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 The first instance on record is thirty-three years after they had withdrawn from themselves the divine protection by imbruing their hands in the Saviour's blood, when Cestius, the Roman general, slew fifty of the people of Lydda while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 the LORD called to him from the mountain, saying, Thus shalt thou say to the house of Jacob, and tell the children 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 a peculiar treasure to me above all people: 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 shalt speak to the children of Israel. And Moses came and called for the elders of the people, and laid before their faces all these words which the LORD commanded him. And all the people answered together, and said, All that the LORD hath spoken we will do. And Moses returned the words of the people to the LORD. And the LORD said to Moses, Lo, I come to thee in a thick cloud, that the people may hear when I speak with thee, and believe thee for ever. And Moses told the words of the people to the LORD. And the LORD said to Moses, Go to the people, and sanctify them to-day and to-morrow, and let them wash their clothes, And be ready against the third day: for on the third day the LORD will come down in the sight of all the people upon mount Sinai. And thou shalt set bounds to the people round about, saying, Take heed to yourselves, that ye go not up upon the mount, or touch the border of it: whoever toucheth the mount shall be surely put to death: There shall not a hand touch it, but he shall surely be stoned or shot through: whether it be beast or man, it shall not live: when the trumpet soundeth 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 clothes. And he said to the people, Be ready against the third day: come not at your wives. And it came to pass on the third day in the morning, that there were thunders and lightnings, and a thick cloud upon the mount, and the voice of the trumpet exceeding loud; so that all the people that were in the camp trembled. And Moses brought forth the people out of the camp to meet with God; and they stood at the nether part of the mount. And mount Sinai was altogether in a smoke, because the LORD descended upon it in fire: and the smoke of it ascended as the smoke of a furnace, and the whole mount trembled greatly. And when the voice of the trumpet sounded long, and grew louder and louder, Moses spoke, and God answered him by a voice. And the LORD came down upon mount Sinai, on the top of the mount: and the LORD called Moses to the top of the mount; and Moses went up. And the LORD said to Moses, Go down, charge the people, lest they break through to the LORD to gaze, and many of them perish. And let the priests also who come near to the LORD, sanctify themselves, lest the LORD break forth upon them. And Moses said to the LORD, The people cannot come up to mount Sinai: for thou chargedst us, saying, Set bounds about the mount, and sanctify it. And the LORD said to him, Away, go down, and thou shalt come up, thou, and Aaron with thee: But let not the priests and the people break through, to come up to the LORD, lest he break forth upon them. So Moses went down to the people, and spoke to them.
Remember the sabbath-day to keep it holy. Six days shalt thou labor, and do all thy work: read more. But the seventh day is the sabbath of the LORD thy God: in it thou shalt 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 the LORD made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested the seventh day: wherefore the LORD blessed the sabbath-day, and hallowed it.
And six years thou shalt sow thy land, and shalt gather in the fruits thereof: But the seventh year thou shalt let it rest and lie still; that the poor of thy people may eat: and what they leave, the beasts of the field shall eat. In like manner thou shalt deal with thy vineyard, and with thy olive-yard.
And thou shalt command the children of Israel, that they bring the pure olive-oil beaten for the light, to cause the lamp to burn always.
Now this is that which thou shalt offer upon the altar; two lambs of the first year, day by day continually. The one lamb thou shalt offer in the morning; and the other lamb thou shalt offer at evening. read more. And with the one lamb a tenth-portion of 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 shalt offer at evening, and shalt do thereto according to the meat-offering of the morning, and according to the drink-offering thereof, for a sweet savor, an offering made by fire to the LORD. This shall be a continual burnt-offering throughout your generations at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation before the LORD: where I will meet you to speak there to thee.
And Aaron shall burn upon it sweet incense every morning: when he dresseth the lamps, he shall burn incense upon it. And when Aaron lighteth the lamps at evening, he shall burn incense upon it; a perpetual incense before the LORD, throughout your generations. read more. Ye shall offer no strange incense upon it, nor burnt-sacrifice, nor meat-offering; neither shall ye pour drink-offering upon it.
Thrice in the year shall all your male children appear before the Lord GOD, the God of Israel. For I will drive out the nations before thee, and enlarge thy borders: neither shall any man desire thy land, when thou shalt go up to appear before the LORD thy God, thrice in the year.
