feast (FEEST) a special meal and celebration for a certain purpose.

• Feast of Dedication, an eight-day celebration for the Jews that showed they were thankful that the Temple had been cleansed again, John 10:22

• Feast of Harvest, see “Feast of Weeks.”

• Feast of Purim (PURE-rim) reminded the Israelites of how they were saved from death during the time of Queen Esther, Esther 9:18–32

• Feast of Shelters, “Feast of Booths” or “Feast of Tents”; reminded the Israelites of how God had taken care of them when they left Egypt and lived in tents in the wilderness, Exodus 23:16; Deuteronomy 16:13–17

• Feast of Unleavened Bread, or “Passover”; reminded the Israelites how God brought them out of Egyptian slavery, Exodus 12:1–30; Numbers 28:16–25; Deuteronomy 16:1–8

• Feast of Weeks, or “Pentecost,” the “Feast of Harvest,” or the “Day of Firstfruits”; a feast of thanksgiving for the summer harvest, Exodus 34:22; Leviticus 23:15–22; Numbers 28:26–31

Felix (FEE-lix) the Roman governor of Judea from a.d. 52 to 54.

• put Paul on trial, Acts 23:23–24; 24

fellowship (FEL-o-ship) sharing friendship and love with others.

• with Christ, Matthew 18:20; 1 Corinthians 1:9; 1 John 1:3

• with the Holy Spirit, 2 Corinthians 13:14; Philippians 2:1

• with believers, Acts 2:42; 1 John 1:7

festivals, See “feasts.”

Festus (FES-tus) governor of Judea after Felix.

• put Paul on trial, Acts 25–26

fighting

• against evil, 2 Corinthians 10:3–6; Ephesians 6:12

• “fight the good fight,” 1 Timothy 1:18

• “I have fought the good fight.” 2 Timothy 4:7

fire, used by God as a sign of his presence and power.

• the burning bush, Exodus 3:1–6

• pillar of, Exodus 13:21–22

• chariot of, 2 Kings 2:11

• wrong kind of, Numbers 26:61

• fiery furnace, Daniel 3:25

• baptism of, Matthew 3:11

• of punishment, Matthew 5:22; 13:41–42; Mark 9:43; 2 Thessalonians 1:8; Hebrews 10:27

• everything destroyed by fire, 2 Peter 3:10

• evidence of the Holy Spirit, Acts 2:3

firstborn (FIRST-born) the oldest child in a family; the firstborn son in a Jewish family received a double share of his father’s wealth and became the leader of the family when his father died.

• Esau sold his rights, Genesis 25:27–34

• Israelites as God’s firstborn, Exodus 4:22; Jeremiah 31:9

• death of, Exodus 11:1–8

• given to God, Exodus 13:1–16

firstfruits (FIRST-fruits) the first and best crops and animals the Israelites raised and gave to God at harvest time, Exodus 34:26; Numbers 28:26; Deuteronomy 18:3–4

fish

• clean and unclean, Deuteronomy 14:9–10

• used in miracles, Matthew 14:17; Luke 5:1–7; John 21:1–13

flax (FLAKS) a plant used to make clothing and ropes, Exodus 9:31; Isaiah 19:9

• used by Rahab, Joshua 2:6

flood, Genesis 6:8–9; Matthew 24:37–39; 2 Peter 3:5–6