by Iris Jumper
The seven feasts listed in Leviticus chapter 23 were part of the Law given to Moses by God to the children of Israel in the Sinai desert after he freed them from their Egyptian bondage. (“And the LORD spoke unto Moses saying, 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” - Leviticus 23:1-2).
“Feasts” (moadim) meant appointed times and places. A “Holy Convocation” (miqra) meant a time of rehearsal. Israel was instructed to celebrate seven yearly festivals beginning in the spring of the year and continuing through the fall. The feasts were both historic and prophetic. They were to remind God’s people of the great and magnificent works He had done for them and to show a future picture of whom the Messiah would be and the part he would play in
redeeming and restoring mankind and the earth back to God.
The spring feasts were:
Passover (Leviticus 23:4-5; 1 Corinthians 5:7)
Unleavened Bread (Leviticus 23:6-8; 1Corinthians 5:7-8)
First Fruits (Leviticus 23:9-14; 1 Corinthians 15:20-23)
Pentecost (Leviticus 23:15-21; Acts 2:1-4)
The first Passover occurred in Egypt after the Pharaoh’s final refusal to release God’s people. God told Moses that all the firstborn of Egypt would die, both man and beast, but Israel would be saved. On the 10th day of the month, each family was to select a male lamb of the first year without blemish. It was to be kept to the 14th day when the whole
congregation of Israel was to kill it and eat it at a set time of that day. The lamb’s blood was to be painted on the side posts and upper door posts of each family’s house. That night, as the plague of death covered Egypt, it passed over every house that was covered by the lamb’s blood. The next day, Israel was free to go, and they fled quickly with their dough for baking bread on their shoulders before they had
time to add the leaven.
Passover, as well as all the spring festivals, was prophetic for the first coming of the Messiah. He entered into Jerusalem on the 10th day of the same month (Nissan) that the Passover lamb was being selected by the priests. He was crucified at the exact day and hour that the Passover lamb was slain. The next day during the Feast of Unleavened bread, he was buried, and his sinless body was received by God as a holy and complete sacrifice. Three days later at the Feast of First Fruits, a faithful and loving God raised His Son, our Lord and savior, from the dead. This event provided a promise of salvation, forgiveness of sins, and eternal life to all who believed in the sacrifice of Jesus and his resurrection.
Fifty days after First fruits at the Feast of Pentecost (the anniversary of when the Law was first given to Moses), God poured out His Holy Spirit, and all those present heard the wonderful works of God spoken in their own language. Jesus Christ has fulfilled the spring feasts by his first coming and likewise will fulfill the fall feasts when he returns a
second time.
Autumn feasts were:
• Feast of Trumpets (Leviticus 23:24-25;
1Thessalonians 4:16-17)
• Feast of Atonement (Leviticus 23:27; Romans 5:10
and 11)
• Feast of Tabernacles (Leviticus 23:41-43; Hebrews
9:11; Revelation 21:3)
Trumpets were used frequently by the nation of Israel (Numbers 10:1-3). Trumpets called an assembly together, announced the beginning of a month, or mobilized an army. The trumpets used during these occasions were usually made of silver. On the Feast of Trumpets, God instructed Moses to use only a trumpet made from a ram’s horn (shofar). **This was done to remind Israel that God had provided a ram's horn as a substitute so that Abraham did not have to sacrifice his son Isaac (Genesis 22:10-13). When the ram’s horn was blown, unlike the more musical silver trumpets, it made a loud piercing blast that symbolized an alarm. It is a ram’s horn (shofar) that will be blown on that great and glorious day when our Lord returns, and at that appointed time some day in the future, he will fulfill the Feast of Trumpets. “Behold I show you a mystery; we shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed. In a moment, in a twinkling of the eye, at the last trump for the trumpet [shofar] shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed” (1Corinthians 15:51-52).
“For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and the trump [shofar] of God: and the dead in Christ will rise first: Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord” (1Thessalonians 4:16-17).
All of the fall feasts took place within a fifteen day time span starting on the 1st day of the seventh month, (Tishri) (Sept- Oct). Ten days after Feast of Trumpets was the Feast of Atonement. Jesus returning with his saints to judge and cleanse the earth would fulfill this feast (Zechariah 12:10; Revelation 1:7). After that time, the Scriptures say Jesus will establish his millennial Kingdom, and God's tabernacle will be on earth again and will once more dwell with His people for a thousand years. This would be the fulfillment of the last of the seven feasts − Tabernacles (Revelations 20-1-6; Revelations 21:3). We can give glory to God who carefully planned and orchestrated the timing and sequence of each of these seven feasts and chose to reveal to us His plan for Jesus Christ, our redemption and salvation, and our future together with Him and our Lord in eternity.
Surely the LORD GOD will do nothing, but he
revealeth his secret unto his servants the prophets
(Amos 3:7).
