What other biblical events emphasize the importance of remembering specific dates? The Day Ezekiel Had to Write Down “Son of man, write down the name of this day, this very day. The king of Babylon has laid siege to Jerusalem this very day.” – Ezekiel 24:2 God required Ezekiel to note the precise date of Jerusalem’s siege. That insistence is no isolated quirk; Scripture repeatedly highlights exact days so His people will remember His acts and promises. Why the Lord Marks Dates • To anchor history: events are factual, not mythical. • To stir remembrance: shared dates forge identity and worship. • To connect prophecy with fulfillment: precise timing proves His sovereignty. • To teach obedience: set times train hearts to submit to God’s calendar, not man’s. Major Memorial Days Commanded in the Law • Passover – 14th day, first month “This day shall be to you a memorial…a permanent statute” (Exodus 12:14). • Feast of Unleavened Bread – 15th–21st, first month (Exodus 12:17-18). • Firstfruits – the day after the Sabbath following Passover (Leviticus 23:10-11). • Feast of Weeks/Pentecost – 50 days after Firstfruits (Leviticus 23:15-16). • Feast of Trumpets – 1st day, seventh month “A memorial proclaimed with the blast of trumpets” (Leviticus 23:24). • Day of Atonement – 10th day, seventh month “This is to be a permanent statute for you” (Leviticus 16:29). • Feast of Tabernacles – 15th–22nd, seventh month (Leviticus 23:34-36). • Sabbatical Year & Jubilee “Consecrate the fiftieth year and proclaim liberty in the land” (Leviticus 25:10). Historical Markers Outside the Feasts • Crossing the Jordan, 10th day, first month Stones set up so children would ask, “What do these stones mean?” (Joshua 4:6-7, 19). • Victory over Amalek “Write this on a scroll as a memorial” (Exodus 17:14). • Purim, 14th–15th of Adar “To establish among them an annual celebration” (Esther 9:21-22). Prophetic Time-Stamps • Daniel’s seventy weeks: exact prophetic timetable (Daniel 9:24-26). • Haggai 1:1; Zechariah 1:1; Ezekiel 1:1-2; 29:17—prophecies dated to the day, underscoring literal fulfillment. New-Covenant Fulfillment of the Timely Shadows • Passover: “Christ, our Passover lamb, has been sacrificed” (cf. John 19:14; 1 Corinthians 5:7). • Firstfruits: “Christ has been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep” (1 Corinthians 15:20). • Pentecost: the Spirit poured out exactly fifty days after the Resurrection (Acts 2:1). Living Out the Pattern of Remembrance • Celebrate Communion “in remembrance of Me” (Luke 22:19), echoing Passover’s memorial purpose. • Mark personal milestones of God’s faithfulness, following Israel’s habit of stones and scrolls. • Study prophecy with confidence, knowing every date God sets will be kept to the letter. From Ezekiel’s dated siege to the empty tomb on Passover’s precise timetable, Scripture’s calendar calls God’s people to remember, trust, and obey Him—day by appointed day. |
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