Certainly there are a lot of Messianic “Feast Books” to choose from when you decide to delve deeper into the Biblical celebrations. Typically they offer some kind of historical overview, explain the prophetic significance in relationship to Messiah Yeshua, and describe how you can celebrate them yourself or with others. Jesus in the Biblical Holidays by Robin Sampson doesn’t stop there.
Ms. Samspon still writes about the history, prophetic meaning, and suggestions for celebrating. But she goes beyond just telling the reader about these things. What is presented in this book is more of a challenge. It plants seeds. It doesn’t provide all the answers; instead, it entices the reader to think deeper than simply the words on the page.
The author wants you to truly see Jesus/Yeshua in these celebrations. She describes the book as “an invitation to a transformative journey.” And if you decide to take that journey, it will methodically lead you as you walk it, not just take you on a sightseeing tour.
Jesus in the Biblical Holidays
Illuminating God’s Appointed Times
In the Old Testament Feasts
by Robin Sampson
Heart of Wisdom Publishing, 2025
In Jesus in the Biblical Holidays, author Robin Sampson journeys through each of the Biblical Feasts outlined in Leviticus 23. She begins with the weekly Sabbath, then goes through the commonly recognized list of seven divinely Appointed Times:
- Passover
- Unleavened Bread
- Firstfruits
- Feast of Weeks
- Day of Trumpets
- Day of Attonement
- Feast of Tabernacles
In addition to these, the author includes the two “extra” holidays of Hanukkah and Purim.
This author takes the approach of many in the Messianic and Hebrew Roots community, that the Spring Holidays have been “historically fulfilled during Christ’s first coming” and the Fall Holidays are “to be fulfilled during Christ’s second coming” (take directly from the chart on the back cover of the book). There is certainly validity in this viewpoint, and it presents a clear understanding of the mission of Messiah Yeshua. Just to note, however, this should not be an absolute distinction. For further insight, check out my review of The Biblical Feasts and the Return of Jesus.
Also setting the stage is the emphasis early on that these feasts, at least those outlined in Leviticus 23, are not “Jewish.” Of course, this position is held by most of those reading this site. These Feasts belong to the LORD, Adonai, Yahweh, and are given to his people.
The distinction is critical. The passage begins with the directive , Speak to the children of Israel and say to them, which indicates that while the immediate audience is the Israelites, the ownership and initiation of these feasts belong to the LORD. They are HIs feasts.
This framing suggests that these holy convocations are Divine in origin and purpose. God established them for the Israelites to observe, but their significance transcends a specific ethnic or cultural identity. Instead, they are meant to be a time for all believers to acknowledge and celebrate the works and character of God.
Jesus in the Biblical Holidays, p.12
In general, the section covering each holiday includes these sub-sections, which we can call “chapters” although the layout is somewhat unique as I will describe later. And when a particular Appointed Time has a something distinct that does not fit this exact pattern, the author does a great job of incorporating it without deviating far from this list.
- Overview of the Holiday
- Jewish traditions
- How the Holiday reveals the Messiah
- Suggestions for celebrating
- Recipes
- Additional questions for study
The Holidays are divided into three groups: four Spring Holidays, three Fall Holidays, and two Extra Holidays. Before beginning the presentation of these holidays, Ms. Simpson appropriately covers the weekly Sabbath using this same pattern of chapters.
Author’s Approach and Perspective
Robin Sampson has been deeply involved in homeschooling, from homeschooling her nine children to founding “Family Christian Academy (FCA), an umbrella school and chain of bookstores that became a leading supplier of Christian homeschool materials in the U.S.” (from the bio on her website biblejournalclasses.com). She has spoken at homeschooling conferences and contributed to prominent magazines in that field. Thus, the layout and organization of this book should not be surprising.
Jesus in the Biblical Holidays isn’t a book that you just sit down and read. It isn’t a narrative or dissertation. I would describe this book more as a collection of talking points. If you have ever made an inquiry of ChatGPT or another AI engine, you have seen this format. It is concise and effective.
The Layout of Jesus in the Biblical Holidays
The chapters are relatively short, usually just three or four pages, grouped together in sections for each Holiday. Each chapter is divided into sub headings, and under these sub headings is a paragraph or two, sometimes three or four, but more often just one. The format makes extensive use of lists, sometimes numbered, sometimes bulleted, and sometimes with just the first phrase or sentence in bold. For anyone preparing to make a presentation or to lead a discussion, this is ideal.
Chapters are not numbered outside of the Table of Contents. Still, they are very easy to find, especially if you are already familiar with the sequence of the Feasts. And if you aren’t, the Table of Contents is very detailed. And because of the heavy use of sub headings and lists, going back to find something you previously read is also pretty easy.
Each Holiday section begins with an overview chart that is repeated as text on the next page. With each section on how the Holiday reveals the Messiah, there is also a two-column chart listing some aspect of that Appointed Time along with how it reveals Jesus/Yeshua.
A Book of Questions
As I mentioned, you can think of the layout as a set of talking points. Often with each highlighted point, a sentence or two will get you thinking about the idea presented. Sometimes this includes unanswered questions or the suggestion to continue thinking about and personalizing the concept. If you are preparing a presentation on a Feast or some aspect of it, this is your outline!
