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 The first instance on record is thirty-three years after they had withdrawn from themselves the divine protection by imbruing their hands in the Saviour's blood, when Cestius, the Roman general, slew fifty of the people of Lydda while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 Yahweh called to him from the mountain, saying, "Thus you will say to the house of Jacob and you will tell the {Israelites}, 'You yourselves have seen what I did to Egypt and [how] I bore you on eagles' wings and I brought you to me. read more. And now if you will carefully listen to my voice and keep my covenant, you will be a treasured possession for me out of all the peoples, {for all the earth is mine}, but you, you will [belong] to me [as] a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.' These are the words that you will speak to the {Israelites}." And Moses came and called the elders of the people, and he placed before them all these words that Yahweh had commanded him. And all the people together answered and said, "All that Yahweh has spoken we will do." And Moses brought back the words of the people to Yahweh. And Yahweh said to Moses, "Look, I [am going to] come to you in {a thick cloud} in order that the people will hear when I speak with you and will also trust in you forever." And Moses told the words of the people to Yahweh. And Yahweh said to Moses, "Go to the people and consecrate them today and tomorrow. They must wash their clothes, and they must be prepared for the third day, because on the third day, Yahweh will go down on Mount Sinai before the eyes of all the people. And you must set limits [for] the people all around, saying, 'Guard yourselves {against} going up to the mountain and touching its edge. Anyone touching the mountain will certainly be put to death. Not a hand will touch it, because he will certainly be stoned or certainly be shot; whether an animal or a man, he will not live.' At the blowing of the ram's horn they may go up to the mountain." And Moses went down from the mountain to the people, and he consecrated the people, and they washed their clothes. And he said to the people, "Be ready {for the third day}. Do not go near to a woman." {And} on the third day, when it was morning, there was thunder and lightning, and a heavy cloud over the mountain and a very loud ram's horn sound, and all the people who [were] in the camp trembled. And Moses brought the people out from the camp to meet God, and they took their stand at the foot of the mountain. And Mount Sinai was all wrapped in smoke because Yahweh went down on it in the fire, and its smoke went up like the smoke of a smelting furnace, and the whole mountain trembled greatly. And the sound of the ram's horn became {louder and louder}, and Moses would speak, and God would answer him with a voice. And Yahweh went down on Mount Sinai, to the top of the mountain, and Yahweh called Moses to the top of the mountain, and Moses went up. And Yahweh said to Moses, "Go down, warn the people, lest they break through to Yahweh to see and many from them fall. And even the priests who come near Yahweh must consecrate themselves, lest Yahweh break out against them." And Moses said to Yahweh, "The people are not able to go up to Mount Sinai, because you yourself warned us, saying, 'Set limits [around] the mountain and consecrate it.'" And Yahweh said to him, "Go, go down, and come up, you and Aaron with you and the priests, but the people must not break through to go up to Yahweh, lest he break out against them." And Moses went down to the people, and he told them.
"Remember the day of the Sabbath, to consecrate it. Six days you will work, and you will do all your work. read more. But the seventh day [is] a Sabbath for Yahweh your God; you will not do any work--you or your son or your daughter, your male slave or your female slave, or your animal, or your alien who [is] in your gates-- because [in] six days Yahweh made the heavens and the earth, the sea and all that [is] in them, and on the seventh day he rested. Therefore Yahweh blessed the seventh day and consecrated it.
" 'And six years you will sow your land and gather its yield. But the seventh you will let it rest and leave it fallow, and the poor of your people will eat, and their remainder the animals of the field will eat. You will do likewise for your vineyard and for your olive trees.
"And you will command the {Israelites}, and they will bring to you pure, beaten olive oil for the light, to cause a lamp to burn continually.
"And this is what you shall offer on the altar: Two {one-year-old} male lambs {every day} continually. The first lamb you will offer in the morning, and the second lamb you will offer {at twilight}. read more. And a tenth of finely milled flour mixed with a fourth of a hin of beaten oil, and a fourth of a hin of wine as a libation with the first lamb. And the second lamb you will offer {at twilight}; you will offer a grain offering and its libation like that of the morning for a fragrance of appeasement, an offering made by fire for Yahweh. [It will be] a burnt offering of continuity throughout your generations [at] the entrance of the tent of assembly before Yahweh, where I will meet with you to speak to you there.
"And on it Aaron will turn fragrant incense into smoke; {each morning} when he tends the lamps, he will turn it into smoke. And when Aaron sets up the lamps {at twilight}, he will turn it into smoke--incense of continuity--before Yahweh throughout your generations. read more. You will not offer on it strange incense or a burnt offering or a grain offering, and you will not pour a libation on it.
