Christian observances of Jewish holidays
Encyclopedia
A number of Christian denominations observe religious holidays inspired by Jewish observances or derived from the Hebrew Bible
. The original Jewish holidays may be honored in their original form in recognition of Christianity's Jewish roots, or altered to suit Christian theology
. Symbolic and thematic features of Jewish services are commonly interpreted in a Christian light, for example, the Paschal Lamb of the Passover Seder being viewed as a symbol
of Christ's sacrifice.
. Christian Passover is a religious observance celebrated by a small number of First Century Belivers instead of, or alongside, the more common Christian holy day and festival of Easter
. The redemption from the bondage of sin through the sacrifice of Christ is celebrated, a parallel of the Jewish Passover's celebration of redemption from bondage in the land of Egypt.
is based on the Jewish holiday of Shavuot
(celebrated seven weeks after the start of Passover
). Pentecost is part of the Movable Cycle
of the ecclesiastical year. According to Christian tradition, Pentecost is always seven weeks after Easter
Sunday; that is to say, 50 days after Easter (inclusive of Easter Day). In other words, it falls on the eighth Sunday, counting Easter Day (see article on Computus
for the calculation of the date of Easter). Pentecost celebrates the birth of the Church, when thousands of Jews were in Jerusalem to celebrate Shavuot, and heard Peter and the disciples speaking in their own language.
Pentecost falls in mid- to late spring in the Northern Hemisphere
and mid- to late autumn in the Southern Hemisphere
.
(the Jewish New Year). Not normally celebrated in Mainstream Christianity, a small number of evangelical
Christians celebrate the Feast of Trumpets. Some connect the observance with the "sound of the trumpet" that they believe will occur at the return of Jesus Christ
("For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God," 1 Thessalonians 4:16).
. The Day of Atonement has deep theological significance in the New Testament
.
The New Testament
refers to Day of Atonement in Acts
27:9. Because of the apostolic practice of observing Yom Kippur, a small number of evangelical
Christians observe it today. Roderick C. Meredith
, leader of the Living Church of God
, believes that the Day of Atonement "pictures the binding of Satan at the beginning of the Millennium
and the world becoming at one with God."
Many groups affiliated with Messianic Judaism
and Hebrew Christians have provided instruction describing the evangelical significance for observance of this day.
. It is a remembrance of God living with them in the desert 40 years, and is reflected with the coming of Jesus, being "God became flesh to dwell among us."
The Feast of Tabernacles is celebrated by some Christian
groups, among them churches affiliated with Armstrongism
or the Kingdom of Jesus Christ
, as well as the International Christian Embassy Jerusalem
(ICEJ). They cite God's and the prophets' injunctions in the Old Testament
that the Israelites observe the holiday, and accounts in the New Testament
of how Jesus
and his apostles kept this commandment. Christian observance of the Feast of Tabernacles has been traced back to the early 17th century, among Sabbatarians in Transylvania
.
said, "The festivals of the pitiful and miserable Jews are soon to march upon us one after the other and in quick succession: the feast of Trumpets, the feast of Tabernacles, the fasts. There are many in our ranks who say they think as we do. Yet some of these are going to watch the festivals and others will join the Jews in keeping their feasts and observing their fasts. I wish to drive this perverse custom from the Church right now."
Such a strong expression of this view, especially if associated with Anti-Judaism
, is not common in the contemporary church. However, it is an exaggeration to claim that Christians in general tend to adopt and adapt Jewish festivals.
Hebrew Bible
The Hebrew Bible is a term used by biblical scholars outside of Judaism to refer to the Tanakh , a canonical collection of Jewish texts, and the common textual antecedent of the several canonical editions of the Christian Old Testament...
. The original Jewish holidays may be honored in their original form in recognition of Christianity's Jewish roots, or altered to suit Christian theology
Christian theology
- Divisions of Christian theology :There are many methods of categorizing different approaches to Christian theology. For a historical analysis, see the main article on the History of Christian theology.- Sub-disciplines :...
. Symbolic and thematic features of Jewish services are commonly interpreted in a Christian light, for example, the Paschal Lamb of the Passover Seder being viewed as a symbol
Typology (theology)
Typology in Christian theology and Biblical exegesis is a doctrine or theory concerning the relationship between the Old and New Testaments...
of Christ's sacrifice.
Christian Passover
There are Christian groups that celebrate some parts of the Jewish holiday of PassoverPassover
Passover is a Jewish holiday and festival. It commemorates the story of the Exodus, in which the ancient Israelites were freed from slavery in Egypt...
. Christian Passover is a religious observance celebrated by a small number of First Century Belivers instead of, or alongside, the more common Christian holy day and festival of Easter
Easter
Easter is the central feast in the Christian liturgical year. According to the Canonical gospels, Jesus rose from the dead on the third day after his crucifixion. His resurrection is celebrated on Easter Day or Easter Sunday...