And ending each section on the individual Holiday, there is a set of questions called “Illuminating Reflections.” Simply reading the questions, they probably won’t do much for you and are easily glossed over. But in any kind of group discussion or study, these will invoke conversation and contemplation about both personal and corporate observance of these Feasts and how they reveal the Messiah. They are the logical follow-up to the previous talking points.
Even if you are not in a group setting, the questions would also be a great starting point for personal journaling. And it appears that journaling is another of Ms. Sampson’s passions.
The Purple Book
Many readers may already be familiar with Robin Sampson’s earlier Feast book, A Family Guide to the Biblical Holidays, often referred to as “The Purple Book” because of its large size and, of course, the color of the cover. It has become somewhat of a standard in this topic, especially among Messianic and Christian homeschoolers. Jesus in the Biblical Holidays is not simply a revision of The Purple Book. This new book, as the title suggests, has a primary focus on Jesus/Yeshua.
The Purple Book truly is a “family guide,” including lots of selected activities, crafts, games, and recipes for a family or small group of families to incorporate in their celebrations. This new book gets right to the point, delving into the Biblical Holidays themselves. Yes, along with a few recipes you will find suggestions for additional activities, but the details are pursued outside of this book. It is much smaller, about half the number of pages, and in my opinion much easier for a reader to navigate. That said, if you are looking for a collection of ideas for a family celebration, then A Family Guide to the Biblical Holidays might be right for you.
A Few Concerns For Me
What I have is, I think, a first edition. The title page shows publication in 2024, and Amazon lists the publication date as March 4, 2024, so this book isn’t yet a year old. That said, I found a few typographical errors, what I consider grammatical errors, and some formatting errors (bold type missing, etc.). This isn’t a big deal and I’m sure will be corrected.
The Calendar Date for Firstfruits
Jewish calendar dates are used, which aren’t stressed and shouldn’t be a problem for anyone. A possible exception among Messianic and Hebrew Roots readers who are not part of the Jewish community are the dates for Firstfruits and Shavuot. Most will expect those to always be on Sunday, whereas the Jewish (Hillel) calendar fixes them on Nisan 16 and Sivan 6 respectively, regardless of the day of the week. That in itself isn’t a concern.
However, the overview charts on pages 10 and 21 list the date for Firstfruits as Nisan17. That would, of course, be three days after Passover on Nisan 14 and easily tied to the resurrection of the Messiah, but it does not correspond to the Jewish tradition of Nisan 16. I am not aware of anyone who establishes the fixed date for Firstfruits as Nisan 17. Notably, the chart at the beginning of the section on Firstfruits shows it as the 16th of Nisan, so this is a little puzzling.
Overall, these dates are not relevant to the points being made. Spring is Spring; Fall is Fall. Please, if you are in a discussion group, don’t make the calendar an issue.
Some Common Assumptions I Question
In discussing the Passover, the statement is made that “Jesus adhered to the practice of the four cups although he drank only three, a custom deeply embedded in the Passover of his era.” This is commonly mentioned in Messianic circles. My understanding is the tradition of four cups came much later, and there is no Scriptural evidence this was practiced during Yeshua’s time or at his final Passover.
There are, I think, a couple of other instances of anachronism, something being interpreted or applied in a way that is out of its proper time period. We all do that occasionally. Interestingly, the author acknowledges that this happens. Perhaps we just disagree on some of these things, or maybe we don’t always recognize them. This would actually be a great topic to pursue if you are using this book to lead a group discussion.
… recognizing the role of preconceived notions is essential. We can greatly benefit from exploring and understanding our Jewish roots and heritage, as well as striving to comprehend the Bible within the context of its original cultural era. By familiarizing ourselves with the world in which the Bible is written, we enhance our grasp of its messages and teachings.
Jesus in the Biblical Holidays, p.73
I couldn’t have said that better.
There are a few other timings I found confusing. The author places Abraham and Melchizedek “over four hundred years” before the Last Supper. In fact, it was way over 400 years. The chapter on How the Day of Atonement Reveals the Messiah seems to place the tearing of the Temple veil on Yom Kippur rather than Passover.
Some of the charts and descriptions of the Fall Feasts (Trumpets/Atonement/Tabernacles) seem to be mixed – for example, the chart at the beginning of Trumpets looks to be more about Tabernacles, and some of the section on Atonement seems more applicable to Trumpets. But these are often grouped together as the High Holy Days in Jewish observances, so again it shouldn’t be a problem. It is another good seed for discussion!
Personal Reflections
I like the structured layout of Jesus in the Biblical Holidays. It offers a historically and Biblically based picture of Jesus/Yeshua in the cycle of Feasts from someone who not only knows this material well, she also knows how to present it. This is written in a style well suited to group discussion.
The talking points format keeps things focused, but also has a lot of repetition. That can be a little annoying when reading, but this is what gets the point across when making a presentation or leading a discussion. Again, personal journaling or group discussing are both ideal settings for using this book.
I think Jesus in the Biblical Holidays is something you will continue to use long after giving it an initial read.
Other Books by Robin Sampson
A Family Guide to the Biblical Holidays – With Activities for All Ages
Check out Robin Sampson’s Author Page at Amazon for some of her Homeschooling books.