Three times in the year all your males will appear before the Lord, Yahweh, the God of Israel, because I will evict nations before you, and I will enlarge your territory, and no one will covet your land when you go up to appear before Yahweh your God three times in the year.
Then Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying, "Command Aaron and his sons, saying, 'This [is] the regulation of the burnt offering: {The burnt offering must remain on the hearth} on the altar all night until the morning, and the altar's fire must be kept burning on it. read more. And the priest shall put on his linen robe, and he must put his linen undergarments on his body, and he shall take away the fatty ashes [of] the burnt offering that the fire has consumed on the altar, and he shall place them beside the altar. And he shall take off his garments and put on other garments, and he shall bring out the fatty ashes {outside the camp} to a ceremonially clean place, but the fire on the altar must be kept burning on it; it must not be quenched. And the priest must burn wood {every morning} on it, and he shall arrange the burnt offering on it, and he shall turn into smoke the fat portions of the fellowship offerings on it. A perpetual fire must be kept burning on the altar; it must not be quenched. " 'And this [is] the regulation of the grain offering. Aaron's sons shall present it {before} Yahweh {in front of} the altar, and he in his fist shall take away from it {some of} the grain offering's finely milled flour, and {some of} its oil and all of the frankincense that [is] on the grain offering, and he shall turn into smoke its token portion on the altar [as] an appeasing fragrance to Yahweh. And Aaron and his sons must eat the remainder of it; they must eat it [as] unleavened bread in a holy place--in the tent of assembly's courtyard they must eat it. It must not be baked [with] yeast. I have given it [as] their share from my offerings made by fire. It [is] {a most holy thing}, like the sin offering and like the guilt offering. Every male among Aaron's sons may eat it [as] a lasting rule among your generations from the offerings made by fire {belonging to} Yahweh. Anything that touches them will become holy.'" Then Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying, "This is the offering of Aaron and his sons that they shall present to Yahweh on the day of his being anointed: a tenth of an ephah of finely milled flour [as] a perpetual grain offering, half of it in the morning and half of it in the evening. It must be made in oil on a flat baking pan; you must bring it well-mixed; you must present pieces of a grain offering's baked goods [as] an appeasing fragrance to Yahweh. And the anointed priest [taking] his place from [among] his sons must do it. [As] a lasting rule, it must be turned into smoke totally for Yahweh. And every grain offering of a priest must be a whole burnt offering; it must not be eaten."
Then Yahweh spoke to Moses after the death of Aaron's two sons, when they had come near {before} Yahweh and they died.
And this shall be {a lasting statute} for you to make atonement for the {Israelites} one time in a year from all their sins."
Then Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying, "Speak to the {Israelites}, and say to them, 'The festivals of Yahweh that you shall proclaim [are] holy assemblies; these [are] my appointed times. read more. " '[For] six days work is to be done, and on the seventh day [shall be] {a Sabbath of complete rest}, a holy assembly; you shall not do any work; it [shall be] a Sabbath for Yahweh in all your dwellings.
Then Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying, "Surely the Day of Atonement [is] on the tenth [day] of the seventh month; it shall be a holy assembly for you, and you shall deny yourselves, and you shall present an offering made by fire to Yahweh. read more. And you must not do {any regular work} on {this very same day}, because it [is] the Day of Atonement to make atonement for you {before} Yahweh your God. If [there is] any person who does not deny [himself] on {this very same day}, then he shall be cut off from his people. As for any person who does any work on {this very same day}, I will exterminate that person from the midst of his people. You must not do any work; [it is] a {lasting statute} throughout your generations in all your dwellings. It [is] {a Sabbath of complete rest} for you, and you shall deny yourselves on the ninth [day] of the month in the evening--from evening to evening you must observe your [extraordinary] Sabbath."
"Speak to the {Israelites}, and say to them, 'When you come into the land that I [am about to] give to you, then the land shall observe a Sabbath for Yahweh. Six years you shall sow your field, and six years you shall prune your vineyard, and you shall gather its yield. read more. But in the seventh year it shall be {a Sabbath of complete rest} for the land--a Sabbath for Yahweh; you must not sow your field, and you must not prune your vineyard. You must not reap your harvest's aftergrowth, and you must not harvest the grapes of your unpruned vines--it shall be {a year of complete rest} for the land. And a Sabbath of the land shall be for food for you: for you and for your slave and for your slave woman and for your hired worker and for your temporary residents who are dwelling as aliens with you; and all its yield shall be for your domestic animal and for the wild animal, which [are] in your land to eat.
Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying, "Command the {Israelites} and say to them, '{You will be careful to present} my offering, my food of my offerings made by fire, of a fragrance of appeasement to me, at its appointed time.' read more. You will say to them, 'This [is] the offering made by fire that you will offer to Yahweh: two male lambs without defect {in their first year} as a continual burnt offering each day. You will offer one male lamb in the morning, and the second male lamb you will offer {at twilight}, and a tenth of an ephah of finely milled flour as a grain offering, mixed with a fourth of a measure of beaten oil. It is a continual burnt offering that was {ordained} on Mount Sinai as a fragrance of appeasement, an offering made by fire for Yahweh. The libation with it [will be] a fourth of a liquid measure for each male lamb; in the sanctuary you will pour out the libation of fermented drink for Yahweh. And the second male lamb you will offer {at twilight}; as the grain offering of the morning and as its libation you will offer it, an offering made by fire, a fragrance of appeasement for Yahweh.
" 'And at the beginning of each of your months, you will present a burnt offering for Yahweh: two bulls and one ram, seven male lambs without defect {in their first year}; and three-tenths of finely milled flour mixed with oil [for] a grain offering, for each bull; and two-tenths of finely milled flour mixed with oil [for] a grain offering for the one ram; read more. and a tenth of finely milled flour mixed with oil [as] a grain offering for each male lamb, for a burnt offering of a fragrance of appeasement, an offering of fire for Yahweh. Their libations will be half a liquid measure of wine for the bull and a third of a liquid measure of wine for the ram and a fourth of a liquid measure of wine for the male lamb; this [is] the burnt offering for every month for the months of the year. And one male goat as a sin offering for Yahweh; it will be offered in addition to the continual burnt offering and its libation.
" 'On the seventh month, on the first day of the month, you will have a holy convocation; {you will not do any regular work}. It will be a day for you of blowing trumpets. You will offer a burnt offering as a fragrance of appeasement for Yahweh: one bull, one ram, [and] seven male lambs {in their first year}; they will be without defect. read more. Their grain offering will be finely milled flour mixed with oil: three-tenths for the bull, two-tenths for the ram; and one-tenth for each of the seven male lambs; with one male goat for a sin offering, to make atonement for you, in addition to the burnt offering of the new moon and its grain offering, the continual burnt offering and its grain offering, and their libations, according to their stipulations, as a fragrance of appeasement by fire for Yahweh. " 'And on the tenth of this seventh month you will have a holy convocation, and {you will afflict yourselves}; you will not do any work. You will present a burnt offering for Yahweh, a fragrance of appeasement: one bull, one ram, seven male lambs {in their first year}; they will be without defect. And their grain offering [will be of] finely milled flour mixed with oil: three-tenths for the bull, two-tenths for the one ram, one-tenth for each of the seven male lambs; one male goat for a sin offering, in addition to the sin offering of atonement and the continual burnt offering and its grain offering, and their libations.
And you shall sacrifice fellowship offerings, and you shall eat [them] there, and you shall rejoice {before} Yahweh your God.
Nehemiah the governor, Ezra the priest and scribe, and the Levites who taught the people said to all of the people, "This day is holy to Yahweh your God. Do not mourn nor weep." For all of the people wept when they heard the words of the law. Then he said to them, "Go, eat festive food and drink sweet drinks, and send a share to those for whom nothing is prepared; for this day is holy to our lord. Do not be grieved because the joy of Yahweh is your refuge." read more. So the Levites silenced all of the people, saying, "Silence, for this day is holy. Do not be grieved." All of the people went to eat, to drink, to send a share, and to have great joy because they understood the words that they had made known to them.
For Haman the son of Hammedatha the Agagite, the enemy of all the Jews had plotted against the Jews to destroy them, and he had cast pur, that [is] the lot, to rout them out and destroy them. But when it came {to the attention of} the king, he {gave orders in writing} [that] his evil plot that he had devised against the Jews should return on his head, and they hung him and his sons on the gallows. read more. Therefore they called these days Purim, because of the name Pur. Thus because of all the words of this letter, and of what they faced concerning this, and of what had happened to them, the Jews established and adopted [it] for themselves and for their offspring, and for all who joined them. They did not neglect {to observe} these two days every year as it was written and appointed to them. These days [are] to be remembered and [are] to be kept in every generation, and in family, province, and city; and these days of Purim are not [to be] neglected among the Jews, and their memory shall not come to an end among their offspring. So Queen Esther the daughter of Abihail and Mordecai the Jew wrote in full authority to confirm this second letter of Purim. He sent letters of words of peace and truth to all the Jews, to the one hundred and twenty-seven provinces of Ahasuerus' kingdom, to establish these days of Purim at their appointed times, just as Mordecai the Jew and Queen Esther had imposed, and just as they had imposed on themselves and their offspring regulations of the fast and their lament. And the command of Esther established these practices of Purim, and [it was] written on the scroll.
After these [things] [there] was a feast of the Jews, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem.
Then the feast of the Dedication took place in Jerusalem. It was winter,