The Festivals Of The God Of Israel
The Festivals Of The God Of Israel

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Part One

Introduction

By far, the best way to determine the real interests of a person is to note the festivals that he/she attends. Festivals are generally happy events, when people with similar interests assemble to celebrate something. At a festival, all the age-old barriers of race, color and class are usually swept aside as people give themselves over to the "spirit of the occasion". And so, we have music festivals, sports festivals, film festivals, wine festivals, carnivals, fetes, fairs, religious festivals and Feasts of various kinds. Indeed, there is a festival to suit almost every taste and they are all normally well attended.

Festivals are often held to commemorate some important event and in this connection they may be referred to as memorial festivals. Many religious festivals fall into this category; they are 'memorial festivals' held to commemorate the actions of the various gods people worship.

This study is of the Feast Days of Yahweh the Holy One of Israel, the Creator of the mighty universe, the LORD God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob; the One who is intensely interested in the welfare of every soul on earth. Yes, the Almighty has certain memorials. He calls them 'My Feasts' for they are the Sacred Memorial Banquets of His greatest acts in the Program of Salvation; banquets to which all His subjects are invited.

Leviticus 23: 1: And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,
2: Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them, Concerning the Feasts of the LORD, which ye shall proclaim to be holy convocations, even these are MY FEASTS
4: These are the Feasts of the LORD, even holy convocations, which ye shall proclaim in their seasons.

Note the Almighty's words "These are My Feasts" and "These are the Feasts of the LORD".

Undoubtedly, Yahweh's Feasts were initially given to the people of Israel, for it was His plan that through them salvation was to be proclaimed to the world. But the Feasts themselves are the LORD'S, not Israel's or Judah's, but Yahweh's. Remember this vital fact.

Unlike the popular festivals of Ash Wednesday, Easter, Halloween and Christmas, whose observance is nowhere comanded in the Scriptures, the Feast Days of Yahweh are described in the Bible in considerable detail. They are to be proclaimed and observed by all true believers in the LORD God of Israel. Read about these sacred memorials in Leviticus 23, Numbers 28 & 29, and Zechariah 14. There you will see overwhelming evidence of their divine origin and everlasting nature.

AVITW - USA's aim is to draw the church's attention to these appointed Feasts of the Most High; to proclaim them to all the world in accordance with this divine direction:

Leviticus 23: 4: These are the feasts of the LORD, even holy convocations, which ye shall proclaim in their seasons.

A holy convocation is a commanded assembly. In other words, you are commanded to attend and join with fellow worshippers of the God of Israel. This publication is part of that proclamation. It outlines the reasons why you should attend the Feasts of the Holy One of Israel.

What do these sacred Feasts commemorate?

The answer is: They are the spiritual anniversaries of Yahweh's mightiest deeds; each and every one of them being an eternal memorial of some distinct, divine accomplishment in the great Program of Salvation. If you read this booklet to the end, you will see that statement proved over and over again.

Let us now consider Yahweh's Feast days in turn, for there are several, and open our minds to the profound spiritual realities they represent.

     

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Author: Elder: David B. Loughran - Stewarton Bible School - Stewarton Scotland
A Voice In The Wilderness - USA
www.avitw-usa.org
First published 1978 / Updated 1985 / Placed on the Internet 1996 / Updated / 2002