Send this page to your friend! The annual holy days that were ordained by God, kept by the ancient Israelites and continue by Christians today are: Passover Feast of Unleavened Bread Pentecost Feast of Trumpets Day of Atonement Feast of Tabernacles Last Great Day These holy days fulfill the spiritual objective of being able to gather together as a church to worship God. They are "shadows of things to come" pointing to and outlining the substance of God's Great and Marvelous Plan of salvaton for all mankind. What follows is a brief summary of each holy day. Passover       Passover is considered one of the most important festivals for the Hebrew people. It is celebrated as a reminder of how God rescued the Hebrews out of slavery in Egypt. Read the story in Exodus 12. The name "Passover" comes from the way the death angel "passed over" the Israelite homes where the blood of the lamb had been sprinkled on the door posts. If there was no blood on the door post, the first born in the home would die. This was the tenth and final plague that God struck Egypt with.       Today, the Passover has a special meaning for Christians. Jesus Christ is the Passover lamb. He died and shed His blood for the sins of all mankind (1 Corinthians 5:7). At the Passover service each year there is a foot washing service (John 13:1-17). The bread and wine which Jesus instituted at His "Last Supper" are symbolic. The wine represents His shed blood. It also represents the New Covenant made between God and the Christian. The bread represents the body of Jesus which was torn and beaten for all mankind (John 6).       The Passover celebrated and commemorated God's deliverance of Israel from Egypt. Jesus' body and blood are now the true sacrifice of the Passover. Those who participate in this New Covenant are the people of God (Mark 14:22-23). Days of Unleavened Bread       The commandment instituting this feast was given prior to the Exodus from Egypt (Exodus 12:14-20). Jesus kept the Feast of Unleavened Bread (Luke 2:42-47). The feast is kept for seven days. The first and seventh day of the feast are sabbaths (Exodus 12:16; Leviticus 23:7-8; Numbers 28:25; Deuteronomy 16:80). Leaven is used to symbolize a number of things, good and bad. This festival represents a negative symbol which is sin (1 Corinthians 5:6-8). Unleavened Bread is to be eaten for seven days (Exodus 12:15). Putting leaven out of one's home pictures ridding one's life of sin. It also represents actively attempting to leave the sinful world (symbolic of Egypt). The positive act of eating Unleavened Bread represents one's desire to seek a sinless way of life in following God's laws.       Crossing the Red Sea is smbolic of baptism (1 Corinthians 10:1-2). Sometime during the Feast of Unleavened Bread Israel crossed the Red Sea. The newly converted finds it is not easy to leave the world just as it was not easy for the Israelites to leave Egypt. God does provide hlep at baptism through the receiving of His Holy Spirit. Pentecost       Pentecost is the anniversary of the founding of the New Testament church. This festival take place seven weeks plus one day after Passover. Pentecost means count fifty.       Pentecost begins God's plan of slavation for the world. Pentecost symbolizes the first small harvest of individual's through God's church (Exodus 23:16; 34:22; Numbers 28:26-31; Acts2). Feast of Trumpets       Trumpets were often used to signal war. They were used by the watchman to warn a sleepy population. The day represents the intervention of God and the return of Jesus Christ to set up the Kingdom of God on earth (Leviticus 23:23-25; Ezekiel 33:1-16; Revelation 11:15; 1 Thesalonians 4:16).       The Feast of Trumpets represents the resurrection of all who died in Christ and the change of all who will be living in Christ (1 Corinthians 15:52). Day of Atonement       The Day of Atonement symbolizes the reunion of man and God after Christ returns to earth and Satan is bound and no longer active. Satan will be chained and no longer allowed to deceive the world (Revelations 20:1-3). The Day of Atonement also represents the reuniting of God and man through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ for the sins of mankind. Feast of Tabernacles       This feast acts out the Millenium--the 1,000 years of Christ's reign on earth. The true harvest of mankind can now take place. There will be peace and happiness worldwide. Salvation will be made available to all. This harvest or ingathering will be far larger than the first one (Exodus 23:16; Leviticus 23:33-36; Numbers 29:12-32; John 7). Last Great Day       This day represents the time when all shall be resurrected and given a chance for salvation. This last great holy day pictures the greatest period of slavation for mankind--the Great White Throne Judgement (Revelation 20:11-15). Holy Day Calendar Year     New Testament Passover (at sundown) Feast of Unleavened Bread Pentecost Feast of Trumpets 2001 April 6 April 8-14 May 27 September 18 2002 March 26 March 28-April 3 May 19 September 7 2003 April 15 April 17-23 June 8 September 27 2004 April 4 April 6-12 May 30 September 16 2005 April 22 April 24-30 June 12 October 4    Year     Day of Atonement Feast of Tabernacles Last Great Day 2001 September 27 October 2-8 October 9 2002 September 16 September 21-27 September 28 2003 October 6 October 11-17 October 18 2004 September 25 Sept 30-Oct 6 October 7 2005 October 13 October 18-24 October 25