Q: What is the meaning of the two loaves, mentioned in Leviticus 23 regarding the observance of Pentecost?

Published: July 1st, 2005

Here is the specific reference in question: "'You shall bring from your dwellings two wave loaves of two-tenths of an ephah. They shall be of fine flour; they shall be baked with leaven. They are the firstfruits to the LORD'" (Leviticus 23:17). The vital key found in this Scripture that will lead to understanding what (or more specifically, who) is being represented by these two loaves appears in the last sentence: "'They are the FIRSTFRUITS to the LORD.'"

Q: In 2006, the Church of God and Orthodox Christianity kept Pentecost on the same day. Does this mean that all have been obedient in keeping the annual Holy Day of Pentecost, as instructed by God in the Bible?

Published: June 8th, 2006

It does not mean this at all.

Q: Were the Holy Days given at the time of Moses actually observed before—including even in the times before the flood?

Published: March 14th, 2008

The most complete summary of the Holy Days given by God and to be observed by His people is found in Leviticus 23. Carefully note how the first two verses introduce these special days:

“And the LORD spoke to Moses, saying. ‘Speak to the children of Israel, and say to them: “THE FEASTS OF THE LORD, which you shall proclaim to be holy convocations, these are MY FEASTS”’” (Leviticus 23:1-2).

Q: Should we eat a Passover meal in Church on Passover evening, before we partake of the New Testament Passover symbols of bread and wine?

Published: March 21st, 2008

We find that, in New Testament times, certain local congregations apparently had a Passover meal in Church before partaking of the Passover symbols of bread and wine, as can be seen in the passage in 1 Corinthians 11:17-22 (Authorized Version):

Q: Would you please explain the meaning of Colossians 2:16-17?

Published: September 4th, 2009

We have explained this passage, in detail, in our booklets, "Is That in the Bible?--Man's Holidays or God's Holy Days," and "God's Commanded Holy Days." In these booklets, we show from Scripture that Colossians 2:16-17 does not teach--as many have erroneously concluded--that the weekly Sabbath and the seven annual Holy Days are no longer binding; in fact, correctly understood, that particular passage teaches the exact opposite.

Q: You teach that Christians should not keep man's holidays, such as Christmas, but rather, they need to observe God's annual Holy Days. Why can't we do both? And what, exactly, are those annual Holy Days, and how are they different from days such as Christmas?

Published: December 11th, 2009

We are indeed close to the time of the year when people get all excited in anticipation of the Christmas season, complete with the hustle and bustle of shopping and, far too often, excesses both in over-spending, over-eating and over-drinking.

Far too many never seem to stop and think about the consequences of these excesses. Are people considering the fact that what is charged and overspent has to be paid back and sometimes at high interest rates, and that for a long time; also, that there are long range effects of excesses in eating and drinking to one's health; and finally, that there are terrible consequences for family relationships; especially, when arguments break out, leading to violence to the degree that someone loses his or her life?

Q: I understand that the Jewish people, at the Feast of Purim, are allowed and even encouraged to use this day to celebrate and get drunk. Surely this behaviour cannot be right even for just one day a year?

Published: February 4th, 2011

First, let us explain that the Feast of Purim is not one of God’s commanded Holy Days. It is celebrated by the Jews, and observing the Purim Feast by them is, per se, not against Scripture. As a Jew, Jesus would have kept the Feast of Purim, although there is no specific reference in the New Testament that He did. But as it is pointed out in the Question, many times the way in which it is celebrated is clearly against God’s commandments.

The date for Purim in 2010 was February 28th and this year will be on March 20th.

Wikipedia makes the following comments about this festival:

Q: Could you provide a list regarding leavened and unleavened products?

Published: April 1st, 2011

As many of our readers know, the Church of the Eternal God and its affiliates, the Global Church of God in the UK and the Church of God, a Christian Fellowship in Canada, as well as the Kirche des Ewigen Gottes in Germany, observe the annual Festival of the Days of Unleavened Bread. God commands us that during the seven days of that Festival, all leavened products have to be removed from our houses, and that only unleavened products are to be consumed during that time.

Q: When an offering is taken up at the Feast of Unleavened Bread in the congregations, the members are asked to give their offerings on the first day and also the seventh day of the Feast (the annual Sabbaths of unleavened bread). But we read in Scripture that we are commanded to make an offering made by fire for seven days and not only on the two Sabbaths! Why then do you not require for your members to give a money offering seven times, once on each day?

Published: May 6th, 2011

The Scripture that you are referring to is found in Leviticus 23:6-8, “And on the fifteenth day of the same [first] month is the Feast of Unleavened Bread to the LORD; seven days you must eat unleavened bread. On the first day you shall have a holy convocation; you shall do no customary work on it. But you shall offer an offering made by fire to the LORD for seven days. The seventh day shall be a holy convocation; you shall do no customary work on it.' "

It is correct that we should be keeping this Feast as well the other five annual Holy Days mentioned in this chapter. (For more information, please read our free booklet, “God’s Commanded Holy Days.” ). But there are a couple of other points that are noteworthy.

Q: Do you have any guidelines for opening and closing prayers?

Published: August 19th, 2011

The Church of the Eternal God in the USA, the Global Church of God in the UK, and the Church of God, a Christian Fellowship in Canada, conduct their weekly and annual Sabbath services by opening with prayer (usually after singing three congregational hymns), and by closing with prayer (after singing a final congregational hymn). These prayers are given by baptized men who have been selected by the song-leader—sometimes after consultation with or direction from the presiding minister. On occasion, and subject to the discretion of the presiding minister, baptized visitors and guests from other Church of God organizations, who might not regularly attend our fellowship, might be asked to give the opening or closing prayer.

Q: Is it true that Christ will return on the annual Holy Day of the Feast of Trumpets?

Published: September 23rd, 2011

Christ told us that no one knows the DAY of His return. He even said that He Himself does not know the DAY, nor the angels, but the Father alone. The reason is that it is within the Father’s sole authority to decide when the day of Christ’s return has come.

Note what we said in one of our Q&As, addressing certain numbers in the book of Daniel, and answering the question as to whether the 1,260 days, 1,290 days and 1,335 days mentioned there show us exactly when Christ will return:

Q: As we are commanded to give offerings on God’s annual Holy Days, how much should we give?

Published: October 7th, 2011

No specific amount in regard to Holy Day offerings is mentioned, but God’s Word includes guidelines and principles that can help us to decide how much to give.

Firstly, we must keep in mind that we cannot out-give God. Secondly, those of us who have been in the Church of God for a while know about the existence of the annual Holy Days and God’s command to give an offering on those days. We have time to prepare and save for these offerings so that we do not have to make a last minute decision as to how much we may want to give on a particular Holy Day.

In a recent Editorial in Update #484 (for the week ending March 18, 2011), titled, “Offerings,” we said the following:

Q: Can you explain some of the peculiarities of the Hebrew Calendar?

Published: November 4th, 2011

In our last Q&A, we explained why the Church of God has made the decision to accept and follow the current Hebrew calendar. The short answer is that God has entrusted the Jews—and no one else—with the preservation of the calendar and the determination and identification of the correct dates of the annual Holy Days.

We also explained that in AD 358-359 A.D., the Jews’ chief leader, Hillel II, carried out his God-given authority to present the Hebrew calendar throughout the future, and it is that calendar which we are to apply for the determination of the annual Holy Days.