. The redemption from the bondage of sin through the sacrifice of Christ is celebrated, a parallel of the Jewish Passover's celebration of redemption from bondage in the land of Egypt.
Christian Pentecost
The Christian holiday of PentecostPentecost
Pentecost is a prominent feast in the calendar of Ancient Israel celebrating the giving of the Law on Sinai, and also later in the Christian liturgical year commemorating the descent of the Holy Spirit upon the disciples of Christ after the Resurrection of Jesus...
is based on the Jewish holiday of Shavuot
Shavuot
The festival of is a Jewish holiday that occurs on the sixth day of the Hebrew month of Sivan ....
(celebrated seven weeks after the start of Passover
Passover
Passover is a Jewish holiday and festival. It commemorates the story of the Exodus, in which the ancient Israelites were freed from slavery in Egypt...
). Pentecost is part of the Movable Cycle
Paschal cycle
The Paschal cycle in the Eastern and Oriental Orthodox Churches, is the cycle of the moveable feasts built around Pascha . The cycle consists of approximately ten weeks before and seven weeks after Pascha. The ten weeks before Pascha are known as the period of the Triodion...
of the ecclesiastical year. According to Christian tradition, Pentecost is always seven weeks after Easter
Easter
Easter is the central feast in the Christian liturgical year. According to the Canonical gospels, Jesus rose from the dead on the third day after his crucifixion. His resurrection is celebrated on Easter Day or Easter Sunday...
Sunday; that is to say, 50 days after Easter (inclusive of Easter Day). In other words, it falls on the eighth Sunday, counting Easter Day (see article on Computus
Computus
Computus is the calculation of the date of Easter in the Christian calendar. The name has been used for this procedure since the early Middle Ages, as it was one of the most important computations of the age....
for the calculation of the date of Easter). Pentecost celebrates the birth of the Church, when thousands of Jews were in Jerusalem to celebrate Shavuot, and heard Peter and the disciples speaking in their own language.
Pentecost falls in mid- to late spring in the Northern Hemisphere
Northern Hemisphere
The Northern Hemisphere is the half of a planet that is north of its equator—the word hemisphere literally means “half sphere”. It is also that half of the celestial sphere north of the celestial equator...
and mid- to late autumn in the Southern Hemisphere
Southern Hemisphere
The Southern Hemisphere is the part of Earth that lies south of the equator. The word hemisphere literally means 'half ball' or "half sphere"...
.
Feast of Trumpets
The Feast of Trumpets models itself on the Jewish holiday of Rosh HashanahRosh Hashanah
Rosh Hashanah , , is the Jewish New Year. It is the first of the High Holy Days or Yamim Nora'im which occur in the autumn...
(the Jewish New Year). Not normally celebrated in Mainstream Christianity, a small number of evangelical
Evangelicalism
Evangelicalism is a Protestant Christian movement which began in Great Britain in the 1730s and gained popularity in the United States during the series of Great Awakenings of the 18th and 19th century.Its key commitments are:...
Christians celebrate the Feast of Trumpets. Some connect the observance with the "sound of the trumpet" that they believe will occur at the return of Jesus Christ
Second Coming
In Christian doctrine, the Second Coming of Christ, the Second Advent, or the Parousia, is the anticipated return of Jesus Christ from Heaven, where he sits at the Right Hand of God, to Earth. This prophecy is found in the canonical gospels and in most Christian and Islamic eschatologies...
("For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God," 1 Thessalonians 4:16).
Day of Atonement
A Christian-style Day of Atonement models itself on the Jewish holiday of Yom KippurYom Kippur
Yom Kippur , also known as Day of Atonement, is the holiest and most solemn day of the year for the Jews. Its central themes are atonement and repentance. Jews traditionally observe this holy day with a 25-hour period of fasting and intensive prayer, often spending most of the day in synagogue...
. The Day of Atonement has deep theological significance in the New Testament
New Testament
The New Testament is the second major division of the Christian biblical canon, the first such division being the much longer Old Testament....
.
The New Testament
New Testament
The New Testament is the second major division of the Christian biblical canon, the first such division being the much longer Old Testament....
refers to Day of Atonement in Acts
ACTS
Acts or ACTS may refer to:Christianity* Acts of the Apostles , a genre of early Christian literature* Acts of the Apostles, the fifth book in the Bible's New Testament...
27:9. Because of the apostolic practice of observing Yom Kippur, a small number of evangelical
Evangelicalism
Evangelicalism is a Protestant Christian movement which began in Great Britain in the 1730s and gained popularity in the United States during the series of Great Awakenings of the 18th and 19th century.Its key commitments are:...
