God's Plan in the Holy Days

The material here is very sparse and is intended as a basis for further personal study on your part. We trust you find it useful.

The Passover

Please refer to The Passover of the Old Testament as kept in Old Testament times.

The Passover symbolised - was prophetic of - Jesus's offering of his own body and life.

1 Cor 5:7
. . . For Christ, our Passover lamb, has been sacrificed.
(from New International Version)

Eph 5:1-2
and live a life of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.
(from New International Version)

Heb 9:28
so Christ was sacrificed once to take away the sins of many people; and he will appear a second time, not to bear sin, but to bring salvation to those who are waiting for him.
(from New International Version)

Days of Unleavened Bread

Please refer to Days of Unleavened Bread as kept in Old Testament times.

You can look on the exodus from Egypt as an example of the Christian who turns his back on this world's ways  - the Christian who has repented. The leaven (or yeast) stands for sin.

2 Cor 6:17
Therefore come out from them
and be separate,
      says the Lord.
(from New International Version)

Rev 18:4
Then I heard another voice from heaven say:
"Come out of her, my people,
so that you will not share in her sins,
so that you will not receive any of her plagues;
(from New International Version)

The days without leavening represent putting out sin --

1 Cor 5:8
Therefore let us keep the Festival, not with the old yeast, the yeast of malice and wickedness, but with bread without yeast, the bread of sincerity and truth.
(from New International Version)

A short time after departing from Egypt Israel went through the Red Sea, and you may take this to picture the water baptism of a believer who has repented, even as the Great Flood pictures baptism.

1 Peter 3:20-21
20 In it [Noah's ark] only a few people, eight in all, were saved through water, 21 and this water symbolizes baptism that now saves you also-not the removal of dirt from the body but the pledge of a good conscience toward God.
(from New International Version)

The first of the firstfruits parallels Jesus being presented to God after his resurrection. You may remember that just after his resurrection Jesus would not let anyone touch him.

John 20:17
Jesus saith unto her, Touch me not; for I am not yet ascended to my Father: but go to my brethren, and say unto them, I ascend unto my Father, and your Father; and to my God, and your God
KJV
 
However soon after that --

Luke 24:39
Look at my hands and my feet. It is I myself! Touch me and see; a ghost does not have flesh and bones, as you see I have."
(from New International Version)

Pentecost

Please refer to Pentecost as kept in Old Testament times. You will need to have read this to properly understand the rest of this section on Pentecost.The day of Pentecost was chosen by God to pour out his Spirit on his believers. Acts 2.1-4

The current situation --

• Jesus Christ is the firstfruits; 1 Cor 15:20 (see below for references)
• Christians are a KIND OF firstfruits by virtue of the gift of the Spirit. James 1:18 Rom 8:23

During the millenium (see Future History) --

• Jesus will have been the First of the firstfruits; (obvious)
• Christians will have been changed to be like God at Jesus's return, and they will now be the rest of the firstfruits. 1 Cor 15:50-53  Rev 14:4

Acts 2:1-4
1 When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place. 2 Suddenly . . .4 All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit . . .
(from New International Version)

1 Cor 15:20
But Christ has indeed been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep.
(from New International Version)

James 1:18
He chose to give us birth through the word of truth, that we might be a kind of firstfruits of all he created.
(from New International Version)

Rom 8:23
Not only so, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for our adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies.
(from New International Version)

Rev 14:4
. . . These are they which follow the Lamb whithersoever he goeth. These were redeemed from among men, being the firstfruits unto God and to the Lamb
KJV

Day of Trumpets

Please refer to Trumpets as kept in Old Testament times.

This foreshadows the time for a number of major events -

• mankind on the brink of annihilation;
• the trumpet blast;
• the elect meet Jesus in the sky;
• Jesus makes war against the millions massed against Jerusalem;
• Jesus sets foot on the Mount of Olives;
• the twelve nations of Israel return home.

Matt 24:22
If those days had not been cut short, no one would survive, but for the sake of the elect those days will be shortened.
(from New International Version)

1 Cor 15:52
In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed
KJV

1 Thess 4:16-17
16 For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first:17 Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.
KJV

Zech 14:3-4
3 Then shall the LORD go forth, and fight against those nations, as when he fought in the day of battle.4 And his feet shall stand in that day upon the mount of Olives, . . .
KJV

Isa 27:13
And in that day a great trumpet will sound. Those who were perishing in Assyria and those who were exiled in Egypt will come and worship the LORD on the holy mountain in Jerusalem
(from New International Version)

Jesus sees to it that the scattered people of Judah, and the scattered peoples of the remaining eleven nations of Israel are returned safely to the land of Israel.

Isa 11:12
He will raise a banner for the nations
and gather the exiles of Israel;
he will assemble the scattered people of Judah
from the four quarters of the earth.
(from New International Version)

Day of Atonement

Please refer first to Atonement as kept in Old Testament times.

