Feasts of God

God is everywhere and encompasses everything. He is the Creator of the entire universe; nothing is too far from His reach. Nevertheless, people still wonder where God is and how they can know Him. There is a reason for this disconnect.

Listen! The LORD’s arm is not too weak to save you, nor is his ear too deaf to hear you call. It’s your sins that have cut you off from God. Because of your sins, he has turned away and will not listen anymore.
Isaiah 59:1-2 (NLT)

Our sins have separated us from God. Though we want to build a relationship with God, it is impossible if our sins are not forgiven. For this reason, God established His administration of salvation to save us. Yet, unless we follow it, we cannot expect to know God nor have salvation. So we must first find out where God is.

Where Is God?

It is a commonly understood principle that God is omnipresent. While this is true, God still chose a specific location on this earth as His spiritual dwelling.

For the LORD has chosen Zion, he has desired it for his dwelling, saying, “This is my resting place for ever and ever; here I will sit enthroned, for I have desired it.”
Psalm 132:13-14

God sits enthroned in Zion. Since Zion is God’s resting place for ever and ever, we can definitely find Him there. While meeting God in Zion, we should also understand the purpose of Zion.

May the Lord bless you from Zion, he who is the Maker of heaven and earth.
Psalm 134:3

The Bible says that God will bless us from Zion. This means we should be in Zion to receive God’s blessings. Then, how will God bless us in Zion?

(NASB) Look upon Zion, the city of our appointed feasts… The people who dwell there will be forgiven their iniquity.
Isaiah 33:20-24

God’s appointed feasts are essential to the purpose of Zion. The feasts of God, which are reserved for those who dwell in Zion, allow us to be forgiven of our sins. For us—sinners who have been separated from God—this is the greatest blessing.

But you have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, to an innumerable company of angels, to the general assembly and church of the firstborn who are registered in heaven, to God the Judge of all, to the spirits of just men made perfect, to Jesus the Mediator of the new covenant.
Hebrews 12:22-24 (NKJV)

In summary, Zion is God’s church that receives forgiveness of sins through the feasts of God. Jesus Christ serves as the Mediator, granting salvation to the people who dwell in Zion while keeping the feasts.

The Feasts of God

Now that we know God dwells in Zion, it’s imperative that we go there to keep the feasts of God. In total, there are seven annual feasts of God. And these seven feasts are broken up into three groups.

Three times a year all your men must appear before the Lord your God at the place he will choose: at the Festival of Unleavened Bread, the Festival of Weeks and the Festival of Tabernacles.
Deuteronomy 16:16

The Feast of Unleavened includes both the Passover and the Feast of Unleavened Bread; the Feast of Weeks refers to Resurrection Day and Pentecost; the Feast of Tabernacles celebrates the Feast of Trumpets, Day of Atonement and the Feast of Tabernacles (Lev 23:1-44).

In addition to the annual feasts, there is the weekly feast called the Sabbath.

Receiving the Holy Spirit

In addition to the blessing of forgiveness of sins, the people of Zion will also receive the blessing of the Holy Spirit. In the Bible, the Holy Spirit is likened to rain or water.

Be glad, people of Zion, rejoice in the LORD your God, for he has given you the autumn rains because he is faithful. He sends you abundant showers, both autumn and spring rains, as before…. I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your old men will dream dreams, your young men will see visions. Even on my servants, both men and women, I will pour out my Spirit in those days.
Joel 2:23, 28-29

“Those days” refers to the last days, which is this present age. In fact, this prophecy is being fulfilled now. Many people are currently receiving the Holy Spirit in Zion. This is possible because Jesus showed the way to receive the Holy Spirit—He kept the feasts of God.

On the last and most important day of the feast Jesus stood up and said in a loud voice, “Let anyone who is thirsty come to me and drink. If anyone believes in me, rivers of living water will flow out from that person’s heart, as the Scripture says.” Jesus was talking about the Holy Spirit.
John 7:37-39 (NCV)

If we follow Jesus’ example of celebrating the feasts, we will certainly receive the Holy Spirit. Then, why is it so important to receive the Holy Spirit? According to the Bible, the Holy Spirit lets us know God.

So let us know, let us press on to know the Lord. His going forth is as certain as the dawn; And He will come to us like the rain, like the spring rain watering the earth.
Hosea 6:3 (NASB)

God isn’t literally going to come to us as rain. This prophecy implies that we will be able to know Him through the Holy Spirit. As a result, we can establish a relationship with God when we observe His feasts.

Today, many people are streaming to Zion—the World Mission Society Church of God—to keep the seven feasts of God, as described in the Bible. Come to the Church of God to learn more about the feasts of God and receive the Holy Spirit.