MY, HOW FAR WE'VE COME
by Sam Nadler
"Up until the third century, believers
everywhere celebrated
the Biblical Feasts listed in Leviticus 23."
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Up until the
third century, believers everywhere celebrated the Biblical Feasts listed in
Leviticus 23. They understood that the Feasts pointed to the coming Messiah,
His ministry, and His reign. For generations prior to the first century, the
Jewish people had all the prophetic pieces laid out in these feasts, and
they were awaiting the Messiah to see these events fulfilled. Now that He
had come, they were able to see exactly how Jesus was the perfect
fulfillment of the feasts they had been celebrating all these years. When
Jesus walked this earth, He not only celebrated the Biblical Feasts with His
people, but He chose these times to reveal specific details about Himself as
the Messiah. He did it in ways that were relevant to the feast at hand. The
celebration of the Biblical Feasts continued for centuries after Jesus’
ascension. It was the calendar of the believer, and it was understood for
what it was: a celebration of God’s redemptive plan through Jesus the
Messiah. But things changed in the 4th century when the reigning authority
abolished the celebration of the Biblical Feasts, among other things.
It was a dark time in human history, but when we read the writings of Paul,
it is clear that the intention was never to have stopped celebrating them!
In 1 Corinthians 5:8 Paul writes,
Therefore let us celebrate
the feast, not with old leaven, nor
with the leaven of malice and wickedness, but with
the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth. |
Paul’s instruction to celebrate the feast (Passover,
specifically in this case) is highlighted with the admonition of doing it
not out of legalism, but with a sincere heart. Why? Because it’s all about
Jesus! If you understand the ways each feast celebrates a different aspect
of Him, your heart can’t help but be filled with joy as you celebrate the
very One who saves you! Just as the Father tells us to worship Him in spirit
and in truth, so we have the privilege of celebrating His Son, Jesus, with
joy in the Biblical Feasts!
It has only been in the last ten years or so that believers have once again
started to embrace the Biblical Feasts. Passover, a feast that for centuries
had been put aside by believers, is becoming a regular celebration for many.
There is a growing interest among believers in the Jewish roots of our
faith, and that interest is blossoming into a greater appreciation, not
merely of Passover, but of the full redemptive plan as seen throughout all
the feasts. And now, for the first time, Word of Messiah Ministries is
partnering with Hope of Israel Congregation to host a Feast of Tabernacles
Banquet this year on September 28th.
The Feast of Tabernacles is the perfect bookend to the beginning of the
feasts we are already familiar with in Passover. Jesus’ atoning sacrifice
during Passover was made with a view to the message that Tabernacles brings:
His Kingdom come! He started with the end in mind: redemption was made so
that we could dwell face to face with Him for eternity in the fullness of
His Kingdom. What a tremendous opportunity to teach hundreds of people about
this prophetic feast; how one day, we will live under the covering and
physical presence of our King, Jesus! He is our Tabernacle, our All in All!
We would love for you to join us at this special event. For details on how
to register,
click here.
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Sam Nadler is director of Word of Messiah Ministries in Charlotte, N.C. This
article is reprinted
with permission from Word of Messiah's Shmooze Letter of July 2012.
Many other fine articles and other
features may
be found at Word of Messiah's website,
http://www.wordofmessiah.org.
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