God’s Appointed Feasts – Purim
During 2026 we want to look at God’s appointed feast, the first one being Purim. God never rescinded these. (At the early Roman Church councils, in 325 and 344-381 AD, they tried to erase all Jewishness.)
“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.” Lev. 23:2 NKJV
The first mentioned in Lev.23:3, is the 7th day, the Sabbath. In Gen.2:3 it was the first thing to be declared holy by God.
- Passover (Lev. 23:5)
- Feast of Unleavened Bread (Lev. 23:6)
- First Fruits and 50 days of Counting of the Omer (Lev. 23:10-15)
- Feast of Weeks (Lev. 23:16)
- Feast of Trumpets (Lev. 24:24)
- Day of Atonement (Lev. 23:27)
- Feast of Tabernacles and 8th Day Assembly. (Lev. 23:34)
There are also two other feasts mentioned in the Bible: Purim in the book of Esther, and the Feast of Dedication in John 10:22.
Purim
In 2026, Purim falls on 3rd March 2026. The name Purim comes from ‘throwing the lot’, which is how Haman determined the day to kill all the Jews. Purim celebrates God’s rescue of the Jewish people from destruction. Mordechai asked Esther to speak to the king for her people the Jews, but she was reluctant, because if anyone approached the king without being summoned, they could be killed. Mordechai replied:
“For if you remain completely silent at this time, relief and deliverance will arise for the Jews from another place, but you and your father’s house will perish. Yet who knows whether you have come to the kingdom for such a time as this?” Esther 4:14 NKJV
Esther replied: “Go and get all the Jews in Susa together; hold a fast and pray for me. Don’t eat or drink anything for three days and nights. My servant women and I will be doing the same. After that, I will go to the king, even though it is against the law. If I must die for doing it, I will die.” Esther 4:16 GNT
(“Esther” by Minerva Telchert, date unknown)
“And Mordecai wrote these things and sent letters to all the Jews, near and far, who were in all the provinces of King Ahasuerus, to establish among them that they should celebrate yearly the fourteenth and fifteenth days of the month of Adar, as the days on which the Jews had rest from their enemies, as the month which was turned from sorrow to joy for them, and from mourning to a holiday; that they should make them days of feasting and joy, of sending presents to one another and gifts to the poor.” Esther 9:20-22 NKJV
by Enone Smit