Holy Days and Celebrations, Again Quiz

Answer: Passover

"Therefore when Pilate heard these words, he brought Jesus out, and sat down on the judgment seat at a place called The Pavement, but in Hebrew, Gabbatha. Now it was the day of preparation for the Passover; it was about the sixth hour. And he said to the Jews, 'Behold, your King!' So they cried out, 'Away with Him, away with Him, crucify Him!' Pilate said to them, 'Shall I crucify your King?' The chief priests answered, 'We have no king but Caesar.'"
- John 19:13-15, New American Standard Bible

What Christians call Good Friday is basically the Christian version of Passover. As the Apostle Paul says, "Christ, our Passover lamb, has been sacrificed" (1 Corinthians 5:7, New International Version).

Even the communion is linked to Passover, because the original Lord's Supper, when Jesus gave His disciples the bread and wine, was a Passover seder. The bread would have been unleavened (matzah).

The original Passover celebrates the Jews' exodus from Egypt. The blood of the lamb was placed on the doors of their rooms, so the death angel "passed-over" them and instead killed only the Egyptian first-born sons. In the Christian version, Jesus is the lamb, and those covered in the blood will be saved from hell.

Answer: Rosh Hashanah (Feast of Trumpets)

Also known as Yom Teruah, the Feast of Trumpets was certainly a party--with blowing Hebrew trumpets and resting from work. Of course, it was also a holy party; no debauchery there.

"Also on the day of your joy and at your appointed feasts, and on the first days of your months, you shall blow the trumpets over your burnt offerings, and over the sacrifices of your peace offerings; and they shall be as a reminder of you before your God. I am the LORD your God" (Numbers 10:10, New American Standard Bible)

In about 200 CE/AD, Jews called Yom Teruah "Rosh Hashanah". The idea that Rosh Hashanah is a New Year's celebration isn't really taught in the Hebrew Bible. In fact, some argue that Passover should be the start of the new year, and that the Feast of Trumpets is in the seventh month. Nonetheless, Rabbinic Jews have celebrated it as the head of the year for centuries, and it also celebrates the creation of the universe.

Many Christian scholars believe that Jesus will return at the Feast of Trumpets.

Answer: Sukkot (Feast of Tabernacles)

The Bible never explicitly states the date that Jesus was born, but many Bible scholars and theologians believe that He was born on Sukkot or the Feast of Tabernacles, which usually occurs in October; sometimes the end of September.

There are a few reasons why scholars believe this:

John 1:14 states, "And the Word became flesh, and did tabernacle among us, and we beheld his glory, glory as of an only begotten of a father, full of grace and truth" (Young's Literal Translation). (Some translations say "dwelt", but the Greek word literally means "tabernacle").

Luke suggests that Mary conceived in the sixth month of Elizabeth's pregnancy, and if John the Baptist was conceived around Shavuot (May or June) and then born at Passover (March or April), as some believe based upon Zacharias working in the temple, then that places Jesus' conception in the winter (Hanukkah), and nine months from then would be the autumn (Tabernacles).

It's interesting to note that the Feast of Trumpets also occurs in the autumn. Some believe that Jesus was born at the Feast of Trumpets.

Some also suggest that Jesus might have been born in the spring or summer. What's generally agreed is that shepherds wouldn't be in the fields with their sheep in the cold weather of winter.

It's important to note that the idea that Jesus was born on a Jewish holiday is a theory; not a fact. However, because the Bible states that Jesus was killed on Passover, resurrected on First Fruits, ascended to Heaven during the Feast of Weeks, and strongly implies that He will return on the Feast of Trumpets, His birth on the Feast of Tabernacles makes sense. On the other hand, some scholars reject the belief, because they argue that it is unlikely that Jesus was born on a feast day, because they find it unlikely that Joseph and Mary would have traveled to Bethlehem instead of traveling to Jerusalem as the Law commanded for Jews.

Answer: Sukkot (Feast of Tabernacles)

The Biblical holiday of Sukkot (the Feast of Tabernacles; possibly Christ's real birthday) and the American holiday Thanksgiving share some similarities. Some people suggest that the Pilgrims were influenced by Sukkot, given that they believed in the Bible.

Both holidays are in the autumn, both involve giving thanks and having lots of food (the autumn harvest, which includes olives and grapes) with family. A clear difference is that Sukkot occurs in September or October while Thanksgiving occurs in November.

In addition to Sukkot, other Jewish holidays that can occur in October are Rosh Hashanah (Feast of Trumpets), Yom Kippur (Day of Atonement), Shemini Atzeret, and Simchat Torah. Don't ever let anyone say that October is the devil's month!

Answer: Feast of First Fruits

If you're like me, you probably thought that Passover corresponds with Resurrection Sunday, sometimes called Easter Sunday. After all, both holidays occur in March or April, and Jesus died at Passover. That's actually the problem, though. Jesus didn't resurrect on Passover.

As it turns out, Jesus resurrected on the Feast of First Fruits, which was the Sunday after the Passover.
1 Corinthians 15:20
"But now Christ has been raised from the dead, the first fruits of those who are asleep" (New American Standard Bible).

