Reference: Festivals, Religious
Easton
There were daily (Le 23), weekly, monthly, and yearly festivals, and great stress was laid on the regular observance of them in every particular (Nu 28:1-8; Ex 29:38-42; Le 6:8-23; Ex 30:7-9; 27:20).
(1.) The septenary festivals were,
(a) The weekly Sabbath (Le 23:1-3; Ex 19:3-25; 20:8-11; 31:12, etc.).
(b) The seventh new moon, or the feast of Trumpets (Nu 28:11-15; 29:1-6).
(c) The Sabbatical year (Ex 23:10-11; Le 25:2-7).
(d) The year of jubilee (Le 23-27; 25:1; 8-16; 27:16-25).
(2.) The great feasts were,
(a) The Passover. (b) The feast of Pentecost, or of weeks. (c) The feast of Tabernacles, or of ingathering.
On each of these occasions every male Israelite was commanded "to appear before the Lord" (De 27:7; Ne 8:9-12). The attendance of women was voluntary. (Comp. Lu 2:41; 1Sa 1:7; 2:19.) The promise that God would protect their homes (Ex 34:23-24) while all the males were absent in Jerusalem at these feasts was always fulfilled. "During the whole period between Moses and Christ we never read of an enemy invading the land at the time of the three festivals. The first instance on record is thirty-three years after they had withdrawn from themselves the divine protection by imbruing their hands in the Saviour's blood, when Cestius, the Roman general, slew fifty of the people of Lydda while all the rest had gone up to the feast of Tabernacles, A.D. 66."
These festivals, besides their religious purpose, had an important bearing on the maintenance among the people of the feeling of a national unity. The times fixed for their observance were arranged so as to interfere as little as possible with the industry of the people. The Passover was kept just before the harvest commenced, Pentecost at the conclusion of the corn harvest and before the vintage, the feast of Tabernacles after all the fruits of the ground had been gathered in.
(3.) The Day of Atonement, the tenth day of the seventh month (Le 16:1,34; 23:26-32; Nu 29:7-11). (See Atonement, Day of.)
Of the post-Exilian festivals reference is made to the feast of Dedication (Joh 10:22). This feast was appointed by Judas Maccabaeus in commemoration of the purification of the temple after it had been polluted by Antiochus Epiphanes. The "feast of Purim" (q.v.), Es 9:24-32, was also instituted after the Exile. (Cf. Joh 5:1.)
See Verses Found in Dictionary
And Moses went up to God. And LORD called to him out of the mountain, saying, Thus thou shall say to the house of Jacob, and tell the sons of Israel: Ye have seen what I did to the Egyptians, and how I bore you on eagles' wings, and brought you to myself. read more. Now therefore, if ye will obey my voice indeed, and keep my covenant, then ye shall be my own possession from among all peoples, for all the earth is mine, and ye shall be to me a kingdom of priests, and a holy nation. These are the words which thou shall speak to the sons of Israel. And Moses came and called for the elders of the people, and set before them all these words which LORD commanded him. And all the people answered together, and said, All that LORD has spoken we will do. And Moses reported the words of the people to LORD. And LORD said to Moses, Lo, I come to thee in a thick cloud, that the people may hear when I speak with thee, and may also believe thee forever. And Moses told the words of the people to LORD. And LORD said to Moses, Go to the people, and sanctify them today and tomorrow, and let them wash their garments, and be ready for the third day, for the third day LORD will come down in the sight of all the people upon mount Sinai. And thou shall set bounds to the people round about, saying, Take heed to yourselves, that ye not go up onto the mount, or touch the border of it. Whoever touches the mount shall be surely put to death; no hand shall touch him, but he shall surely be stoned, or shot through, whether it be beast or man, he shall not live. When the trumpet sounds long, they shall come up to the mount. And Moses went down from the mount to the people, and sanctified the people, and they washed their garments. And he said to the people, Be ready for the third day. Come not near a woman. And it came to pass on the third day, when it was morning, that there were thunders and lightnings, and a thick cloud upon the mount, and the voice of an exceedingly loud trumpet. And all the people who were in the camp trembled. And Moses brought forth the people out of the camp to meet God, and they stood at the lower part of the mount. And mount Sinai, the whole of it, smoked, because LORD descended upon it in fire, and the smoke of it ascended as the smoke of a furnace. And the whole mount quaked greatly. And when the voice of the trumpet grew louder and louder, Moses spoke, and God answered him by a voice. And LORD came down upon mount Sinai, to the top of the mount. And LORD called Moses to the top of the mount, and Moses went up. And LORD said to Moses, Go down, command the people, lest they break through to LORD to gaze, and many of them perish. And let the priests also, who come near to LORD, sanctify themselves, lest LORD break forth upon them. And Moses said to LORD, The people cannot come up to mount Sinai, for thou commanded us, saying, Set bounds about the mount, and sanctify it. And LORD said to him, Go, get thee down. And thou shall come up, thou, and Aaron with thee, but do not let the priests and the people break through to come up to LORD, lest he break forth upon them. So Moses went down to the people, and told them.
Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days thou shall labor, and do all thy work, read more. but the seventh day is a Sabbath to LORD thy God. Thou shall not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy man-servant, nor thy maid-servant, nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates, for in six days LORD made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested the seventh day. Therefore LORD blessed the Sabbath day, and hallowed it.
And six years thou shall sow thy land, and shall gather in the increase of it, but the seventh year thou shall let it rest and lay fallow, that the poor of thy people may eat, and what they leave the beast of the field shall eat. In like manner thou shall deal with thy vineyard, [and] with thy oliveyard.
And thou shall command the sons of Israel, that they bring to thee pure beaten olive oil for the light, to cause a lamp to burn continually
Now this is that which thou shall offer upon the altar: two lambs a year old day by day continually. The one lamb thou shall offer in the morning, and the other lamb thou shall offer at evening. read more. And with the one lamb a tenth part [of an ephah] of fine flour mingled with the fourth part of a hin of beaten oil, and the fourth part of a hin of wine for a drink-offering. And the other lamb thou shall offer at evening, and shall do thereto according to the meal-offering of the morning, and according to the drink-offering of it, for a sweet savor, an offering made by fire to LORD. It shall be a continual burnt-offering throughout your generations at the door of the tent of meeting before LORD, where I will meet with you, to speak to thee there.
And Aaron shall burn in it incense of sweet spices. Every morning, when he dresses the lamps, he shall burn it. And when Aaron lights the lamps at evening, he shall burn it, a perpetual incense before LORD throughout your generations. read more. Ye shall offer no strange incense on it, nor burnt-offering, nor meal-offering. And ye shall pour no drink-offering on it.
Three times in the year all thy males shall appear before lord LORD, the God of Israel. For I will cast out nations before thee, and enlarge thy borders. Neither shall any man desire thy land, when thou go up to appear before LORD thy God three times in the year.
And LORD spoke to Moses, saying, Command Aaron and his sons, saying, This is the law of the burnt-offering: The burnt-offering shall be on the hearth upon the altar all night to the morning, and the fire of the altar shall be kept burning on it. read more. And the priest shall put on his linen garment, and he shall put his linen breeches upon his flesh, and he shall take up the ashes of the fire which has consumed the burnt-offering on the altar, and he shall put them beside the alta And he shall put off his garments, and put on other garments, and carry forth the ashes outside the camp to a clean place. And the fire upon the altar shall be kept burning on it; it shall not go out. And the priest shall burn wood on it every morning, and he shall lay the burnt-offering in order upon it, and shall burn the fat of the peace-offerings o Fire shall be kept burning upon the altar continually; it shall not go out. And this is the law of the meal-offering: The sons of Aaron shall offer it before LORD, before the altar. And he shall take up his handful from it, of the fine flour of the meal-offering, and of the oil of it, and all the frankincense which is upon the meal-offering, and shall burn it upon the altar for a sweet savor, as the memorial o And that which is left of it Aaron and his sons shall eat. It shall be eaten without leaven in a holy place. They shall eat it in the court of the tent of meeting. It shall not be baked with leaven. I have given it as their portion of my offerings made by fire, it is most holy, as the sin-offering, and as the trespass-offering. Every male among the sons of Aaron shall eat of it, as a portion forever throughout your generations, from the offerings of LORD made by fire. Whoever touches them shall be holy. And LORD spoke to Moses, saying, This is the oblation of Aaron and of his sons, which they shall offer to LORD in the day when he is anointed: the tenth part of an ephah of fine flour for a meal-offering perpetually, half of it in the morning, and half of it in th It shall be made with oil on a baking-pan. Thou shall bring it in when it is soaked. Thou shall offer the meal-offering in baked pieces for a sweet savor to LORD. And the anointed priest who shall be in his stead from among his sons shall offer it. It shall be wholly burnt to LORD by a statute forever. And every meal-offering of the priest shall be wholly burnt; it shall not be eaten.
