1. And the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, 2. Speak to the children of Israel, and say to them: The feasts of the LORD, which you shall proclaim to be holy convocations, these are My feasts. (KJV)
1. The LORD spoke to Moses: 2. Speak to the Israelites and tell them, These are the LORD’s appointed times which you must proclaim as holy assemblies—my appointed times. (NET)
These are My Feasts or My Appointed-Times, this is what YHWH expressly declared to Moses and to the people of Israel concerning His Appointed-Times. (Leviticus 23:1-2, the above opening verses). There are a few verses in the Bible where the Appointed-Times are referred to as; a feast of the Jews' or 'the Jewish Feast', as in John 6:4; Now the Jewish Feast of the Passover was near. In another verse YHWH even denounces the Appointed-Times, referring to them as your festivals, that is, as Israel's festivals. This is recorded in Amos 5:21, I absolutely despise your festivals! I get no pleasure from your religious assemblies. Of course, YHWH didn't despise His ordained festivals (Appointed-Times). Rather, He was rebuking Israel for their dishonor and irreverent abuse of His sacred appointments. This verse, falling in the context of Amos chapter five, is referring to the judgment that was ready to befall Israel, 20. Don’t you realize the Lord’s day of judgment will bring darkness, not light—gloomy blackness, not bright light? (Amos 5:20).
So, are the Appointed-Times of Jewish origin . . . are they distinct to the Jewish culture and nation?
Chapters ten and eleven of Genesis describe how YHWH set the land boundaries of Noah's offspring and how they spread over the earth after the Great Flood (Genesis 7). Through the genealogy of Noah's son, Shem, YHWH eventually called Abram (Abraham - the tenth generation from Shem) to separate himself from his kinfolk and his country. Through Abram's obedience and faith to his calling, YHWH held out the promise to make Abraham a great nation through his descendants with the ultimate purpose to bless all the Nations through Abraham's blessings.
Genesis 12:1-3, 7
1. Now the Lord said to Abram, “Go out from your country, your relatives, and your father’s household to the land that I will show you.
2. Then I will make you into a great nation, and I will bless you, and I will make your name great, so that you will exemplify divine blessing.
3. I will bless those who bless you, but the one who treats you lightly I must curse, so that all the families of the earth may receive blessing through you.”
7. The LORD appeared to Abram and said, “To your descendants I will give this land.” So, Abram built an altar there to the LORD, who had appeared to him.
Deuteronomy 32:8-10
8. When the Most High gave the nations their inheritance, when he divided up humankind, he set the boundaries of the peoples, according to the number of the heavenly assembly.
9. For the Lord’s allotment is his people, Jacob is his special possession.
10. The Lord found him in a desolate land, in an empty wasteland where animals howl. He continually guarded him and taught him; he continually protected him like the pupil (apple) of his eye.
From all the nations of the Earth, YHWH chose Jacob (Israel) to be His special possession. As the nation of Israel matured, they began to manifest the divine blessings that Abram's descendants were called to exemplify to the nations. It is important to remember that the blessings and the benefits Israel received through the inheritance of Abraham (Abram), was a direct result of YHWH’s integrity to uphold His promise with Abraham.
Deuteronomy 9:5
5. It is not because of your righteousness, or even your inner uprightness, that you have come here to possess their land. Instead, because of the wickedness of these nations, the LORD your God is driving them out ahead of you in order to confirm the promise he made on oath to your ancestors, to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.
Israel’s relationship with YHWH is by promise. Therefore, the blessings of Abraham, including the Appointed-Times, are theirs by association, that is, by adoption as sons. The principle of adoption is confirmed by Apostle Paul.
Romans 9:3-5
3. For I could wish that I myself were accursed—cut off from Christ—for the sake of my people, my fellow countrymen,
4. who are Israelites. To them belong the ADOPTION As SONS (emphasis added), the glory, the covenants, the giving of the law, the temple worship, and the promises.
5. To them belong the patriarchs, and from them, by human descent, came the Christ, who is God over all, blessed forever! Amen.
What a remarkable heritage. Israel received a high calling, a very high-calling, that clearly made them distinct (set-apart) from the other families and nations of the world. Along with this calling, though, came the enormous responsibility of fulfilling their mission. So, who is Israel that they would become the apple of His eye . . . called by Promise, confirmed by adoption . . . how would they fulfill their calling?
When Israel was adopted as a nation they also entered into a covenant-relationship with YHWH.
(Exodus 34:27-28)
27. The LORD said to Moses, “Write down these words, for in accordance with these words I have made a covenant with you and with Israel.”
28. So he was there with the LORD 40 days and 40 nights; he did not eat bread, and he did not drink water. He wrote on the tablets the words of the covenant, the Ten (Words) Commandments.
For Israel to partake of YHWH’s blessings, it was clearly contingent upon their response to the Words-of-the-Covenant. In Deuteronomy 28:1-14, the blessings through obedience commence with these words of encouragement:
1. “If you indeed obey the LORD your God and are careful to observe all his commandments I am giving you today, the LORD your God will elevate you above all the nations of the earth.
