Rosh Hashanah this year begins at sundown on October 2nd. It is the first of the fall festivals and considered to be the beginning of the lunar new year. The Feast of Tabernacles, or Sukkoth, follows soon after on October 16th.
The idea of using the first day of January to mark the beginning of the new year dates back to time of Julius Caesar—five decades before the birth of Jesus. Even as the Julian calendar spread in popularity, some areas continued to use dates in March and September as New Year's Day.
It wasn't until the 1570s that Pope Gregory put the Gregorian calendar into effect, restoring January 1st as the first day of the new year. This change in tradition wasn't officially implemented by England until 1752.
I think it's interesting, that January 1st of the Gregorian calendar went into effect as the new year in the1570's but not officially accepted by England or the American colonies until nearly 200 hundred years later. So up until then, England and the American colonies were counting the new year from March 25th which is more closely aligned to the Hebrew lunar calendar.
Why did the Church stop observing the biblical feasts?
So when did God's feasts stop being relevant to Christians and why? What happened long after Jesus' death, Resurrection, the destruction of the Temple or even hundreds of years later that caused believers to abandon these biblical "Feasts of the Lord" in favor of new traditions?
Notice that he did not say this or that festival, but all of them together.
The Apostles Paul wrote: "Imitate me, just as I also imitate Christ." (1 Corinthians 11:1) And that included keeping the biblical feast days.
I find it interesting that many Bible translations today have removed the part of that verse that says, "I must by all means keep this coming feast in Jerusalem." Compare it to the NIV which reads, "But as he left, he promised, "I will come back if it is God's will." Then he set sail from Ephesus." Why no mention of keeping the feast in Jerusalem?
The Hebrew word "moed" is commonly translated "feast" or "festival" in the Bible, but it really means "appointment". God has set a number of "divine appointments" with Him on the yearly calendar. Appointments that Jesus celebrated, that the first Christians celebrated, that foreshadows the return of Jesus for His bride and that the entire planet will celebrate during the 1000 year reign of Jesus on earth.
It is very important for believers to learn about these festivals, because God didn't just create them for us to have a good time. All of the festivals are about Jesus, and all of them are highly prophetic.
The Feasts are commanded to be observed forever.
In Leviticus 23:41 the word used for "forever" is the Hebrew word, עוֹלָם (`owlam) and means, long duration, antiquity, futurity, everlasting, evermore, perpetual, always, continuous existence, unending, eternity—In other words, FOREVER!
The New Testament Greek word for forever is aion (ahee-ohn') and means at all times, always, perpetual, continuously, or continuous—In other words, FOREVER!
The account in Zechariah 14 refers to the time AFTER Jesus returns to earth and emphasizes the fact that this Feast is a statute forever. All nations are commanded to observe this Feast in the millennium. Eventually, all nations will come to understand and appreciate God's commanded Feasts.
Those who have their minds set on earthly things lose sight of the world to come. Their mind is on earthly things. But our citizenship is in heaven. (Phil.3:19) Esau was faithless and willing to give up his inheritance in exchange for the immediate gratification of his earthly hunger. But we do not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.
It is very easy to become ensnared by the superficial trappings of worldly comforts so that we fail to realize just how vulnerable and naked we are in this world.
The Feast of Tabernacles is not just to remind us that the Hebrews lived in booths, but also that God dwelt among his people. They were led by his glorious presence and the tabernacle of the Lord was pitched in the midst of their tents. The Sukkah reminds us that as we live within this mortal, temporary body, God also dwells with us as he leads us by His Spirit to our eternal dwelling.
Only when we put aside this earthly tent and receive our glorified immortal bodies will we rejoice in the ultimate fulfillment of God's promises, yet we rejoice even now because we have been given the first-fruits of the Spirit guaranteeing our citizenship in the heavenly Jerusalem which is yet to be revealed.
Sadly, most Christians don't know anything about these amazing festivals even though they are featured very prominently in the Scriptures.
So should we obey the commandments of God as revealed in the Bible and observe His appointed feasts—as practiced by Jesus and the early Christian Church, or should we replace God's feasts with the pagan-based holidays of the traditions of men?