And LORD spoke to Moses, after the death of the two sons of Aaron, when they drew near before LORD, and died,
And this shall be an everlasting statute to you, to make atonement for the sons of Israel because of all their sins once in the year. And he did as LORD commanded Moses.
And LORD spoke to Moses, saying, Speak to the sons of Israel, and say to them, The set feasts of LORD, which ye shall proclaim to be holy convocations, even these are my set feasts. read more. Six days shall work be done, but on the seventh day is a Sabbath of solemn rest, a holy convocation. Ye shall do no manner of work. It is a Sabbath to LORD in all your dwellings.
And LORD spoke to Moses, saying, However on the tenth day of this seventh month is the day of atonement. It shall be a holy convocation to you, and ye shall afflict your souls, and ye shall offer an offering made by fire to LORD. read more. And ye shall do no manner of work in that same day, for it is a day of atonement, to make atonement for you before LORD your God. For whatever soul it be who shall not be afflicted in that same day, he shall be cut off from his people. And whatever soul it be who does any manner of work in that same day, that soul I will destroy from among his people. Ye shall do no manner of work. It is a statute forever throughout your generations in all your dwellings. It shall be to you a Sabbath of solemn rest, and ye shall afflict your souls. In the ninth day of the month at evening, from evening to evening, ye shall keep your Sabbath.
Speak to the sons of Israel, and say to them, When ye come into the land which I give you, then shall the land keep a Sabbath to LORD. Six years thou shall sow thy field, and six years thou shall prune thy vineyard, and gather in the fruits of it, read more. but in the seventh year shall be a Sabbath of solemn rest for the land, a Sabbath to LORD. Thou shall neither sow thy field, nor prune thy vineyard. That which grows of itself of thy harvest thou shall not reap, and the grapes of thy undressed vine thou shall not gather. It shall be a year of solemn rest for the land. And the Sabbath of the land shall be for food for you: for thee, and for thy servant and for thy maid, and for thy hired servant and for thy stranger, who sojourns with thee. And for thy cattle, and for the beasts that are in thy land, all the increase of it shall be for food.
And LORD spoke to Moses, saying, Command the sons of Israel, and say to them, My oblation, my food for my offerings made by fire, of a sweet savor to me, ye shall observe to offer to me in their due season. read more. And thou shall say to them, This is the offering made by fire which ye shall offer to LORD: he-lambs a year old without blemish, two day by day, for a continual burnt-offering. The one lamb thou shall offer in the morning, and the other lamb thou shall offer at evening, and the tenth part of an ephah of fine flour for a meal-offering, mingled with the fourth part of a hin of beaten oil. It is a continual burnt-offering, which was ordained on mount Sinai for a sweet savor, an offering made by fire to LORD. And the drink-offering of it shall be the fourth part of a hin for the one lamb. In the holy place thou shall pour out a drink-offering of strong drink to LORD. And the other lamb thou shall offer at evening. As the meal-offering of the morning, and as the drink-offering of it, thou shall offer it, an offering made by fire, of a sweet savor to LORD.
