide to the Biblical Holidays
How to Celebrate First Fruits
Preparing for Passover
Six Things You Can Do Now to Get Ready for the Spring Feasts

5 Reasons Believers Should Keep Passover

Is the Biblical set apart time of Passover something believers should participate in today? Many of us have been told that the Messiah did away with those things or that they aren't applicable to us today. But keeping this feast can be so rewarding and there is so much to be learned from it! Here are five Biblical reasons for us to participate in Passover today.

1. We are told to by both the Old and the New Testament. Yes, both testaments of Scripture exhort us to keep this set apart time. Leviticus 23 tells us to, so does Exodus 12:14, and the Messiah said to keep Passover in remembrance of him, and even after his death and ascension the Apostle Paul tells believers that we should keep the feasts! The Bible tells us to do things for a reason and it also says that when we follow the instructions we are blessed. I don't know about you, but I will gladly take all the blessings I can from our Heavenly Father.

2. To follow the Messiah's example. 1 John tells us that we should live as Yahusha did. We see the Messiah honoring and observing Passover at his last supper, which he told his followers to prepare for. Shouldn't we follow his example? He had purpose when he set this example for us. He knew it would impact us and our faith would grow through it. Keeping Passover is one way I can align my life to look a little more like his.

3. To remember the historic significance. So many amazing things happened during Passover, the Feast of Unleavened Bread, and First Fruits! The Messiah being put to death on Passover, rising from the dead at First Fruits, and celebrating Unleavened Bread with his followers, but also the Exodus story where the Israelites were freed from slavery. Many significant events in the Bible happened during this time, and we would do well to take a few days to remember and learn from those things.

4. Because Easter is not an acceptable replacement for one of YHWH's set apart times. Many believers have told me that they think Passover and Easter are the same, but this is simply not true! There are many distinctive differences between these, and it's important that we pick the one that lines up with Scripture's instructions. Why settle for less than the truly good things YHWH has for us? At best, Easter is watered-down truth, with many lies and inaccuracies mixed in. We are shortchanging ourselves and the people in our lives when we exchange the Bible's truth for our culture's lies and traditions.

5. We are to be doers of the word. James makes it clear that we aren't just called to know what Scripture says, but we are to implement it into our lives. Passover is a simple and meaningful way to take a tangible step to put the word into practice! None of you would say that the Messiah's death and resurrection is not worth celebrating, so why not to do so in a way that YHWH instructs? 

Related posts: 
Why I Started Celebrating the Biblical Feasts
Preparing for Passover

Reasons Why Believers Should Keep the Feasts

The Beginner's Guide to the Biblical Holidays

Here's When the Biblical Holidays Happen in 2021

The Biblical holidays are significant times for believers. The Creator set these times apart and throughout history he has used these feasts and holidays in big ways, from the Messiah being killed at Passover to the Holy Spirit being given at Shavuot, and we should expect him to continue that trend. Let's pay attention to when these special times are and take part in them like Scripture says we should!

Leviticus 23 tells us when these happen, but since the Gregorian calendar doesn't match up with the Creator's calendar the dates land a little bit differently each year. There are also a few different ways to calculate the start of the year and because of that there are several different calendars that believers go by. What I'm sharing here is the one that is mostly commonly used. Mark your calendars for these set apart times!

When do the Biblical holidays happen in 2021?

Passover - March 27-28
Feast of Unleavened Bread - March 28 - April 4
First Fruits - March 28-29
Shavuot - May 16-18
Feast of Trumpets - September 6-8
Yom Kippur - September 15-16
Feast of Tabernacles - September 20-27

A couple of things about this. According to this calendar, days start in the evening at sundown. This means that Passover starts on the evening of March 27 and goes through the evening of the 28th. This calendar also gives an extra day to both the Feast of Trumpets and Shavuot, even though in the Bible they are both just one day events.

It's also important to note that while all of these are special times, some of these are also considered Sabbath days which means we shouldn't work on them. These Sabbath days are the first and last days of Unleavened Bread, Shavuot, the Feast of Trumpets, Yom Kippur, and the first and last days of Tabernacles.

More on the Biblical holidays:
Reasons Why Believers Should Keep the Biblical Holidays
The Beginner's Guide to the Biblical Holidays
Biblical Holidays 2021 Dates Printable