Feasts

Boyd’s Bible Dictionary:

(joyful). Observed for joyous events (Gen. 21:8; 29:22; 40:20; Mark 6:21-22). Numerous religious feasts (Ex. 12:16; Lev. 23:21-24; Jude 12).

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Concise Bible Dictionary:

The feasts of Jehovah, as instituted under the law as given by Moses, partake more of the character of commemorations, or assemblies. of the congregation to celebrate special dealings of the Lord, and consequently special seasons—in the history of His people, being called “holy convocations.” A list of the yearly feasts is given in Leviticus 23. The first mentioned is the Sabbath, and if this is counted as one, by considering the Passover and the feast of unleavened bread as one there are seven in all—the perfect number. If the Sabbath is not included, as that was a weekly festival, being the rest of God, and on which the others were founded, then the Passover and the feast of unleavened bread may be counted as two, and still there are seven. There can be no doubt that these seven feasts were typical of the ways of blessing from the cross to the millennium. They stand thus:

Dates Lev. 23 Antitypes

The Sabbath. (Lev. 23:1-3)

Abib 14th Passover Feast. (Lev. 23:5-8) Christ our Passover is slain: “let us keep the feast,” that is of unleavened bread.

Abib 15th Feast of Unleavened Bread.

First Fruits (barley), “day after the Sabbath.” (Lev. 23:9-14) The Resurrection.

Zif. [Seven Sabbaths intervene]

Sivan. Pentecost: Feast of Weeks: First Fruits (wheat). (Lev. 23:15-22) Descent of the Holy Spirit and the Church formed.

Tammuz. Ab. Elul. [The present interval.]

Tisri 1St Feast of Trumpets. (Lev. 23:23-25) Israel awakened: they afflict their souls, receive their Messiah, and are brought into blessing in the millennium.

Tisri 10th Day of Atonement. (Lev. 23:26-32)

Tisri 15th Feast of Tabernacles: ingathering of the vintage. (Lev. 23:33-44)

These seven are called “the set feasts” (Num. 29:39; 1 Chron. 23. 31; 2 Chron. 31:3; Neh. 10:33). Also “holy convocations,” when the people assembled together to offer the various offerings, and thus be reminded of their association with the living God, to whom they owed all their blessings. To ensure this at least thrice in the year, it was enjoined that all the males should appear before the Lord three times in the year, and they must not appear empty. These times were at the Feast of Unleavened Bread (no doubt including the Passover); the Feast of Weeks, or of Harvest; and the Feast of Tabernacles, or “of Ingathering” (Ex. 23:14-17; Deut. 16:16). See PASSOVER, &c.

There are two other Feasts mentioned as yearly which were not apparently ordered of God. The 25th of Chisleu, the Feast of Dedication, instituted by Judas Maccabeus when the temple was re-dedicated after being defiled by Antiochus Epiphanes, B. C. 165 (John 10:22). The other, the Feast of Purim, on the 14th and 15th of Adar, when the Jews were delivered from the threatened destruction plotted by Haman (Esther 9:21, 26).

“390. Feasts for the Women” From Manners and Customs of the Bible:

Esther 1:9. Also Vashti the queen made a feast for the women in the royal house which belonged to king Ahasuerus.

The women in the East do not have their feasts in the same room with the men. This separation of the sexes is an ancient custom which was observed at this time at the court of Persia, though Jahn, speaking of the custom, says that “Babylon and Persia must, however, be looked upon as exceptions, where the ladies were not excluded from the festivals of the men (Dan. 5:2), and if we may believe the testimony of ancient authors, at Babylon they were not remarkable for their modesty on such occasions” (Archaeology, § 146).

As far as Babylon is concerned the remark is correct, and it serves to illustrate the relaxation of manners which showed itself among the dissolute Babylonians. It is not true, however, in reference to Persia, as is plainly seen by the indignation of Vashti when her drunken husband sent for her to come and display her beauty before the revelers. Her womanly spirit was aroused and she refused. See verse 12. This error as to the Persian custom probably rests on an oft-quoted story told by Herodotus, who says that seven Persian embassadors, being sent to Amyntas, a Grecian prince, were entertained by him at a feast, and told him when they began to drink that it was customary among their countrymen to introduce their concubines and young wives at their entertainments. Dr. Pusey says of this statement, “If historical, it was a shameless lie, to attain their end” (Lectures on Daniel, p. 461, note). Rawlinson represents the Oriental seclusion of women as carried to an excess among the ancient Persians. See Five Ancient Monarchies, vol. 3, p. 222.

“396. Feasting With the King” From Manners and Customs of the Bible:

Esther 5:12. Tomorrow am I invited unto her also with the king.

It was a rare privilege for a subject, however high his station, to be permitted to banquet with the king. Occasionally, however, this was allowed, and Haman had reason to feel highly honored at the invitation he received from the queen by permission of the king. It must be understood, however, that when subjects were thus admitted to feast with royalty they were reminded of their inferior position. “The monarch reclined on a couch with golden feet, and sipped the rich wine of Helbon; the guests drank an inferior beverage, seated upon the floor” (Five Monarchies, vol. 3, p. 214). On some very special occasions the rigidity of this rule was relaxed. The king presided openly at a banquet where large numbers of dignitaries were assembled, and royal couches and royal wine were provided for them all. Such a feast is referred to in Esther 1:3.

“777. Place of Honor at Feasts” From Manners and Customs of the Bible:

Luke 14:7. He marked how they chose out the chief rooms.

“Room” is old English for “place,” and indeed is still sometimes used in that sense, as when we say, “Make room.”

The Orientals have always been punctilious in reference to positions of honor at formal feasts. The chief rooms or places at feasts differed among different nations. Among the Greeks and Romans the middle place in each clinium of the triclinium, or dinner-bed, was the coveted position of honor. See note on Matthew 26:7 (#712). This was the place which the Pharisees eagerly desired: “They chose out the chief rooms.” For this they received a merited rebuke from Jesus.

See also Matthew 23:6; Mark 12:39; Luke 20:46.

“778. Arrangement of Guests” From Manners and Customs of the Bible:

Luke 14:9-10. Give this man place....Friend, go up higher.

The host did not hesitate to regulate the position of his guests after they had settled it for themselves. He gave the highest in rank the chief place, sending the men up or down as circumstances required. Even in modern times there are instances of this. Schulz was at a wedding-feast at St. Jean d’Acre where two persons who had seated themselves at the top were compelled by the master of ceremonies to go down. Morier was at an entertainment in Persia where the governor of Kashan entered and took the lowest place. The host, on discovering him, pointed with his hand to an upper seat, which the governor took, the other guests making way for him. See Burder, Oriental Illustrations, No. 1304.