An appointment is an arrangement for a meeting. We all are familiar with having an appointment with a doctor or a dentist. But what about having an appointment with God?

Are you aware that God specifies certain appointments in the Bible where He wants to meet with you?

The Hebrew word that is used for these appointments or meetings is mow'ed.,

The Strong’s Concordance defines this as: 4150. "mow'ed, mo-ade'; or mo'ed mo-ade'; or (fem.) mow'adah (H2 Chron. 8 : 13), mo-aw-daw'; from H3259; prop. an appointment, i.e. a fixed time or season; spec. a festival; conventionally a year; by implication, an assembly (as convened for a definite purpose); technically the congregation; by extension, the place of meeting; also a signal (as appointed beforehand):--appointed (sign, time), (place of, solemn) assembly, congregation, (set, solemn) feast, (appointed, due) season, solemn (-ity), synagogue, (set) time (appointed)."

As you look at the definition, you should be able to pick up key words in how this word mow’ed is translated as, appointment, meeting, fixed time, assembly, and feast.

The word mow’ed occurs 240 times in 210 verses of the Old Testament.

Let’s look at the first time that this word mow’ed is used in the Bible in Genesis 1:14, "And God said, Let there be lights in the firmament of the heaven to divide the day from the night; and let them be for signs, and for seasons, and for days, and years."

Well, guess which word in this verse is translated from the word mow’ed? It is the word ‘seasons’. We may think of seasons as being autumn, winter, spring and summer, but with the idea of appointments in mind, we see that the lights in the firmament of heaven are for signs and appointments.

Let’s digress for a moment. God set up the beginning of months with Abib being the first month of His calendar of time (Exodus 13:4, 23:15, 34:18, Deuteronomy 16:1). God’s calendar is a lunar calendar based on the moon.

Now, let’s look at some more mow’eds in the Scriptures. Let’s look at Leviticus 23:1-2, "And the LORD spoke unto Moses, saying, {2} Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them, Concerning the feasts of the LORD, which you shall proclaim to be holy convocations, even these are my feasts."

Now which words in this passage is translated from the word mow’ed? The two words ‘feasts’ are translated from the Hebrew word mow’ed. Notice that these feasts are appointments with the LORD. The word LORD is translated from the Hebrew word Yehovah or YHVH.

Now something else to notice in this passage of Leviticus 23 verses 1 and 2. There are ‘holy convocations’ ordained by the LORD (Yehovah or YHVH) on His appointments or appointed feasts.

The word ‘holy’ is translated from the Hebrew word ‘qodesh’ and the definition is: Strong’s Concordance # 6944. "qodesh, ko'-desh; from H6942; a sacred place or thing; rarely abstr. sanctity:--consecrated (thing), dedicated (thing), hallowed (thing), holiness, (X most) holy (X day, portion, thing), saint, sanctuary."

Obviously ‘holy’ means sacred, consecrated, set apart, dedicated, holy. The word ‘convocation’ is translated from the Hebrew word ‘miqra’ and the definition is: Strong’s Concordance #4744. "miqra', mik-raw'; from H7121; something called out, i.e. a public meeting (the act, the persons, or the place); also a rehearsal:--assembly, calling, convocation, reading."

Convocation could be an assembly, but one of the definitions is ‘rehearsal’. When we think of ‘rehearsals’ we may think of a wedding rehearsal.

When we think about weddings in the Bible we may think about Jesus at the marriage in Cana where He turned water into wine (John 2) or we may think about the marriage of the Lamb in Revelation 19 where Jesus Christ will marry the Saints in the Church. Don’t you think that there would be wedding rehearsals for this dynamic marriage that will only occur once in the eternal lives of God and Jesus Christ?

If we continue our study through Leviticus 23 we find that there are seven feast appointments with the LORD and there are seven holy convocations that are ordained by God. These holy convocations of God are associated with the seven festivals of God, including: The Days of Unleavened Bread, Pentecost, Feast of Trumpets, the Day of Atonement, and Feast of Tabernacles.

You will notice that 2 holy convocations fall on the first and last days of the feast of Unleavened Bread and 2 fall on the first and the eight days of the Feast of Tabernacles.

Notice that the Passover is a very special and sacred event but there is no holy convocation on this day.

Also notice Leviticus 23:9-14 which has the heading of Firstfruits, or as we call it Wave Sheaf Sunday, is special but there is no holy convocation associated with this day either.

Let’s not forget to also notice that Leviticus 23 verse 3 describes the weekly seventh day (Saturday) Sabbath as being a holy convocation.

The study of God’s appointments with man on His annual Feast days is one of the most incredible Bible Studies that you will ever do. God’s Feasts reveals God’s plan of salvation. Passover pictures Jesus as our Passover Lamb being sacrificed for us (1 Cor. 5:7). The Days of Unleavened Bread pictures coming out of sin and being baptized (Romans 6:4, 1 Cor. 5:8). Pentecost pictures the receiving God’s Holy Spirit (Acts 2). The Feast of Trumpets pictures a time of war and the ultimate return of Jesus Christ (Revelation 11:15). The Day of Atonement pictures us being at-one with God and Jesus being our High Priest (Hebrews 8:1). The Feast of Tabernacles pictures the millennium of 1,000 years of peace with Jesus ruling on the earth as King of kings and Lord of lords (Revelation 20:1-6).

God’s Holy Days are part of the Pearls of Great Price (Matthew 13:45-4) where the person who found these pearls of truth would be willing to sell everything he had to buy them.

In conclusion: The Bible no where talks about the world’s holidays of Christmas and Easter, but the Bible reveals that God has set appointments on certain days of the year that He wants to meet with you. Why don’t you keep your appointments with God this year?