In Lev. Chapter 23, God identified seven feasts that He wanted the Jews to observe in their seasons. Three of those feasts (Passover, Unleavened Bread and Firstfruits) occur in the spring season; one of those feasts (Weeks or Pentecost) occurs in the summer season; and the remaining three feasts (Trumpets, Atonement and Tabernacles) occur in the fall season.
God told the Jews to proclaim these feasts to be “holy convocations.” This means God wanted these feasts to be set apart for a special purpose.
The purpose was twofold: 1) The feasts were gatherings that remember past events, and 2) They were gatherings that reveal future events.
The Lord’s Supper is a good example. Paul said, “For as often as ye eat this bread, and drink this cup, ye do show the Lord’s death (a past event) till he come” (a future event; I Cor. 11:26).
The past events that God selected for the feasts of the Lord are not haphazard choices or coincidences. God selected the past events that He wanted to be remembered because they are “a shadow of good things to come” (Heb. 10:1).
The Jews were meticulous about remembering the past events, but only a handful (called Messianic Jews) understand that they reveal future events.
One reason for this lack of understanding could be that certain Scriptures (Isa. 53 is an example) are omitted from regular Jewish Scripture readings.
Many Jews make themselves willingly ignorant of the future events because they don’t read certain Scriptures.
Before one condemns the Jews for this, it should be noted that some publishers of Christian Sunday school lessons often omit prophetic passages from the Sunday school lessons. These publishers are guilty of doing the same thing the Jews do.
Anyway, Jews celebrate the feasts of the Lord in the spring, summer and fall.
Think about it! God gave the Jews three spring feasts that reveal the Gospel (the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus), one summer feast that reveals the church (believing Gentiles and Messianic Jews), and three fall feasts that reveal the return of Jesus and His reign on earth.
The three Spring Feasts – Passover, Unleavened Bread and Firstfruits – reveal the gospel (the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus).
Concerning Passover, it is no coincidence that the Jews remember the past by selecting a lamb without blemish on Nisan 10 (Jesus, the unblemished Lamb of God, made His Triumphal Entry into Jerusalem on Nisan 10); that the Jews killed a lamb on Nisan 14 (Jesus was killed on Nisan 14); that the Jews killed the lamb at 3 pm (Jesus died at 3 pm); that the Jews didn’t break any of the lamb’s bones (none of Jesus’ bones were broken); and the Jews didn’t leave any of the lamb for the next day (the body of Jesus was removed from the cross before the next day).
Concerning Unleavened Bread, it is no coincidence that the Jews remember the past by eating unleavened bread on Nisan 15 (Jesus was the unleavened, sinless, Bread of Life whose body was in the grave on Nisan 15); that the Jews ate unleavened bread with stripes on it (Jesus was beaten with 39 lashes), that the Jews ate unleavened bread with holes in it (Jesus’ hands and feet were pierced).
Concerning Firstfruits, it is no coincidence that the Jews remember the feast of Firstfruits on Nisan 16 (the first time their ancestors ate food that was raised in the Promised Land was on Nisan 16, exactly 40 years after they left Egypt), and because Jesus is the Firstfruits of those to be raised from the dead.
The one Summer Feast reveals the church.
It is no coincidence that the Jews remember the birth of Judaism on Sivan 6, exactly 50 days after Firstfruits, because that reveals the birth of the church on Sivan 6, exactly 50 days after Firstfruits. That’s right; the Jews received the Ten Commandments and came under the Law on the same day the church (120 believers) was to receive the Holy Spirit and come under grace.
The Three Fall Feasts – Trumpets, Atonement and Tabernacles – reveal the return of Jesus and His reign on earth (the Rapture, Second Coming and Millennium).
Concerning Trumpets, among other things, God told the Jews to use trumpets to assemble the people, announce feast days, etc. (Num. 10:1-10). The trump of God will sound to raise the dead, assemble the Church and announce the Rapture (I Thess. 4:15-17).
Concerning Atonement, the Jews offer two goats (one a sin substitute, the other a sin bearer) to be a temporary atonement for their sins during the year (Lev. 16), and this reveals that Jesus would be the believers’ sin substitute, sin bearer and permanent atonement (Isa. 53:4-6; I Pet. 2:24; Heb. 8:12).
Concerning Tabernacles, the Jews remember that their ancestors dwelled (or tabernacled) in temporary housing (tents) in the wilderness, and God dwelled with them in a temporary house (the Ark of the Covenant in the Tabernacle); but a time is coming when God will permanently dwell with His people (Jewish and Gentile believers).
The reader should know that there is much more to the Feasts of the Lord than has been said, but the point of this article is that the feasts reveal the Gospel, the Church and the return and reign of Jesus.
Wouldn’t it be great if publishers and pastors would stop making themselves willingly ignorant of these things?
Prophecy Plus Ministries, Inc.
Daymond & Rachel Duck
duck_daymond@yahoo.com