I would like to challenge you this year a little differently with another seasonal episode of “Rabbi Henry’s Christmas ramblings”.  So instead of the traditional approach, I would like to start with a question.

I am asking someone out there in blog land to share with me just one Biblical reason why I should celebrate “Christmas” instead of the Feasts found in Lev 23.

In the meantime, let me remind you of what the Scripture says in regards to celebrating His appointed times and seasons. Buckle up and let’s get rolling.

Leviticus 23

1The LORD spoke again to Moses, saying, 2“Speak to the sons of Israel and say to them, ‘The LORD’S appointed times which you shall proclaim as holy convocations—My appointed times are these:

These are the Lord’s appointed times and seasons. They are not Jewish holidays. They were given as prophetic appointments that were to be kept by the Messiah in specific detail. The mandate to keep them was not negotiable.

14b
It is to be a perpetual statute throughout your generations in all your dwelling places.

The days of the Lord are perpetual; they do not end as long as this earth exists. They are to be continually observed by our future progeny wherever we live.

21‘On this same day you shall make a proclamation as well; you are to have a holy convocation. You shall do no laborious work. It is to be a perpetual statute in all your dwelling places throughout your generations.

The Lord says it again in verse 21.

31“You shall do no work at all. It is to be a perpetual statute throughout your generations in all your dwelling places.

And one last time in verse 41

41‘You shall thus celebrate it as a feast to the LORD for seven days in the year. It shall be a perpetual statute throughout your generations;

I encourage you to read the entire chapter to get the context of each promise and the instructions involved for each holy day. This is not the intent of this little blog. My goal is to point out that these holy days have not been abrogated and substituted by the man- made hollow day called “Christmas”.  Read some of my other blogs on the origins of “Christmas” at the Sha’ar website.

So, let’s review. The holy days are appointments to be kept by Israel; they are perpetual for all of our generations and in all of our dwellings. These holy days were given by the Lord and Yeshua fulfilled them. Very good, now we’re getting somewhere. So my next question is, why would anyone want to substitute these prophetic memorials for something that is man-made and empty?

Just think of all of the wonderful “Christmas” traditions that I am missing out on, Yule logs, mistletoe, trees, presents, debt, Nativity scenes, cantatas, Santa, elves, Rudolph, caroling, lights, wreaths, holly, wise men, drummer boys, “It’s a Wonderful Life”, black Friday, Cyber Monday, Christmas cheer, Wasale, fruit cake, Midnight Mass, shepherds, and we don’t get to fight the war against “Christmas” with Bill O’Reilly. Oy! I am exhausted, and I don’t even celebrate this foolishness. Where is the Word of the Lord in any of this?

The Levitical feasts were commanded by the Lord; “Christmas” is not. Especially when we consider that every sane person knows that Yeshua was not born on Dec 25th. For one to not see that this is a man-made celebration is to show a tremendous amount of intellectual and emotional dishonesty.

If it were so important for me to celebrate Dec 25th as the day of the Messiah’s birth, why then is it not mentioned anywhere in the Scriptures. On the other hand, each and every Biblical feast has a very specific time and date.

I find it curious that in the book of Zechariah chapter 14 says…

16Then it will come about that any who are left of all the nations that went against Jerusalem will go up from year to year to worship the King, the LORD of hosts, and to celebrate the Feast of Booths. 17And it will be that whichever of the families of the earth does not go up to Jerusalem to worship the King, the LORD of hosts, there will be no rain on them. 18If the family of Egypt does not go up or enter, then no rain will fall on them; it will be the plague with which the LORD smites the nations who do not go up to celebrate the Feast of Booths. 19This will be the punishment of Egypt, and the punishment of all the nations who do not go up to celebrate the Feast of Booths.

The Feast of Booths, also known as Sukkoth, is one of the Lev 23 feasts. This Scripture is speaking about the end time. What is being said here is that in the end time we will all go to Jerusalem to celebrate the Biblical Feast of Booths. This holy day is a prophetic display that shows us that the Lord dwelt among men for 40 years in the wilderness while they lived in booths. He took care of Israel’s needs; they saw Him daily in a pillar of fire by night and cloud of smoke in the day. When Yeshua came, again we saw that the Lord dwelt among men, and in the end times He will dwell among men as well.

This day is so important as a memorial that Zechariah says if men don’t go to celebrate it then no rain will fall on their land. I don’t see the mention of “Christmas” being celebrated in the end times especially on December 25th.

Another point I would like to make is that the Biblical feasts are not just for the children of Abraham.

Ex 12:

48“But if a stranger sojourns with you, and celebrates the Passover to the LORD, let all his males be circumcised, and then let him come near to celebrate it; and he shall be like a native of the land. But no uncircumcised person may eat of it. 49“The same law shall apply to the native as to the stranger who sojourns among you.”

It was the Lord’s desire to reconcile the whole world back unto Himself through the nation of Israel, which would bring forth the Messiah. This passage is a foreshadowing of that plan. The Passover lamb was not just for Israel – it was for all who would.

No matter how we slice it, the December 25th Christmas hollow day is the Roman pagan celebration of the birth of the sun (not the “Son”) in the person of Saturn. This has found its way into protestant “Christianity” via Catholicism, which sprinkled holy water on this day and called it “Christian”. There is a plethora of information out there that supports this historically, So I will avoid rehashing the details as I have covered it in past blogs.

My goal is to call you to the Scripture to remind you what is Biblical and what is men’s traditions.

Yeshua warns the Pharisees in Mt. chapter 7.

“Why do Your disciples not walk according to the tradition of the elders, but eat their bread with impure hands?” 6And He said to them, “Rightly did Isaiah prophesy of you hypocrites, as it is written:

      ‘This people honors Me with their lips,

      But their heart is far away from Me.

7      ‘But in vain do they worship Me,

      Teaching as doctrines the precepts of men.’

8“Neglecting the commandment of God, you hold to the tradition of men.”

9He was also saying to them, “You are experts at setting aside the commandment of God in order to keep your tradition.

Is Christmas – and the traditions that are part of it – any different? If Yeshua would not allow the religious Jews to make this mistake, why then are we allowed to? 

Now it’s your turn to give me an answer.