And this is what the Torah says about the spring harvest:

Leviticus 23:10-11
"Speak to the sons of Israel and say to them, 'When you enter the land which I am going to give to you and reap its harvest, then you shall bring in the sheaf of the first fruits of your harvest to the priest.
He shall wave the sheaf before the Lord for you to be accepted; on the day after the sabbath the priest shall wave it'" (New American Standard Bible).

The day after the Sabbath, which is Saturday, is Sunday. The Feast of First Fruits was replaced with Easter as the church became more Gentile and separated from Jewish people and customs.

Answer: Shavuot (Feast of Weeks)

Shavuot (Feast of Weeks) is called such because it occurs seven weeks or 50 days after the Passover/Feast of First Fruits. While the Feast of First Fruits involved the barley harvest, the Feast of Weeks involved the wheat harvest.

The Christian holiday of Pentecost is basically the Feast of Weeks. While Pentecost celebrates the outpouring of the Holy Spirit and the birth of the church, the book of Acts says that the Holy Spirit fell upon the Messianic Jews as they were celebrating the Feast of Weeks. This is why Christians celebrate Pentecost 50 days after Easter.

Answer: Hanukkah (Feast of Dedication)

December 25 is the date that the Catholic Church chose for Christmas, which celebrates Christ's birthday, although that isn't when most Bible scholars believe that Jesus was actually born. Today, Christmas serves as both a religious and a secular winter holiday, with the latter being represented by consumerism, Santa, seasonal food, and numerous secular music and TV programs.

Meanwhile, Hanukkah, also called the Feast of Dedication and the Festival of Lights, isn't one of the original seven Hebrew feasts (this is merely because the Hanukkah story happened about 165 BC, which happened centuries after the Hebrew Bible was written), but the Gospel of John records Jesus observing the holiday in the temple.

Hanukkah celebrates the miracle of the menorah after the re-dedication of the temple to God. Some people joke and call Hanukkah "the Jewish Christmas", even though Hanukkah predates Christmas by a few hundred years. Like Christmas, it is a winter holiday that includes gifts, food, etc.

Answer: Yom Kippur (Day of Atonement)

These are the seven original Hebrew high holy days, as described in the Torah:

Spring:

Passover
Feast of Unleavened Bread (a week-long feast after the Passover; today often combined with Passover) (celebrates freedom from Egypt)

Feast of First Fruits (a day for the spring harvest and to remember God's promises; occurs on the Sunday after the Feast of Unleavened Bread)

Feast of Weeks/Shavuot (occurs 50 days after Passover; another spring harvest; celebrates the day when the LORD gave Moses the Torah on Mt. Sinai)

Fall:

Feast of Trumpets (a time of rest and making sacrifices to God to prepare for the Day of Atonement; now the Jewish New Year and celebrates the creation of the world; called such because of blowing of rams' horns)

Day of Atonement

Feast of Tabernacles/Sukkot (fall harvest; observes God's protection of the Israelites in the wilderness; celebrates God's dwelling with His people by booths/tabernacles/dwelling places)

Jews celebrate other holidays too, such as Hanukkah and Purim, and even others that are more modern.

Unlike the feasts, the Day of Atonement/Yom Kippur is a day of fasting. It also is a day of repentance. Traditionally, it was the day when the high priest would enter the Holy of Holies and repent for the sins of the ancient Israelites.

While many Christians, often Evangelicals, don't see a need for a single day of atonement because they believe that Jesus has already been the atonement for everyone's sins, and they can repent of their sins on any day, the Catholic Church and a few Protestant denominations, such as the Anglican Church and the Lutheran Church, observe Ash Wednesday.

Like Yom Kippur, Ash Wednesday is a day of fasting and prayer. It is the beginning of Lent and prepares for Easter.

Answer: Hanukkah (Feast of Dedication)

The Catholic Church (as well as a few Protestant groups, such as the Anglican Church) celebrate the Annunciation, which is the day that the angel Gabriel told Mary that she would bear the Son of God, on March 25. However, some scholars believe that Jesus was most likely conceived in winter, around the Feast of Dedication (Hanukkah/Festival of Lights).

In John 8, Jesus declared Himself as the Light of the world. This has led some to speculate that He might have a connection to Hannukah. Furthermore, the conception of Jesus is linked to the conception of John the Baptist, His cousin. Some scholars believe that John the Baptist was conceived at (or around) the Feast of Weeks and born around Passover. Jesus was conceived six months later; that would place His conception around Hanukkah and birth at or around the Feast of Tabernacles.

Answer: Passover

While not a strict correspondence, the ancient holiday of Passover and the American Independence Day (the 4th of July) have some similarities. They are both based around freedom and national identity.

The Passover observes the freedom of the Israelites from Egyptian tyranny, while the 4th of July celebrates American Independence from British rule. According to the Bible, God established the nation of Israel at Mt. Sinai after the Exodus, so it was like their independence day.

Some Jews believe that there is correspondence between Passover and the Israeli Independence Day (which though it was originally May 14, 1948, the date sometimes changes due to the Sabbath) but I did say that I would discuss secular Gentile holidays.