Holy Days of God

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Holy Day Calendar

Meaning & Significance of the Holy Days

Jesus observed the Passover, the Feast of Tabernacles and the other festivals that God gave to Israel. Should you follow His example? Are those sacred festivals still applicable for Christians?

Many Bible readers are surprised to learn that Christ observed the festivals God revealed through Moses, while other religious holidays are nowhere to be found in the Bible. One reason Christ observed those festivals is that they are relevant to His message, the gospel of the Kindgom of God. By observing them we can learn much about God's plan to grant eternal life to those who become His sons and daughters through Jesus Christ. This is what gives these festivals their Christian importance and significance.

The annual cycle of God's Holy Days reminds us that God is working according to His plan of offering eternal life to every human being who has ever lived. Each year, celebrating the Holy Days once again refreshes in our minds the steps in that plan and gives great purpose to our daily lives.

Holy Day / Festival	Significance in Brief
Passover	Keeping the Passover each year reminds us that God is our redeemer who brings us out of our captivity to sin and death. He sets us on the road to eternal life in His Kingdom through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ, our Passover. This observance is a memorial of our Creator's continuing role in humanity's salvation.
Days of Unleavened Bread	Depicts putting sin out of our lives.
Pentecost	Serves as an annual reminder that our Creator still works miracles, granting His Spirit to the firstfruits of His spiritual harvest, empowering them to carry out His work in this world.
Feast of Trumpets	Looks forward to the return of Jesus Christ to establish God's millennial rule upon the earth, and to the resurrection of the "dead in Christ" - the hope of a Christian (1 Cor. 15:21-23; 1 Thess. 4:16).
Day of Atonement	Pictures the loving reconciliation we have with God, made possible through Christ's sacrifice. It also shows the remarkable truth that Satan, the author of sin, will eventually be removed so that humanity can at last attain reconciliation with God on a universal basis.
Feast of Tabernacles	Represents the Millenium, the reign of Christ on Earth for 1,000 years of true utopia and happiness.
Last Great Day	Depicts the time when the vast bulk of all humanity, of all ages, will be resurrected and given their chance to qualify for eternal life.

Dates of the Holy Days and Festivals of God

In biblical reckoning, days begin in the evening (Genesis 1:5), when the sun goes down (Joshua 8:29; 2 Chronicles 18:34; Mark 1:32), and are counted "from evening to evening" (Leviticus 23:32). Thus, all God's festivals begin the evening just before the dates listed in this table. For example, in 2002 Passover is observed Tuesday evening, March 26, after sundown, and the Feast of Unleavened Bread begins Wednesday evening, March 27.
Holy Day / Festival	2006	2007	2008	2009	2010	2011	2012	2013
Passover	Apr 12	Apr 2	Apr 19	Apr 8	Mar 29	Apr 18	Apr 6	Mar 25
Feast of Unleavened Bread	Apr 13-19	Apr 3-9	Apr 20-26	Apr 9-15	Mar 30-Apr 5	Apr 19-25	Apr 7-13	Mar 26-Apr 1
Pentecost	Jun 4	May 27	Jun 8	May 31	May 23	Jun 12	May 27	May 19
Feast of Trumpets	Sep 23	Sep 13	Sep 30	Sep 19	Sep 9	Sep 29	Sep 17	Sep 5
Day of Atonement	Oct 2	Sep 22	Oct 9	Sep 28	Sep 18	Oct 8	Sep 26	Sep 14
Feast of Tabernacles	Oct 7-13	Sep 27-Oct 3	Oct 14-20	Oct 3-9	Sep 23-29	Oct 13-19	Oct 1-7	Sep 19-25
Last Great Day	Oct 14	Oct 4	Oct 21	Oct 10	Sep 30	Oct 20	Oct 8	Sep 26

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