Why did the Father find it necessary to create the feasts?
They point to His eternal plan for mankind and remind us of what he has done – is doing – and will still do – for us through His son.
7 times in the year – through His feasts – we have an opportunity to focus on a specific facet of the precious gemstone that is Yahweh.
But more importantly, they serve as rehearsals.
“These are the feasts of the Lord, holy convocations which you shall proclaim at their appointed times.” (Leviticus 23:4)
The word ‘convocations’ is miqra (Strong’s H4744) and means an ‘assembly, a calling’ but also ‘a rehearsal.’
The feasts are rehearsals – Passover, Unleavened bread, first fruits and Pentecost were rehearsals for Jesus’ first coming.
The last 3 feasts – Trumpets, Atonement and Tabernacles will be fulfilled at His second coming.
“Once a year Aaron shall make atonement on its horns. This annual atonement must be made with the blood of the atoning sin offering for the generations to come. It is most holy to the Lord.” (Exodus 30:10)
“This is to be a lasting ordinance for you: On the tenth day of the seventh month you must deny yourselves[a] and not do any work—whether native-born or a foreigner residing among you— 30 because on this day atonement will be made for you, to cleanse you. Then, before the Lord, you will be clean from all your sins. 31 It is a day of Sabbath rest, and you must deny yourselves; it is a lasting ordinance (Leviticus 16:29-31)
The Lord said to Moses, 27 “The tenth day of this seventh month is the Day of Atonement. Hold a sacred assembly and deny yourselves,[a] and present a food offering to the Lord. 28 Do not do any work on that day, because it is the Day of Atonement, when atonement is made for you before the Lord your God. 29 Those who do not deny themselves on that day must be cut off from their people. 30 I will destroy from among their people anyone who does any work on that day. 31 You shall do no work at all. This is to be a lasting ordinance for the generations to come, wherever you live. 32 It is a day of Sabbath rest for you, and you must deny yourselves. From the evening of the ninth day of the month until the following evening you are to observe your Sabbath.” (Leviticus 23:26-32)
So payment/atonement is ALWAYS required for sin:
“For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Romans 6:23)
“And the Lord God commanded the man, “You are free to eat from any tree in the garden; 17 but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat from it you will certainly die.” (Genesis 2:16-17)
The first shadow of substitutionary atonement was in Genesis 2:21. Where do you think God got animal skins from to cover Adam and Eve’s nakedness after they had sinned? An innocent animal had to die for their sin.
Reconciliation between God and man is on the basis of a life exchanged for life.
So God gave us the sacrificial system.
“For the life of a creature is in the blood, and I have given it to you to make atonement for yourselves on the altar; it is the blood that makes atonement for one’s life. (Leviticus 17:11)
Dr Michael Brown in ‘Answering your toughest questions’ says: “If you will study the Torah you will see that there are more chapters devoted to the subject of sacrifices and offerings than to the subject of Sabbath observances, high holy days, idolatry, adultery, murder and theft combined. Why so much detail, chapter after chapter if they weren’t important to God?” – to reject blood sacrifice is to reject a substantial chunk of the Torah.”