Old Testament Festivals

Leviticus 23 describes seven yearly sabbath days that, being tied to a calendar date like our holidays, fell on different days of the week each year. Each of these festivals pointed forward to some aspect of the plan of salvation. Like the weekly Sabbath, these holy days were to be sacredly held, no work being permitted for 24 hours from sunset to sunset. They were set apart for holy convocations.

The Jewish ritual year began in the spring. Each month commenced at the first sighting of the new moon. The first three of the annual sabbaths related to the first month, and the last four of them fell within the seventh month of the ritual year. Here's the list as given in Leviticus 23.

To help you visualize what this looked like on the calendar, I've prepared a couple of calendar segments. Think of these as depicting just three days of the week, rather than the whole calendar. It reads just like a regular calendar except that it doesn't show the complete week. I did that because I didn't want to give the impression that these days fell on a particular day of the week. Remember, they are tied to a calendar date, calculated from the sighting of the new moon.

The yellow dates are the ceremonial sabbath days. The gray shaded dates represent week-long festivals: the Feast of Unleavened Bread in the spring, and the Feast of Tabernacles in the fall. Only the first and last days of those week-long feasts were "sabbath" rest days. The Passover day and the Wave Sheaf Offering day, listed here, were not sabbaths unless they fell on a weekly Sabbath. As you can see, the day of Pentecost occurred seven weeks after the offering of the Wave Sheaf.

The Timing of Christ's Sacrifice

Sequence of Events From Christ's Resurrection to His Ascension

1. A mighty angel calls Jesus to life. The Roman soldiers are terrified. They go to report what they have seen. (Matthew 28:2-4)
2. Mary Magdalene arrives at the tomb. She sees the stone rolled away, then runs to tell the disciples. (John 20:1)
3. The other women arrive at the empty tomb and meet two angels. They also go to find the disciples. (Luke 24:1-9)
4. Mary finds Peter and John. They come and find the tomb empty. (John 20:2-10)
5. Mary, who had followed them, remains at the tomb after Peter and John leave. She sees the two angels. Then Jesus appears to her. (John 20:11-16)
6. Jesus goes to heaven to receive His Father’s approval. (John 20:17)
7. Jesus returns and appears to Peter. (Luke 24:34; 1 Corinthians 15:5)
8. Jesus appears to the two disciples on the walk to Emmaus. (Mark 16:12; Luke 24:13-32)
9. The two disciples return to Jerusalem to tell the disciples in the upper room. There Jesus appears to all of them, Thomas missing. (Mark 16:13; Luke 24:33-49; John 20:19-23)
10. Jesus appears one week later, Thomas being there. (Mark 16:14; John 20:24-29)
11. Jesus meets seven of the disciples by the Sea of Galilee. (John 21:1-23)
12. In the presence of about five hundred believers assembled on a mountain in Galilee, Jesus delivers the Great Commission. (Matthew 28:16-20; 1 Corinthians 15:6)
13. Jesus appears to James (1 Corinthians 15:7)
14. Jesus takes the disciples to the Mount of Olives, and from there ascends to heaven. (Luke 24:50, 51; Acts 1:9-11)

All Truth

What did Jesus promise that the Holy Spirit would do?

"Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth." John 16:13.

How much truth?

"All truth."

When would that happen?

"When he, the Spirit of truth, is come."

The Holy Spirit came on the day of Pentecost, as recorded in Acts chapter 2. Jesus' promise was that when the Holy Spirit came, He would guide the church into all truth. The knowledge of truth would not be withheld for hundreds of years after Pentecost, but would come "when he, the Spirit of truth, is come." This means that we should be able to see all truth present in the early apostolic church.

And that is exactly what the book of Acts records. Here is a list of doctrinal truths that were understood in the days of the apostles.

The role of the Scriptures -- Acts 17:11
God -- Acts 24:14
Jesus -- Acts 9:20
Salvation -- Acts 26:18
The second coming of Jesus -- Acts 1:11
The non-immortality of the soul -- Acts 2:29, 34
The resurrection of the dead -- Acts 24:15
An appointed date for the judgment -- Acts 17:31
The cleansing of the sanctuary -- Acts 3:19
The law of God -- Acts 22:12
The seventh-day Sabbath -- Acts 16:13
The church -- Acts 2:47
Spiritual gifts -- Acts 21:8-10
Healthful living -- Acts 24:25
Baptism -- Acts 8:12

What topics did Paul confidently emphasize in his preaching and teaching?

"Preaching the kingdom of God, and teaching those things which concern the Lord Jesus Christ, with all confidence, no man forbidding him." Acts 28:31.

Did he leave out any important matters?

"And how I kept back nothing that was profitable unto you, but have shewed you, and have taught you publickly, and from house to house." Acts 20:20.

"For I have not shunned to declare unto you all the counsel of God." Acts 20:27.

What were the results of Paul's thorough teaching?

"And so were the churches established in the faith, and increased in number daily." Acts 16:5.

Of what did Paul warn the elders of the church?

"For I know this, that after my departing shall grievous wolves enter in among you, not sparing the flock. Also of your own selves shall men arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away disciples after them. Therefore watch, and remember, that by the space of three years I ceased not to warn every one night and day with tears." Acts 20:29-31.

Similar warnings about the introduction of false doctrine were given in 2 Thessalonians 2:3-12; 2 Peter 2:1-3; and Jude 3, 4. The church would have to go through a period of terrible apostasy.

But "the times of refreshing" to come would also be "the times of restitution of all things." Acts 3:19, 21. All truth would be fully restored at last.

See also Daniel 8:9-14.

Daniel's Climaxes

Here are the details and dates for the end of each line of prophecy in the book of Daniel.

Rural Economy

Who would imagine that the Old Testament lifestyle would be relevant today? But, the fact is that our society's economic problems are a direct result of our abandonment of the way of life God originally gave His people. If you'd like to know more, visit my Rural Economy blog at www.thelostlaw.blogspot.com.

Safe Church

I was headed for the door, when my eye caught four words on the front of a TIME magazine for kids: “Are Gray Wolves Safe?”

Well, I thought, that must be a kind of wolf that isn’t as dangerous as others. Maybe they’re safe to be around.

Then I noticed the smaller print: “U.S. officials say gray wolves are no longer in danger of extinction.”

Oh! They’re not talking about our safety around them, but their safety around us.

Maybe you’ve heard the expression “safe church.” What is a safe church?

Is that what you call a church in a rural area where everyone you worship with believes the way you do?
You don’t have to worry about celebration music because they only sing from the hymnal.
You don’t have to worry when you go through the potluck line because they plan vegan fellowship meals.
Is that a safe church?

You can safely take your children to Sabbath School without worrying at all about what might happen there.
You’re safe from the emerging church and spiritual formation and female elders.
You’re safe from the creeping compromise of liberalism.

Is a safe church a place where I am safe from the evils of the world? Or is it a place where others are safe who are not like me?

Is it safe for an attending teenager to park his lifted, spattered mudcrawler in front of the building?
Is it safe for the walk-in who doesn’t know the rule about no hats in the sanctuary?
Is it safe for a newcomer to observe the discussion in the Sabbath School class?
Is it safe for the timid, sensitive guest who just wants a place where she can be accepted, without worrying if she’s doing everything just right?

Is my church safe for them?