The "goat for the Lord" was sacrificed and pictures of course Jesus our sacrifice.

Rom 3:24-25
24 . . . the redemption that came by Christ Jesus. 25 God presented him as a sacrifice of atonement, through faith in his blood. . . .
(from New International Version)

Heb 13:11-13
11 The high priest carries the blood of animals into the Most Holy Place as a sin offering, but the bodies are burned outside the camp. 12 And so Jesus also suffered outside the city gate to make the people holy through his own blood. 13 Let us, then, go to him outside the camp, bearing the disgrace he bore.
(from New International Version)

The "scapegoat", the goat set free in the desert, represents Satan the Devil.

John 12:31-32
31 Now is the time for judgment on this world; now the prince of this world will be driven out. 32 But I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all men to myself."
(from New International Version)

Rev 20:2-3
2 He seized the dragon, that ancient serpent, who is the devil, or Satan, and bound him for a thousand years . . . After that, he must be set free for a short time.
(from New International Version)

Because he is the great deceiver and destroyer, he is made to carry all the resulting sins and wickedness of men on his head. At the very end he is banished to the Lake of Fire.

Gen 3:1
Now the serpent was more crafty than any of the wild animals the LORD God had made. He said to the woman, "Did God really say, 'You must not eat from any tree in the garden'?"
(from New International Version)

Rev 20:10
And the devil, who deceived them, was thrown into the lake of burning sulfur, where the beast and the false prophet had been thrown.
(from New International Version)

Feast of Tabernacles

Please refer first to feast of tabernacles as kept in Old Testament times.

The Feast of Tabernacles represents a period on earth following the return of Jesus Christ and the imprisonment of the Satan, and can only refer to the Millenium.

The Millenium is the real time of "Plenty, Feasting and Pleasure".

Isa 35:1
The desert and the parched land will be glad;
the wilderness will rejoice and blossom.
(from New International Version)

Isa 35:5-7
5 Then will the eyes of the blind be opened
and the ears of the deaf unstopped.
6 Then will the lame leap like a deer,
and the mute tongue shout for joy.
Water will gush forth in the wilderness
and streams in the desert.
7 The burning sand will become a pool,
the thirsty ground bubbling springs.
(from New International Version)

Sparkling Health

Zech 9:16-17
. . . They will sparkle in his land
like jewels in a crown.
17 How attractive and beautiful they will be!
Grain will make the young men thrive,
and new wine the young women.
(from New International Version)

Jer 33:6-9
6 "'Nevertheless, I will bring health and healing to it; I will heal my people and will let them enjoy abundant peace and security. 7 I will bring Judah and Israel back from captivity and will rebuild them as they were before. 8 I will cleanse them from all the sin they have committed against me and will forgive all their sins of rebellion against me. 9 Then this city will bring me renown, joy, praise and honor before all nations on earth that hear of all the good things I do for it; and they will be in awe and will tremble at the abundant prosperity and peace I provide for it.
(from New International Version)

Where God Chooses to Place His Name

Deut 14:25-26
. . . go to the place the LORD your God will choose.
(from New International Version)

Ezek 48:35
"And the name of the city from that time on will be:
THE LORD IS THERE."
(from New International Version)

The Last Great Day

Please refer first to the Last Great Day as kept in Old Testament times.

The great judgment, a period of time plus the day of sentencing, is at "The End of the Thousand Years" - see Future History - and is foreshadowed by the last great day of the Feast.

To try to get through to people the astounding free offer he brought, of great power, of great brightness and glory and riches, of adventure, of love and of everlasting life, Jesus stood and shouted at the top of his voice -

John 7:37-38
37 On the last and greatest day of the Feast, Jesus stood and said in a loud voice, "If anyone is thirsty, let him come to me and drink. 38 Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, streams of living water will flow from within him."
(from New International Version)

The gift is not just a trickle.

Billions will be awakened at the second resurrection, and they will see the prosperous condition of society and of the land. They will be astounded to realise they live again after the 'sleep' of death.

But Satan also will be set free to test them and to try them by deception. Violence, hatred and lawlessness will increase once again

Gen 3:4-5
4 "You will not surely die," the serpent said to the woman. 5 "For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil."
(from New International Version)

For those who believe the Devil it will be their final end, but for those who believe the messengers of Jesus and his Family in those days and who are stedfast and "endure to the end", it is only the beginning.

created 30oct06
upd.14nov06
upd.19nov06 - pentecost added
upd.28nov06 - trumpets added
upd.04feb07 - very minor
upd.17feb07 - feast of tabernacles
upd.2mar07 - Last Great Day
upd.4mar07 - clarified some statements
upd.27mar07 - some remarks on Satan omitted. See Log