And the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, Command Aaron and his sons, saying, This is the law of the burnt-offering: It is the burnt-offering, because of the burning upon the altar all night until the morning, and the fire of the altar shall be burning in it. read more. And the priest shall put on his linen garment, and his linen breeches shall he put upon his flesh, and take up the ashes which the fire hath consumed with the burnt-offering on the altar, and he shall put them beside the altar. And he shall put off his garments, and put on other garments, and carry forth the ashes without the camp to a clean place. And the fire upon the altar shall be burning on it; it shall not be extinguished: and the priest shall burn wood on it every morning, and lay the burnt-offering in order upon it; and he shall burn on it the fat of the peace-offerings. The fire shall ever be burning upon the altar; it shall never go out. And this is the law of the meat-offering: the sons of Aaron shall offer it before the LORD, before the altar. And he shall take of it his handful, of the flour of the meat-offering, and of the oil thereof, and all the frankincense which is upon the meat-offering, and shall burn it upon the altar for a sweet savor, even the memorial of it, to the LORD. And the remainder of it shall Aaron and his sons eat: with unleavened bread shall it be eaten in the holy place; in the court of the tabernacle of the congregation they shall eat it. It shall not be baked with leaven. I have given it to them for their portion of my offerings made by fire; It is most holy, as is the sin-offering, and as the trespass-offering. All the males among the children of Aaron shall eat of it. It shall be a statute for ever in your generations concerning the offerings of the LORD made by fire: every one that toucheth them shall be holy. And the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, This is the offering of Aaron and of his sons, which they shall offer to the LORD in the day when he is anointed; the tenth part of an ephah of fine flour for a meat-offering perpetual, half of it in the morning, and half of it at night. In a pan it shall be made with oil; and when it is baked, thou shalt bring it in: and the baked pieces of the meat-offering shalt thou offer for a sweet savor to the LORD. And the priest of his sons that is anointed in his stead shall offer it: it is a statute for ever to the LORD; it shall be wholly burnt. For every meat-offering for the priest shall be wholly burnt: it shall not be eaten.
And the LORD spoke to Moses after the death of the two sons of Aaron, when they offered before the LORD, and died:
And this shall be an everlasting statute to you, to make an atonement for the children of Israel for all their sins once a year. And he did as the LORD commanded Moses.
And the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, Speak to the children of Israel, and say to them, Concerning the feasts of the LORD, which ye shall proclaim to be holy convocations, even these are my feasts. read more. Six days shall work be done: but the seventh day is the sabbath of rest, a holy convocation: ye shall do no work in it: it is the sabbath of the LORD in all your dwellings.
And the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, Also on the tenth day of this seventh month there shall be a day of atonement; it shall be a holy convocation to you, and ye shall afflict your souls, and offer an offering made by fire to the LORD. read more. And ye shall do no work in that same day; for it is a day of atonement, to make an atonement for you before the LORD your God. For whatever soul it may be that shall not be afflicted in that same day, he shall be cut off from among his people. And whatever soul it may be that doeth any work in that same day, the same soul will I destroy from among his people. Ye shall do no manner of work. It shall be a statute for ever throughout your generations in all your dwellings. It shall be to you a sabbath of rest, and ye shall afflict your souls in the ninth day of the month at evening: from evening to evening shall ye celebrate your sabbath.
Speak to the children of Israel, and say to them, When ye come into the land which I give you, then shall the land keep a sabbath to the LORD. Six years thou shalt sow thy field, and six years thou shalt prune thy vineyard, and gather in the fruit thereof; read more. But in the seventh year shall be a sabbath of rest to the land, a sabbath for the LORD: thou shalt neither sow thy field, nor prune thy vineyard. That which groweth of its own accord of thy harvest, thou shalt not reap, neither gather the grapes of thy vine undressed: for it is a year of rest to the land. And the sabbath of the land shall be food for you; for thee, and for thy servant, and for thy maid, and for thy hired servant, and for thy stranger that sojourneth with thee, And for thy cattle, and for the beast that are in thy land, shall all the increase of it be food.