Christians observe it today. Roderick C. Meredith
Roderick C. Meredith
Roderick C. Meredith is the leader and founder of the Charlotte, North Carolina based Living Church of God. One of the first five Evangelists of the Worldwide Church of God, he was ordained to the rank in 1952 by Herbert W. Armstrong, founder of the Radio Church of God...
, leader of the Living Church of God
Living Church of God
The Living Church of God is one of the church groups formed by followers of the teachings of the late Herbert W. Armstrong. It was formed as a series of major doctrinal changes were introduced in the Worldwide Church of God after Armstrong's death in 1986...
, believes that the Day of Atonement "pictures the binding of Satan at the beginning of the Millennium
Millennialism
Millennialism , or chiliasm in Greek, is a belief held by some Christian denominations that there will be a Golden Age or Paradise on Earth in which "Christ will reign" for 1000 years prior to the final judgment and future eternal state...
and the world becoming at one with God."
Many groups affiliated with Messianic Judaism
Messianic Judaism
Messianic Judaism is a syncretic religious movement that arose in the 1960s and 70s. It blends evangelical Christian theology with elements of Jewish terminology and ritual....
and Hebrew Christians have provided instruction describing the evangelical significance for observance of this day.
Feast of Tabernacles
Jesus observed the Feast of Tabernacles or Festival of Booths in . The Christian-observed Feast of Tabernacles is based on the Jewish holiday of SukkotSukkot
Sukkot is a Biblical holiday celebrated on the 15th day of the month of Tishrei . It is one of the three biblically mandated festivals Shalosh regalim on which Hebrews were commanded to make a pilgrimage to the Temple in Jerusalem.The holiday lasts seven days...
. It is a remembrance of God living with them in the desert 40 years, and is reflected with the coming of Jesus, being "God became flesh to dwell among us."
The Feast of Tabernacles is celebrated by some Christian
Christianity
Christianity is a monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus as presented in canonical gospels and other New Testament writings...
groups, among them churches affiliated with Armstrongism
Armstrongism
Armstrongism refers to the teachings and doctrines of Herbert W. Armstrong while leader of the Worldwide Church of God , and is professed by him and his followers to be the restored true Gospel of the Bible. Armstrong said they were revealed to him by God during his study of the Bible....
or the Kingdom of Jesus Christ
Apollo Quiboloy
Apollo Carreon Quiboloy is the founder and leader of the Philippines-based Restorationist Christian church, the Kingdom of Jesus Christ, The Name Above Every Name, Inc. He has made claims that he is the "Appointed Son of God".-Early years:...
, as well as the International Christian Embassy Jerusalem
International Christian Embassy Jerusalem
The International Christian Embassy Jerusalem is a Christian Zionist organisation based in Jerusalem, Israel.-History:The International Christian Embassy was founded in 1980 by evangelical Christians to express their support for the State of Israel and the Jewish people...
(ICEJ). They cite God's and the prophets' injunctions in the Old Testament
Old Testament
The Old Testament, of which Christians hold different views, is a Christian term for the religious writings of ancient Israel held sacred and inspired by Christians which overlaps with the 24-book canon of the Masoretic Text of Judaism...
that the Israelites observe the holiday, and accounts in the New Testament
New Testament
The New Testament is the second major division of the Christian biblical canon, the first such division being the much longer Old Testament....
of how Jesus
Jesus
Jesus of Nazareth , commonly referred to as Jesus Christ or simply as Jesus or Christ, is the central figure of Christianity...
and his apostles kept this commandment. Christian observance of the Feast of Tabernacles has been traced back to the early 17th century, among Sabbatarians in Transylvania
Transylvania
Transylvania is a historical region in the central part of Romania. Bounded on the east and south by the Carpathian mountain range, historical Transylvania extended in the west to the Apuseni Mountains; however, the term sometimes encompasses not only Transylvania proper, but also the historical...
.
Criticism
4th century theologian John ChrysostomJohn Chrysostom
John Chrysostom , Archbishop of Constantinople, was an important Early Church Father. He is known for his eloquence in preaching and public speaking, his denunciation of abuse of authority by both ecclesiastical and political leaders, the Divine Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom, and his ascetic...
said, "The festivals of the pitiful and miserable Jews are soon to march upon us one after the other and in quick succession: the feast of Trumpets, the feast of Tabernacles, the fasts. There are many in our ranks who say they think as we do. Yet some of these are going to watch the festivals and others will join the Jews in keeping their feasts and observing their fasts. I wish to drive this perverse custom from the Church right now."
Such a strong expression of this view, especially if associated with Anti-Judaism
Anti-Judaism
Religious antisemitism is a form of antisemitism, which is the prejudice against, or hostility toward, the Jewish people based on hostility to Judaism and to Jews as a religious group...
, is not common in the contemporary church. However, it is an exaggeration to claim that Christians in general tend to adopt and adapt Jewish festivals.