And in the beginnings of your months ye shall offer a burnt-offering to LORD: two young bullocks, and one ram, seven he-lambs a year old without blemish, and three tenth parts [of an ephah] of fine flour for a meal-offering, mingled with oil for each bullock, and two tenth parts of fine flour for a meal-offering, mingled with oil for the one ram, read more. and a tenth part of fine flour mingled with oil for a meal-offering to every lamb, for a burnt-offering of a sweet savor, an offering made by fire to LORD. And their drink-offerings shall be half a hin of wine for a bullock, and the third part of a hin for the ram, and the fourth part of a hin for a lamb. This is the burnt-offering of every month throughout the months of the year. And one he-goat for a sin-offering to LORD, it shall be offered besides the continual burnt-offering, and the drink-offering of it.
And in the seventh month, on the first day of the month, ye shall have a holy convocation. Ye shall do no servile work. It is a day of blowing of trumpets to you. And ye shall offer a burnt-offering for a sweet savor to LORD: one young bullock, one ram, seven he-lambs a year old without blemish, read more. and their meal-offering, fine flour mingled with oil, three tenth parts for the bullock, two tenth parts for the ram, and one tenth part for every lamb of the seven lambs, and one he-goat for a sin-offering, to make atonement for you, besides the burnt-offering of the new moon, and the meal-offering of it, and the continual burnt-offering and the meal-offering of it, and their drink-offerings, according to their ordinance, for a sweet savor, an offering made by And on the tenth day of this seventh month ye shall have a holy convocation, and ye shall afflict your souls. Ye shall do no manner of work. But ye shall offer a burnt-offering to LORD for a sweet savor: one young bullock, one ram, seven he-lambs a year old (they shall be to you without blemish), and their meal-offering, fine flour mingled with oil, three tenth parts for the bullock, two tenth parts for the one ram, a tenth part for every lamb of the seven lambs, one he-goat for a sin-offering, besides the sin-offering of atonement, and the continual burnt-offering, and the meal-offering of it, and their drink-offerings.
And thou shall sacrifice peace-offerings, and shall eat there, and thou shall rejoice before LORD thy God.
And Nehemiah, who was the governor, and Ezra the priest the scribe, and the Levites who taught the people, said to all the people, This day is holy to LORD your God; do not mourn nor weep. For all the people wept when they heard th Then he said to them, Go your way, eat fat things, and drink sweet things, and send portions to him for whom nothing is prepared. For this day is holy to our LORD; neither be ye grieved, for the joy of LORD is your strength. read more. So the Levites quieted all the people, saying, Be silent, for the day is holy, neither be ye grieved. And all the people went their way to eat, and to drink, and to send portions, and to make great mirth, because they had understood the words that were declared to them.
because Haman the son of Hammedatha, the Agagite, the enemy of all the Jews, had plotted against the Jews to destroy them, and had cast Pur, that is the lot, to consume them, and to destroy them. But when [the matter] came before the king, he commanded by letters that his wicked device, which he had devised against the Jews, should return upon his own head, and that he and his sons should be hanged on the gallows. read more. Therefore they called these days Purim, after the name of Pur. Therefore because of all the words of this letter, and of that which they had seen concerning this matter, and that which had come to them, the Jews ordained, and took upon them, and upon their seed, and upon all such as joined themselves to them, so that it should not fail, that they would keep these two days according to the writing of it, and according to the appoin And that these days should be remembered and kept throughout every generation, every family, every province, and every city, and that these days of Purim should not fail from among the Jews, nor the remembrance of them perish from Then Esther the queen, the daughter of Abihail, and Mordecai the Jew, wrote with all authority to confirm this second letter of Purim. And he sent letters to all the Jews, to the hundred twenty-seven provinces of the kingdom of Ahasuerus, [with] words of peace and truth, to confirm these days of Purim in their appointed times, according as Mordecai the Jew and Esther the queen had enjoined them, and as they had ordained for themselves and for their seed in the matter of the fastings and their cry. And the commandment of Esther confirmed these matters of Purim, and it was written in the book.
And his parents went to Jerusalem every year at the feast of the Passover.
After these things there was a feast of the Jews, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem.
And the feast of the dedication happened at Jerusalem, and it was winter.