Paul explains in Colossians 2:17 that Elohim's weekly Sabbath day and sacred festivals are "a shadow of things to come" (verse 17). Many think he was saying this to demean them and show why they are unnecessary for Christians. The reality is just the opposite. Paul was acknowledging their abiding significance for us.
In the Greek language the word mello, translated "to come," is a present active participle. It explicitly points to events yet future. According to The Complete Word Study Dictionary: New Testament, mello means "to be about to do or suffer something, to be at the point of, to be impending" (Spiros Zodhiates, 1992, p. 956). Vine's Complete Expository Dictionary of Old and New Testament Words explains its meaning as "to be about (to do something), often implying the necessity and therefore the certainty of what is to take place" (1985, "Come, Came," p. 109).
Paul is saying that the Sabbath and Holy Days, which the Colossians celebrated by feasting according to biblical instruction, had been given by Elohim to foreshadow future events—things yet to come. The grammar of Paul's statement requires this meaning.
When Elohim first commanded that these "feasts of the Lord" be observed (Leviticus 23:2-4), each event they foreshadowed was still in the future. Even today, most of the events foreshadowed by these festivals are yet to be fulfilled in Elohim's plan.
These sacred days have always foreshadowed Elohim's promises to intervene in human affairs through Yeshua Messiah. They signify the fulfillment of His master plan to offer salvation to all of humankind through Yeshua Messiah. Therefore, their themes and symbolism are unequivocally Christian.
Paul understood and taught this. For full details on the meaning and Christian significance of Elohim's festivals, request your free copy of our booklet Elohim's Holy Day Plan: The Promise of Hope for All Mankind.