God’s Framework for Grace

God has a plan for your life and future—and for everyone else who has ever lived. The details are foreshadowed in the often-overlooked festivals of the Bible.

Most people today know little about the annual festivals that Jesus Christ celebrated every year and that the apostles and New Testament Church continued to observe. Over the centuries these festivals were forgotten and replaced. Yet for many students of the Bible, they hold great meaning. These annual festivals are a framework depicting God’s grace toward mankind.

What is grace?

How do these annual festivals fit into Christianity? What binds them together? It is the grace of God that gives us eternal life, and the framework for that grace is seen in the days that God made holy. There is a common denominator ingrained in each of these festivals: God’s grace toward every individual who ever has lived.

The Interpreter’s Dictionary of the Bible defines grace this way: “Grace is God’s unmerited, free, spontaneous love for sinful mankind, revealed and made effective through Jesus Christ. As such it lies at the very heart of the Christian gospel and is one of Christianity’s distinctive features.”

A framework for this “distinctive feature” is found in the God-given festivals.

The Christian Passover: Christ’s sacrifice

Passover is the first of the annual festivals, and it pictures the first essential step in man’s salvation—the Son of God graciously dying for man’s sins. Through His sacrifice, Christ facilitated an undeserved pardon that makes eternal life possible for all (Ephesians 1:5-7; 1 Corinthians 5:7).

Feast of Unleavened Bread: avoiding sin

Following Passover are the Days of Unleavened Bread, depicting the next step in God’s plan for those who accept Christ’s sacrifice. Jesus told His followers to “beware of the leaven of the Pharisees” and Paul told Christians to “purge out the old leaven” (Matthew 16:6; 1 Corinthians 5:7).

Leaven is a symbol for sin. The repentant Christian is obliged do his or her part, striving to obey God and avoid sin. Through eating unleavened bread for seven days, we have a reminder to do just that always—with God’s help.

Feast of Pentecost: God’s help

On the first Pentecost after Jesus Christ’s resurrection, His followers became the New Testament Church by receiving God’s Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is one of God’s gracious gifts given to help write the law of God in our hearts and minds and help us live God’s way of life. We cannot do it without God’s help.

It is through the help of the Holy Spirit that our minds can be renewed and strengthened. Through staying close to God, the Holy Spirit enables us to keep His will written in our hearts and minds. God then sees us as His children—His heirs who will be ready to inherit all things at Jesus Christ’s return.

Feast of Trumpets: from mortal to immortal

The Feast of Trumpets pictures the time when Jesus Christ will return and the Kingdom of God will be established on this earth. Also, through the grace of God, those Christians who are alive and have God’s Holy Spirit will be transformed into spirit. Those who are dead and have enjoyed God’s grace in their lifetime will be resurrected to the same destiny: to be kings forever with the King of Kings in the Kingdom of God.

The rest of humanity living around the world will at last begin to truly recognize what Christ did for them. If they repent, they, too, will experience God’s grace in their lives.

Day of Atonement: undeserved reconciliation with God

We draw close to God by not eating or drinking for a full 24 hours on the day called “the Fast” in Acts 27:9. Until the fulfillment of this day, man will remain under the sway of “the god of this age” (2 Corinthians 4:4). Satan’s evil and devious influence has kept the vast majority of mankind away from reconciliation with God.

Atonement pictures the time when the entire world will be free to draw close to God and free from the contagious religious deception of Satan. Revelation 20:1-3 shows that Satan, “the god of this age,” will be severely downgraded to a “has been.”

Feast of Tabernacles: global grace

The Feast of Tabernacles pictures the entire world finally obeying God and keeping His Ten Commandments. Then all who are alive will be offered God’s grace. God’s Kingdom will have come, and His will, will be done on earth.

Christians of all persuasions have been praying “Your kingdom come” for nearly 2,000 years, and finally it will have come. The whole world will have the opportunity to repent and receive God’s grace.

But what about the rest of mankind—those who were born and died before the Christian era or those who died without knowing Jesus Christ or really understanding God’s grace?

The Last Great Day: God’s grace for “the rest of the dead”

The seventh festival picturing God’s grace is known as the Eighth Day or Last Great Day. It pictures a second resurrection for “the rest of the dead” (Revelation 20:5). They will be resurrected to flesh and blood again and given their first and only chance for unmerited pardon. God in His great mercy and justice will offer them the chance for eternal life as spirit beings just like those of the first resurrection 1,000 years earlier.

This final festival pictures when all who have unknowingly disobeyed God will be offered God’s grace and the chance to be alive for all eternity.

This awesome plan is difficult to grasp with such a short summary. The second half of our booklet From Holidays to Holy Days: God’s Plan for You goes through the biblical passages connected with God’s plan in more detail. You need to understand God’s plan for your future—it’s a wonderful gift from our gracious God.

Eddie and Sandra Johnson serve the membership in the Tonbridge, England, congregation of the Church of God, a Worldwide Association. He is an ordained elder.

Our booklet is available in several formats:

• Online as a Flipping Book: From Holidays to Holy Days: God’s Plan for You
• Downloadable Color PDF: From Holidays to Holy Days: God’s Plan for You
• Downloadable Printer Friendly PDF: From Holidays to Holy Days: God’s Plan for You