And the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, Command the children of Israel, and say to them, My offering, and my bread for my sacrifices made by fire, for a sweet savor to me, shall ye observe to offer to me in their due season. read more. And thou shalt say to them, This is the offering made by fire which ye shall offer to the LORD; two lambs of the first year without spot day by day, for a continual burnt-offering. The one lamb shalt thou offer in the morning, and the other lamb shalt thou offer at evening. And a tenth part of an ephah of flour for a meat-offering, mingled with a fourth part of a hin of beaten oil. It is a continual burnt-offering, which was ordained in mount Sinai for a sweet savor, a sacrifice made by fire to the LORD. And the drink-offering of it shall be the fourth part of a hin for the one lamb: in the holy place shalt thou cause the strong wine to be poured to the LORD for a drink-offering. And the other lamb shalt thou offer at evening; as the meat-offering of the morning, and as the drink-offering of it, thou shalt offer it, a sacrifice made by fire, of a sweet savor to the LORD.
And in the beginnings of your months ye shall offer a burnt-offering to the LORD; two young bullocks, and one ram, seven lambs of the first year without spot; And three tenth-parts of flour for a meat-offering, mingled with oil, for one bullock; and two tenth-parts of flour for a meat-offering, mingled with oil, for one ram; read more. And a several tenth-part of flour mingled with oil for a meat-offering to one lamb, for a burnt-offering of a sweet savor, a sacrifice made by fire to the LORD. And their drink-offering shall be half a hin of wine to a bullock, and the third part of a hin to a ram, and a fourth part of a hin to a lamb: this is the burnt-offering of every month throughout the months of the year. And one kid of the goats for a sin-offering to the LORD shall be offered, besides the continual burnt-offering, and his drink-offering.
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 the trumpets to you. And ye shall offer a burnt-offering for a sweet savor to the LORD; one young bullock, one ram, and seven lambs of the first year without blemish: read more. And their meat-offering shall be of flour mingled with oil, three tenth-parts for a bullock, and two tenth-parts for a ram, And one tenth-part for one lamb, throughout the seven lambs: And one kid of the goats for a sin-offering, to make an atonement for you: Besides the burnt-offering of the month, and his meat-offering, and the daily burnt-offering, and his meat-offering, and their drink-offerings, according to their manner, for a sweet savor, a sacrifice made by fire to the LORD. And ye shall have on the tenth day of this seventh month a holy convocation; and ye shall afflict your souls: in it ye shall not do any work. But ye shall offer a burnt-offering to the LORD for a sweet savor; one young bullock, one ram, and seven lambs of the first year; they shall be to you without blemish: And their meat-offering shall be of flour mingled with oil, three tenth-parts to a bullock, and two tenth-parts to one ram, A several tenth-part for one lamb, throughout the seven lambs: One kid of the goats for a sin-offering; besides the sin-offering of atonement, and the continual burnt-offering, and the meat-offering of it, and their drink-offerings.
And thou shalt offer peace-offerings, and shalt eat there, and rejoice before the LORD thy God.
And Nehemiah, who is the Tirshatha, and Ezra the priest, the scribe, and the Levites that taught the people, said to all the people, This day is holy to the LORD your God; mourn not, nor weep. For all the people wept, when they heard the words of the law. Then he said to them, Go your way, eat the fat, and drink the sweet, and send portions to them for whom nothing is prepared: for this day is holy to our Lord: neither be ye sad; for the joy of the LORD is your strength. read more. So the Levites stilled all the people, saying, Hold your peace, 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 devised against the Jews to destroy them, and had cast Pur, that is, the lot, to consume them, and to destroy them; But when Esther came before the king, he commanded by letters that his wicked device, which he devised against the Jews, should return upon his own head, and that he and his sons should be hanged on the gallows. read more. Wherefore they called these days Purim after the name of Pur. Therefore for all the words of this letter, and of that which they had seen concerning this matter, and 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 as it should not fail, that they would keep these two days according to their writing, and according to their appointed time every year; 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 memorial of them perish from their seed. 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 the letters to all the Jews, to the hundred twenty and seven provinces of the kingdom of Ahasuerus, with words of peace and truth, To confirm these days of Purim in their times appointed, according as Mordecai the Jew and Esther the queen had enjoined them, and as they had decreed for themselves and for their seed, the matters of the fastings and their cry. And the decree of Esther confirmed these matters of Purim; and it was written in the book.
Now his parents went to Jerusalem every year at the feast of the passover.
After this there was a feast of the Jews: and Jesus went up to Jerusalem.
And it was at Jerusalem the feast of the dedication, and it was winter.