The seven feasts listed in Leviticus chapter 23 were part of the Law given to Moses by God to the children of Israel in the Sinai desert after he freed them from their Egyptian bondage. (“And the LORD spoke unto Moses saying, 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” - Leviticus 23:1-2).
“Feasts” (moadim) meant appointed times and places. A “Holy Convocation” (miqra) meant a time of rehearsal. Israel was instructed to celebrate seven yearly festivals beginning in the spring of the year and continuing through the fall. The feasts were both historic and prophetic. They were to remind God’s people of the great and magnificent works He had done for them and to show a future picture of whom the Messiah would be and the part he would play in
redeeming and restoring mankind and the earth back to God.
The spring feasts were:
Passover (Leviticus 23:4-5; 1 Corinthians 5:7)
Unleavened Bread (Leviticus 23:6-8; 1Corinthians 5:7-8)
First Fruits (Leviticus 23:9-14; 1 Corinthians 15:20-23)
Pentecost (Leviticus 23:15-21; Acts 2:1-4)
The first Passover occurred in Egypt after the Pharaoh’s final refusal to release God’s people. God told Moses that all the firstborn of Egypt would die, both man and beast, but Israel would be saved. On the 10th day of the month, each family was to select a male lamb of the first year without blemish. It was to be kept to the 14th day when the whole
congregation of Israel was to kill it and eat it at a set time of that day. The lamb’s blood was to be painted on the side posts and upper door posts of each family’s house. That night, as the plague of death covered Egypt, it passed over every house that was covered by the lamb’s blood. The next day, Israel was free to go, and they fled quickly with their dough for baking bread on their shoulders before they had
time to add the leaven.
Passover, as well as all the spring festivals, was prophetic for the first coming of the Messiah. He entered into Jerusalem on the 10th day of the same month (Nissan) that the Passover lamb was being selected by the priests. He was crucified at the exact day and hour that the Passover lamb was slain. The next day during the Feast of Unleavened bread, he was buried, and his sinless body was received by God as a holy and complete sacrifice. Three days later at the Feast of First Fruits, a faithful and loving God raised His Son, our Lord and savior, from the dead. This event provided a promise of salvation, forgiveness of sins, and eternal life to all who believed in the sacrifice of Jesus and his resurrection.
Fifty days after First fruits at the Feast of Pentecost (the anniversary of when the Law was first given to Moses), God poured out His Holy Spirit, and all those present heard the wonderful works of God spoken in their own language. Jesus Christ has fulfilled the spring feasts by his first coming and likewise will fulfill the fall feasts when he returns a
second time.
Autumn feasts were:
• Feast of Trumpets (Leviticus 23:24-25;
1Thessalonians 4:16-17)
• Feast of Atonement (Leviticus 23:27; Romans 5:10
and 11)
• Feast of Tabernacles (Leviticus 23:41-43; Hebrews
9:11; Revelation 21:3)
Trumpets were used frequently by the nation of Israel (Numbers 10:1-3). Trumpets called an assembly together, announced the beginning of a month, or mobilized an army. The trumpets used during these occasions were usually made of silver. On the Feast of Trumpets, God instructed Moses to use only a trumpet made from a ram’s horn (shofar). **This was done to remind Israel that God had provided a ram's horn as a substitute so that Abraham did not have to sacrifice his son Isaac (Genesis 22:10-13). When the ram’s horn was blown, unlike the more musical silver trumpets, it made a loud piercing blast that symbolized an alarm. It is a ram’s horn (shofar) that will be blown on that great and glorious day when our Lord returns, and at that appointed time some day in the future, he will fulfill the Feast of Trumpets. “Behold I show you a mystery; we shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed. In a moment, in a twinkling of the eye, at the last trump for the trumpet [shofar] shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed” (1Corinthians 15:51-52).
“For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and the trump [shofar] of God: and the dead in Christ will rise first: Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord” (1Thessalonians 4:16-17).
All of the fall feasts took place within a fifteen day time span starting on the 1st day of the seventh month, (Tishri) (Sept- Oct). Ten days after Feast of Trumpets was the Feast of Atonement. Jesus returning with his saints to judge and cleanse the earth would fulfill this feast (Zechariah 12:10; Revelation 1:7). After that time, the Scriptures say Jesus will establish his millennial Kingdom, and God's tabernacle will be on earth again and will once more dwell with His people for a thousand years. This would be the fulfillment of the last of the seven feasts − Tabernacles (Revelations 20-1-6; Revelations 21:3). We can give glory to God who carefully planned and orchestrated the timing and sequence of each of these seven feasts and chose to reveal to us His plan for Jesus Christ, our redemption and salvation, and our future together with Him and our Lord in eternity.
Surely the LORD GOD will do nothing, but he
revealeth his secret unto his servants the prophets
(Amos 3:7).
No comments:
Post a Comment