2. All these blessings will come to you in abundance if you obey the LORD your God.
On the other hand, in Deuteronomy 28:15-68, the curses of disobedience (a much longer list than the blessings) start with these words of warning:
15. But if you ignore the LORD your God and are not careful to keep all his commandments and statutes I am giving you today, then all these curses will come upon you in full force.
Although Israel would often breach their agreement with YHWH, He without fail would honor the words of the covenant(s). YHWH's covenant-relationship with Israel and their development as a nation were pivotal to YHWH's Promise to Abraham: so that all the families of the earth may receive blessing through you.
When considering Israel’s inherent-relationship with YHWH, it is not inappropriate to refer to the Appointed-Times as Israel’s feasts, a feast of the Jews. This statement is true because of Israel's association by adoption. Yet, its validation was contingent upon Israel's (each individual's) obedience to the Words-of-the-Covenant. On the contrary, when they were walking in disobedience, well, YHWH would disavow Himself from their actions in the context of them dishonoring the festivals; 21. I absolutely despise your festivals! I get no pleasure from your religious assemblies. (Amos 5:21)
Even so, it is obvious that Israel's covenant with YHWH was very significant in the development of YHWH's purpose and will for Humanity, as Apostle Paul stated in Romans 9:3-5 (quoted in the previous section above, 'Confirmed by Adoption'). Yet, Israel's inheritance through Abraham's physical-lineage (the Mosaic Covenant - Torah), this alone, does not give them access to the New Covenant Promises. Apostle Paul makes this clear in his letter to the Galatians, read specifically chapter three to understand the context, the following key verses are quoted from this chapter.
Galatians 3:8, 13, 14, 16, 19, 21, 23, 25, 26, 29
8. And the scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, proclaimed the gospel to Abraham ahead of time, saying, “All the nations will be blessed in you.”
13. Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us (because it is written, “Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree”)
14. in order that in Christ Jesus the blessing of Abraham would come to the Gentiles, so that we could receive the promise of the Spirit by faith.
16. Now the promises were spoken to Abraham and to his descendant. Scripture does not say, “and to the descendants,” referring to many, but “and to your descendant,” referring to one, who is Christ.
19. Why then was the law given? It was added because of transgressions, until the arrival of the descendant to whom the promise had been made. It was administered through angels by an intermediary.
21. Is the law therefore opposed to the promises of God? Absolutely not! For if a law had been given that was able to give life, then righteousness would certainly have come by the law.
23. Now before faith came, we were held in custody under the law, being kept as prisoners until the coming faith would be revealed.
25. But now that faith has come, we are no longer under a guardian.
26. For in Christ Jesus you are all sons of God through faith.
29. And if you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s descendants, heirs according to the promise.
The following verses serve as an example that applies to or parallels, to some degree, many of the events, characters, practices and theological topics recorded in Scripture.
1 Corinthians 15:45-47
45. So also, it is written, “The first man, Adam, became a living person”; the last Adam became a life-giving spirit.
46. However, the spiritual did not come first, but the natural, and then the spiritual.
47.The first man is from the earth, made of dust; the second man is from heaven.
In the example of the first and (second) last Adam, as quoted in the verses above, Apostle Paul states the spiritual did not come first, but the natural, and then the spiritual. Much of the physical creation, with its wide range of marvels, to some degree, often conceals and, or reveals the invisible attributes and the spiritual essence of our Creator. YHWH is a Creator of intent and resolution. He often sets His plans into motion in the natural (earthly) plane first, in order to exemplify and herald His spiritual realizations (goals) to Humanity. This method serves to validate and give witness to His original purpose and intent.
The physical lineage of Abraham (Israel), the covenant established through Moses, Torah (the Law), the Temple and the priesthood are all integral components to this method. Likewise, as the bigger picture comes into view, the earthly elements of the Appointed-Times under the Old Covenant must give way to the Heavenly essentials of the Divine-Appointments that are expressed in the New Covenant. To state the obvious then, the Appointed-Times that physical Israel received and observed are not the authentic Appointed-Times. Rather, they were copies or patterns of the authentic, only to be realized in Messiah.
Obviously, YHWH has designed and implemented the Appointed-Times, physical Israel plays a significant role in the development. The Promises that have been given to Israel are embodied in the Appointed-Times. The crucifixion and resurrection of Yahoshua provide access to His promises for both Israel and Gentile alike. Yet, Jew and Gentile alike must be regenerated, reborn in order to come into the heritage of Yahoshua's Seed.
So, Are the Feasts of Jewish Origin?
As the Appointed-Times are clothed in their Gospel attire . . . their origin being carefully calculated during the formation of Time-Space-Matter . . .. and coming from the authentic perspective the great I AM . . . these are (explicitly) My feasts, My Divine-Appointments . . . for those that embrace the New Covenant Promises.
LAST EDIT: 02:35 / 16 December 2024
ORIGINAL POST: 15 April 2021
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