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Fall Holy Days
September 15, 2012

It is hard to believe the fall holy days introduced in the Bible are here. The date on the modern calendar varies because the holy days are determined using the calendar that was used during Biblical times thousands of years ago. Many people typically think of the Bible's holy days as Jewish holidays. I believesince these days are taught in the Bible,it is scriptural for Christians to observe these, andbecause the Bible is inspired by God, the holy days are God's holy days. In 2012, the Feast of Trumpets is observed from sunsetSunday, September 16th through sunset Monday, September 17th. The Day of Atonement is observed from sunset Tuesday, September 25th through sunset Wednesday, September 26th. The fall holy days conclude with the Feast of Tabernacles, with the first day observed from sunset Sunday, September 30th through sunset Monday, October 1st. The final holy day is the 8th and Last Great Day of the Feast, and this is observed from sunset Sunday, October 7th through sunset Monday October 8th. It is not the purpose of this study to point out what these days signify; my intention is to show that there are these holy days and that it is scriptural for Christians to observe this. There are verses that show the holy days were observed by the early church, and examples are given that Jesus kept these days as well. Because the death of Jesus is recorded as ending the need for all other sacrifices, how the early church kept the holy days was different than how the Jews would have observed the days. Let's start with an early mention of the fall holy days.

Leviticus 23:23-44
And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, Speak unto the children of Israel, saying, In the seventh month, in the first day of the month, shall ye have a Sabbath, a memorial of blowing of trumpets, an holy convocation. Ye shall do no servile work therein: but ye shall offer an offering made by fire unto the LORD. And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, Also on the tenth day of this seventh month there shall be a day of atonement: it shall be an holy convocation unto you; and ye shall afflict your souls, and offer an offering made by fire unto the LORD. And ye shall do no work in that same day: for it is a day of atonement, to make an atonement for you before the LORD your God. For whatsoever soul it be that shall not be afflicted in that same day, he shall be cut off from among his people. And whatsoever soul it be that doeth any work in that same day, the same soul will I destroy from among his people. Ye shall do no manner of work: it shall be a statute forever throughout your generations in all your dwellings. It shall be unto you a Sabbath of rest, and ye shall afflict your souls: in the ninth day of the month at even, from even unto even, shall ye celebrate your Sabbath. And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, Speak unto the children of Israel, saying, The fifteenth day of this seventh month shall be the feast of tabernacles for seven days unto the LORD. On the first day shall be an holy convocation: ye shall do no servile work therein. Seven days ye shall offer an offering made by fire unto the LORD: on the eighth day shall be an holy convocation unto you; and ye shall offer an offering made by fire unto the LORD: it is a solemn assembly; and ye shall do no servile work therein. These are the feasts of the LORD, which ye shall proclaim to be holy convocations, to offer an offering made by fire unto the LORD, a burnt offering, and a meat offering, a sacrifice, and drink offerings, everything upon his day: Beside the Sabbaths of the LORD, and beside your gifts, and beside all your vows, and beside all your freewill offerings, which ye give unto the LORD. Also in the fifteenth day of the seventh month, when ye have gathered in the fruit of the land, ye shall keep a feast unto the LORD seven days: on the first day shall be a Sabbath, and on the eighth day shall be a Sabbath. And ye shall take you on the first day the boughs of goodly trees, branches of palm trees, and the boughs of thick trees, and willows of the brook; and ye shall rejoice before the LORD your God seven days. And ye shall keep it a feast unto the LORD seven days in the year. It shall be a statute forever in your generations: ye shall celebrate it in the seventh month. Ye shall dwell in booths seven days; all that are Israelites born shall dwell in booths: That your generations may know that I made the children of Israel to dwell in booths, when I brought them out of the land of Egypt: I am the LORD your God. And Moses declared unto the children of Israel the feasts of the LORD.

The sacrifices are not needed today because Jesus died once for all. His death took away the penalty of sin and before his death sin required a sacrifice to be one with God.

Hebrews 10:7-10
Then said I, Lo, I come in the volume of the book it is written of me, to do thy will, O God. Above when he said, Sacrifice and offering and burnt offerings and offering for sin thou wouldest not, neither hadst pleasure therein; which are offered by the law; Then said he, Lo, I come to do thy will, O God. He taketh away the first, that he may establish the second. By the which will we are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.

The death of Jesus took away the penalty of the law. Some think the death of Jesus took away the law altogether. These verses show what was taken away was the need for sacrifices because Jesus was our sacrifice once for all. This perspective must have been insulting to the Jewish faithful during the early years of Christianity, and may be offensive today. I apologize for any offense and only wish peace on all people, including those with differing religious viewpoints. An admonition of Paul to the Christians in Colosse, gives me reason to think this way.

Colossians 2:13-17
And you, being dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh, hath he quickened together with him, having forgiven you all trespasses; Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross; And having spoiled principalities and powers, he made a shew of them openly, triumphing over them in it. Let no man therefore judge you in meat, or in drink, or in respect of an holyday, or of the new moon, or of the sabbath days: Which are a shadow of things to come; but the body is of Christ.

Those most likely to judge regarding a holy day would be those who already observed the holy day, and had a different standard for the observance. Paul did not advise to not observe the holy days; he simply reminded the Colossians that only Christ could be their judge, and this is why I wish peace to those who religiously may differ with me, as it is not my place to judge them, nor is it my place to be judged by them. The fall holy days will soon be here as Paul shared with those at Colosse, these are a shadow of things to come, and a shadow of Jesus.

All verses are from the King James Version.
This site provided by Tom Laign. To all who may believe differently, I also extend peace and love.
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