Feast Days: God's or Man's?

How were holidays substituted for Holy Days?

Most people are not familiar with God's festivals and Holy Days as given in the Bible, but Leviticus 23 lists and discusses all of them.

In verses 1 through 4 of Leviticus 23, God states in no uncertain terms that these days are His feast days and that they are holy convocations.

In Nehemiah 8:9And Nehemiah, which is the Tirshatha, and Ezra the priest the scribe, and the Levites that taught the people, said unto all the people, This day is holy unto the LORD your God; mourn not, nor weep. For all the people wept, when they heard the words of the law.
See All... Nehemiah, inspired by God, states strongly that these feast days are "holy to the LORD your God."

In 1 Corinthians 5:8Therefore let us keep the feast, not with old leaven, neither with the leaven of malice and wickedness; but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.
See All... the apostle Paul tells us directly that we are to keep the Feast of Unleavened Bread, which is one of God's feasts.

Kept in New Testament

Why do most people keep the holiday seasons they keep instead of those listed in the Bible? Luke 2:42And when he was twelve years old, they went up to Jerusalem after the custom of the feast.
See All... and John 7:10-11 [10] But when his brethren were gone up, then went he also up unto the feast, not openly, but as it were in secret.
[11] Then the Jews sought him at the feast, and said, Where is he?

See All... and John 7:37-39 [37] In the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried, saying, If any man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink.
[38] He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water.
[39] (But this spake he of the Spirit, which they that believe on him should receive: for the Holy Ghost was not yet given; because that Jesus was not yet glorified.)

See All... are only a few of many places where the Gospel writers spoke of Christ's observance of the biblical festivals.

A study of the New Testament also reveals that the early Church observed these days. Acts 2:1And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place.
See All... and 1 Corinthians 5:8Therefore let us keep the feast, not with old leaven, neither with the leaven of malice and wickedness; but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.
See All... show the original Christians keeping these days. The apostle Paul also kept them (Acts 18:21But bade them farewell, saying, I must by all means keep this feast that cometh in Jerusalem: but I will return again unto you, if God will. And he sailed from Ephesus.
See All...; Acts 20:16For Paul had determined to sail by Ephesus, because he would not spend the time in Asia: for he hasted, if it were possible for him, to be at Jerusalem the day of Pentecost.
See All...).

A cursory study into secular history demonstrates the same thing. The Encyclopaedia Britannica (13th edition), under the article "Festivals" states that it is "abundantly clear that Christ and His disciples observed the appointed Jewish feasts . . . Jewish Christians for the most part retained all the festivals which had been instituted under the old dispensation . . ."

The festivals, including the Sabbath, will be kept when Jesus Christ returns and begins to establish the kingdom of God.

This is made clear in Isaiah 66:23And it shall come to pass, that from one new moon to another, and from one sabbath to another, shall all flesh come to worship before me, saith the LORD.
See All...: "'And it shall come to pass that from one New Moon to another, and from one Sabbath to another, all flesh shall come to worship before Me,' says the LORD."

In Zechariah 14:16-19 [16] And it shall come to pass, that every one that is left of all the nations which came against Jerusalem shall even go up from year to year to worship the King, the LORD of hosts, and to keep the feast of tabernacles.
[17] And it shall be, that whoso will not come up of all the families of the earth unto Jerusalem to worship the King, the LORD of hosts, even upon them shall be no rain.
[18] And if the family of Egypt go not up, and come not, that have no rain; there shall be the plague, wherewith the LORD will smite the heathen that come not up to keep the feast of tabernacles.
[19] This shall be the punishment of Egypt, and the punishment of all nations that come not up to keep the feast of tabernacles.

See All..., God emphatically states that the world will eventually keep the Feast of Tabernacles or face dire consequences.

Why the change?

The Scriptures are clear that God commanded observance of these days, they were kept by Jesus Christ and the New Testament Church, and they will be kept in the future in God's kingdom. So what happened? Why are they almost universally ignored? Why don't people who claim to follow Christ keep the feasts He kept, the feasts of God?

Again, history provides the answers. Notice this passage from the book Heritage of the Past , page 402: "Constantine, though not baptized a Christian until on his deathbed, took an active interest in the religion, presiding over the important Council of Nicea, which defined the doctrine of the Trinity. During the fourth century, under imperial protection . . . the Christian religion in spite of considerable opposition to it throughout the empire, made rapid progress, even in the rural areas where the old gods had never altogether lost their appeal. When at the end of the century (A.D. 392), Theodosius I decreed that henceforth Christianity would be the only religion of the Roman Empire, the countryside perforce had to submit at least to the forms of Christianity.

"But it would have been difficult for any observer to detect much difference. Instead of the pagan deities, Christ was enthroned; instead of a pagan shrine, a church was erected, but it was clear that these folk knew little enough of the teachings or theology of Christianity, and the festivals and ceremonies of paganism for the most part were incorporated directly into the new official religion" (Stewart C. Easton, Heritage of the Past , Rinehart & Company, 1955).

Sad to say, this incorporation of pagan practices has been repeated through the ages as the truth of God has been exchanged for error.

Warnings from Scripture

Paul often warns of this: "For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine . . . and they will turn their ears away from the truth, and be turned aside to fables" (2 Timothy 4:3-4 [3] For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears;
[4] And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables.

See All...).

Paul also tells us, "Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God" (Romans 12:2And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.
See All...).

It is God's will that we keep His festivals instead of the practices that religious leaders have passed on to us from paganism. We must set our hearts to do those things that are pleasing to God, in spite of pressures to conform to this world.