After YHWH declared the Sabbath as the foundational appointed time to meet, a weekly 24-hour period of holiness inhabited by His Presence, He proclaimed His annual feasts, Passover, plus seven holy assemblies (Leviticus 23). Before we examine the details of each feast, here is an overview.

Passover is a domestic ceremony at the twilight of Abib 14 (all YHWH’s feasts began at sunset before daylight¹). Since each Israelite family was to eat Passover’s everlasting ordinance according to its designed service in the home, it is not named a public assembly. Passover made possible the following seven annual Sabbaths. 

The first commanded holy convocation occurred on the next evening, Abib 15, the Feast of Unleavened Bread, celebrating the very night YHWH brought Israel out of Egypt. Observed annually by eating unsoured, unleavened bread, this night of YHWH’s deliverance was to be remembered every Sabbath and carried in every Israelite’s heart each day of their lives. Israel ate sweet bread for seven days, recalling their slavery and their seven-day and night flight to freedom under YHWH’s hand.

The final seventh day of Unleavened Bread, Abib 21, was the second commanded holy assembly. On this day, YHWH completed His rescue of Israel from Pharaoh, and Israel escaped on dry land while Pharaoh and His army perished in Yam Suph. 

Once Israel came into the land, they were to count seven weeks (49 days) from the day after the weekly Sabbath within the seven Days of Unleavened Bread. The count began on the first day of the weeks when the priests offered the wavesheaf offering, the first cut of grain that started the harvest (not a holy convocation). The numbering of days continued to the spring harvest’s end when Israel brought their firstfruits offerings of barley and wheat before YHWH. After tallying from the wavesheaf to seven weeks, Israel celebrated the third holy assembly on the fiftieth day, the Feast of Weeks (Pentecost).

The seventh month housed the four fall holy assemblies, beginning with the Feast of Trumpets. Trumpets were blown to announce the new moon of the Sabbath month. YHWH’s fourth feast on Tishri 1 is a memorial, looking back at the trumpets blowing as Israel’s King came down upon Mount Sinai, projecting forward to His final return.

Ten days later, on Tishri 10, came the Day of Atonements, a day of humbling the self under YHWH’s sovereignty. Israel depended upon His atoning sacrifice to remain in His presence. YHWH’s fifth Feast is a holy convocation, a Sabbath of sabbaths when repentant Israel puts autonomy aside and becomes without corruption.

Tishri 15 began YHWH’s sixth festival, the seven-day Feast of Tabernacles, with only the first day being a holy assembly. As the feast began at sunset, the water drawing ceremony played an essential role in celebrating the month of ever-flowing streams under the giant temple lampstands while the choir sang praises to their King. The Feast of Tabernacles reenacted the wilderness journey to the mountain of God’s dwelling, living in the presence of YHWH of their exodus.

The seventh holy convocation is the Eighth Day, the day after the seven days of the Feast of Tabernacles. In Israel’s liturgy, much is written about a seven-day consecration period, and on the eighth day, the individual/people begin active duty or reinstatement, a new beginning.

Takeaway:
In addition to YHWH’s weekly Sabbaths, YHWH commanded Israel to proclaim Passover and His seven holy assemblies at their appointed times as days to worship Him.

Fun Factors:
Speak to the children of Israel and say to them, “The appointed feasts of YHWH which you proclaim holy convocations, these, they are My appointed feasts” (Lev. 23:2), verse sum is 4334, 37² + 38² + 39² or 2 × 11 × 197, the 1^st, 5^th, and 45^th prime numbers. Adding the numbers of primes, 1 + 5 + 45 = 51, or 3 × 17.

“The appointed feasts of YHWH” = 156, 12 × 13

“These, they are My appointed feasts” = 211, the 47^th prime number and 7^th centered decagonal number.

“They are My appointed feasts” = 175, the age of Abraham, 7 × 25.