The Seven Feasts of the Lord

 

THE FEASTS IN OUTLINE

1. Passover

2. Unleavened Bread

3. Sheaf of Firstfruits

4. Pentecost

5. Trumpets

6. Atonement

7. Tabernacles

Passover Pentecost Trumpets

Unleavened Bread Atonement

Sheaf of fruits Interval Tabernacles

1st Month 3RD Month 4th /5th /6th 7th Month

THE FEASTS OF ISRAEL – Kevin J. Conner

THE BIBLICAL FEASTS – Marinda du Preez

BRIEF BACKGROUND

The Feasts are called the Feasts of the Lord;

Holy Convocations, High Days where Israel was not to work during them.

The twenty-third chapter of Leviticus sets forth the most suitable outline of the three, yet seven, Feasts

WHY STUDY THE FEASTS

Many Christians, the moment they hear someone speak of the Feasts of the Lord ask: “Why study the Feasts?”

They are like many in Israel, who, as Hosea lamented “I wrote for him the ten thousand things of My law, but they are counted as a strange thing (as something which does not concern him)” (Hosea 8:12, Amplified Old Testament). The intricate details of the Mosaic economy become meaningless unless all is seen through the Cross concerning Christ and the church.

The answer to the question is the same answer which is given as to why we study the Tabernacles of Moses, the Tabernacle of David, the Temple of Solomon, the Priesthood and the Offerings. The Scriptures given in answer to this question apply to any question as to why New Testament believers should study Old Testament revelation along with the New Testament revelation.

We note some of the major scriptural reasons why the Feasts should be studied.

1. The Feasts should be studied because they are a part of the Scriptures given by inspiration of the Holy Spirit which are profitable for doctrine, reproof, correction and instruction in righteousness (II Timothy 3:16-17).

2. The Feasts should be studied because they are “a shadow of things to come” (Colossians 2:16-17; Hebrews 10:1-2). They point to Christ Who is the substance.

3. The Feasts should be studied because they were prophetic types and en-samples, foreshadowing Israel’s history and future events. They shadowed forth that which Christ would fulfil in Himself and in the church, which is His Body (1 Corinthians 10:6, 11 Matthew 5:17-18:11:13). They were written for our admonition. Part has found fulfilment, and part is yet to find fulfilment.

4. The Feasts should be studied because the believer will find that there are things written therein for his learning (Romans 15:4).

5. The Feasts should be studied because Christ came to fulfil all that was written of Him in “the Law, the Psalms and the Prophets” (Luke24:26-27, 44-45; John5:45-46: Acts 3:22-23).

6. The Feasts should be studied because this part of the Law was also a “schoolmaster to bring us to Christ” (Galatians 3:24).

7. The Feasts should be studied because Jesus said: “In the volume of the Book it is written of Me” (Hebrews10:7; Psalm 40:6-8; 29:9). All the intricate details point to some aspect of the person, work and glory of the Christ of God.

8. The Feasts should be studied because there was knowledge and truth in the external form of the Law. We study the external form to discover the internal knowledge and truth that was hidden therein (Romans 2:20, Amp, N.T, Hebrews 1:1-2, Amp. N.T.).

9. The Feasts should be studied because they set forth “patterns” of heavenly things on earth (Hebrews 8:5; 9:9, 23-24).

10. The Feasts should be studied because they set forth the total ministry of Christ relative to the plan of redemption. They outlined in their time element the present Dispensation, from the first coming of Christ (Passover), through the Church Age (Pentecost to the second coming of Christ (Tabernacles).

11. The Feasts should be studied because the truths therein are part of the “present truth” which the Holy Spirit is quickening to the Church in these “last days” (IIPeter1:12: Matthew 4:4).

12. The Feast should be studied because there has never been a generation who has experienced all three Feasts, but the end-time generation will experience such, even as did that generation under King Solomon’s glorious reign (IIChronicles 8:13). This generation will hear what the Spirit is saying to the Churches (Revelation 2:7).

The things involved in the Feasts of the Lord pertained to the material, the natural and the temporal. It is a principle of God’s dealings with His people that it is “First the natural, afterwards that which is spiritual” (1 Corinthians 15:46-47).

It is first the animal-lamb, then the Divine-human Lamb of God: first the natural loaves and leaven, then the spiritual loaves and leaven: first the earthly Sanctuary, then the heavenly Sanctuary.

When the Lord Jesus came, He came to fulfil and abolish the natural, the external and temporal, and bring in the Spiritual, the internal and the external (II Corinthians 4:18). The Letter of the Law was swallowed up in the Spirit of Life.

In the Feasts of Israel, as in the Tabernacle of Moses and its Priesthood and Offerings, God used the language of creation as the language of redemption. When we know the Creator we will understand the language of creation. When we know the Redeemer we will understand the language of redemption. Considering the visible things, the things we have been made will help us to understand the invisible things, even His eternal power and Godhead (Romans 1:20).

These then are the scriptural reasons why we should study the Feasts of the Lord.

Three times in the year all the males appear before the Lord, in the place which He shall choose; in the Feast of Unleavened Bread, and the Feast of Weeks and in the Feast of Tabernacles, and they shall not appear before Me empty; every man shall give as he is able (Deut16:16).

3 Major Feasts:

1. Feast of Unleavened Bread - PASSOVER – First month.

2. Feast of Weeks - PENTECOST – Third month.

3. Feast of Ingathering: TABERNACLES – seventh month.

Just as there are 3 major colours in the rainbow, and these 3 are manifested in 7 primary colours. 3 major feasts are broken up into 7 Feasts.

Feasts called the Feasts of the Lord/ Jehovah also known as Holy Days. The history of Israel records that the Feasts of the Lord degenerated into the Feasts of the Jews.

All 7 Feasts are outlined in Lev 23

I 

1. The Feast of Passover Lev23:4,5

2. The Feast of Unleavened Bread Lev23:6-8

3. The Feasts of Sheaf of Firstfruits Lev 23: 9-14

II 

4. The Feasts of Weeks(Pentecost) Lev 23:15-22

III

5. The Feasts of Trumpets Lev23:23-25

6. The Feasts Day of Atonement Lev23:26-32

7. The Feast of Tabernacles Lev 23:33-44

Our study approach

1. What happened in Israel historically in these Feasts?

2. How did Christ fulfil prophetically that which was foreshadowed in the Feasts?

3. What spiritual truths can be seen experientially in these Feasts? First relative to the believer individually and then to the church corporately.

The Old Covenant Feasts were fulfilled historically and literally in Israel up to the time of Christ ie. Passover and Pentecost. In the Cross, Christ fulfilled historically and personally the types and shadows in the Feast. Since the Cross, the Feast are spiritual and experiential in the believer individually, and in the church corporately.

Thus Passover, Pentecost and Tabernacles must be experienced spiritually by the believer in Christ.

The Feast of Tabernacles could not be fulfilled literally in the Jewish nation as it would necessitate: 1) a literal rebuilt temple

2) restoration of animal sacrifices

3) restoration of the Aaronic priesthood.

4) Whole Mosaic Law.

To do so would be a violation of the Book of Hebrews, the New Covenant Sanctuary, the Sacrifice of Christ and His eternal Priesthood after the order of Melchizedek.

It would be a rejection of Jesus Christ Himself.

It would be taking us back to before the Cross, and repudiating the New Covenant to re-instate the Old Covenant.